As the implementation of smart cities continues to gain traction globally, the debate in the literature still focuses mostly on urban municipalities, ignoring rural municipalities. However, rural municipalities have unique challenges compared to urban municipalities. The implementation of sustainable smart cities in rural-based municipalities requires focused approaches to assess rural municipalities’ resources and institutions. Moreover, in rural municipalities resources and institutions are controlled and managed by traditional leaders. There is a lot of literature that examines the development and implementation of smart cities. However, there is limited literature that explores the role of traditional leaders in the development of sustainable smart cities in rural municipalities. This study investigates the role of traditional leaders in the development of sustainable smart cities in rural municipalities. The study is carried out using a qualitative approach using interviews as the data collection instrument to explore the value that traditional leaders have in smart city initiatives in rural municipalities. Through this investigation, the study finds that traditional leaders must be involved from the beginning of smart city initiatives in order to resolve issues such as land rights and demarcation. Lastly, the findings of this study may provide valuable insights for policymakers, town and regional planners, and community stakeholders seeking to develop strategies to implement sustainable smart cities in rural municipalities.