On one’s own two feet: self-employment, poverty, and the importance of religion in South Africa

Using institutional voids theory, we examine whether self-employment is associated with lower religious importance. Using individual fixed-effects analysis of individuals from South Africa’s National Income Dynamics Study (2008–2017), we find self-employed individuals are significantly less likely to consider religion important in the subsequent wave, particularly among poor households. Results remain robust across multiple specifications. Our results show that among the self-employed, poverty amplifies religious disengagement rather than dependence in institutional voids contexts.