Abstract
This study explored the concept of work-life balance in the South African context based
on employment type and its relaonship with demographic variables, such as age, race, and
number of children. It assessed whether there were differences in work-life balance between
self-employed and tradionally employed women while considering demographic factors.
Work-life balance was measured using the work-life balance self-assessment scale,
which included three subscales: work interference with personal life, personal life interference
with work, and work-personal life enhancement. The study used a quantave approach,
which included both descripve and inferenal stascal analysis. Data were collected from
137 self-employed women and 182 tradionally employed women, totalling 319 South African
working women. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the work-life balance selfassessment
scale had a good fit and reliability in the South African context. A two-way
between-groups ANOVA was used to test differences between work-life balance, employment
type, and race. Correlaon analyses assessed the relaonship between age, employment
type, and work-life balance, as well as between the number of children, employment type,
and work-life balance. Race and employment type showed some stascally significant
relaonships with certain subscales of work-life balance, while age and number of children
displayed weak and non-stascally significant correlaons.
This study provided insights and emphasised the importance of considering work-life
balance for the overall well-being of all economically acve women. It also contributed to a
beer understanding of work-life balance among both employed and self-employed women
in South Africa, where economic inequality, high unemployment rates, and cultural
expectaons connue to influence women’s work experiences. Importantly, the analysis of
the work-life balance measurement contributed to a validated tool for future research and
pracce in this context.