Why do some traditional leaders command the loyalty and cooperation of their communities, while others are ignored or forgotten? In this in-depth analysis of contemporary traditional institutions across sub-Saharan Africa, Vladimir Chlouba demonstrates that traditional institutions come in at least three types, each linked to specific historical antecedents and associated with predictable outcomes. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in rural Namibia, as well as evidence from Uganda, Benin, and Malawi, he shows how the strength of precolonial political structures and the intensity of colonial disruption together determine how well traditional leaders govern today. Through vivid interviews, court records, marriage data, and festival observations, he brings to life the daily realities of communities who rely on chiefs and headmen for justice, dispute resolution, and public goods. Challenging the assumption that traditional institutions are relics of the past, he reveals them instead as living, consequential forces shaping development and democracy across Africa.