This study explores the role of employment traits in explaining financial literacy using data from the Wave 5 of the South African National Income Dynamics Study for adults. The results show that being in employment relatively enhances financial literacy, including the components of financial literacy: interest rates, inflation, compounding and diversification. Being self-employed particularly shows up to exert positive and measurable influences on financial literacy, except for the top literacy where respondents give correct answers to all five financial literacy questions. The key lesson from the study is that self-employment, by inference entrepreneurship, is an important conduit of financial knowledge.