There is a call for studies that explore the concept of career development self-efficacy among people in rural contexts. In this study, we explored the determinants of student career development self-efficacy in a rural context. We were guided by the literature and explored the role of self-directed learning consisting of three sub-scales, namely a) self-management, b) desire for learning, and c) self-control. We sought to ascertain how the three elements of self-directed learning influence student career development self-efficacy. We adopted a quantitative research approach and designed our study as survey research. We used a convenience sample of 150 students enrolled at a rural campus in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data was analysed in our seeking to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. For the latter, we used simple linear regression tests. The findings show that self-management, desire for learning, and self-control influence career development self-efficacy. We therefore recommend, based on the findings of this research, the implementation of interventions that assist the students and those working in institutions of higher learning to develop competencies and environments in which career development self-efficacy thrives.