When civil war erupted in South Sudan in December 2013, civil servants faced a severe political and economic crisis. The state, the largest employer, had over 465,000 government personnel in 2015, with 85% in security roles. The conflict triggered economic collapse: the South Sudanese pound lost nearly 90% of its value against the US dollar by 2015, hyperinflation eroded wages, and oil exports collapsed, leaving the government bankrupt and unable to pay salaries for months to years. Despite this, civil servants did not leave en masse. Based on 22 months of fieldwork in Western Equatoria between 2017 and 2022, the study found that civil servants stayed because their jobs provided social status, access to networks and opportunities like NGO trainings, a sense of normality during upheaval, and a realistic route to future paid employment. The lack of alternatives, including a small private sector and low education levels, also kept them in their roles, helping to sustain state institutions through the crisis.