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Forex Trading Hours: When the Market Opens in South Africa

Forex trading has exploded to become one of the world's most popular trading-based businesses, with over $6.6 trillion traded daily. And as a result, the ideal forex market hours have changed dramatically from open until close! Check out our list of top South African forex market hours for your convenience.


If you prefer to trade on your own time and choose to commit yourself to the markets only during certain hours, you should know that this means sacrificing certain opportunities given by certain markets. It is a factor you should be aware of before engaging in any type of forex trading. South African forex trading hours are slightly different from those in the US and other parts of the world; this means you should keep in mind that not all currency pairs are available at different times. There are more than 300 currency pairs to choose from, but there is no way to trade them all!

What time does the forex market in South Africa open and close?

South African forex trading hours are between 11:00 PM Sunday and 11:00 PM Friday. This means you can trade forex in South Africa during these 5 days. At these times, you can effectively trade currencies. If you try to trade outside of these hours, you will be competing with some of the most powerful market forces in the world - the banks and the brokers that always have orders in the marketplace. They will get their orders filled very quickly at those times. At times other than those listed here, there may be less liquidity in your selected currency pair and this can lead to unexpected losses or slippage.

What currency pairs are available on the South African Forex market?

There are almost 300 currency pairs available, covering all major currencies.

Introduction to Forex Market Hours

In South Africa, probably the best times to trade the currency market is between 9 am and 5 pm. The currency market is active during these times and you can effectively trade currencies during these hours. However, in order to have the best chance at making a profit, you should trade when your home time is similar. To ensure that your trading results are not affected by local markets you can use forex signals. Of course, there are some other factors that may affect your results such as volatility levels, etc., but for consistency of trading, we recommend you trade only during these hours in South Africa.

How does Forex trading really work?

Forex is a derivative financial instrument that facilitates buying and selling of foreign currencies. The market is designed to allow traders of all sorts to speculate on the value of any specific foreign currency at any given point in time. The trader trades in the underlying currency and not directly in its cash equivalent. This is achieved by exchanging one currency for another. While Forex trading has a lot of potentials, it also comes with a lot of risks. This is why it's important for you to be on top of your game when trading currencies. Trading forex can be a complex endeavour, so you should be aware that some elements may affect your results even if they are outside your control. Because there is always a risk involved in any form of trading-and in Forex trading, it's even more significant-you should be aware of a few major factors that may affect your final results.

This is why it is important for you to make sure that you always consider the following factors:

1. Exchange rates

2. Currency pairs

3. Margin and leverage

4. Trading platforms and software

5. Volatility levels

6. Time

If you keep in mind the above factors, you will be able to increase your chances of making a profit (or at the very least avoid losses) with forex trading. In fact, if you keep these points in mind, there's no reason why you can't succeed in this type of business.

Opening Hours

The currency market opens at 9 am South African time and closes at 5:30 pm South African time on weekdays. On Friday afternoon, it closes at 3:30 pm South African time before reopening on Monday morning. Because most brokers accepting clients from Africa do not run over the weekend, this means that there are only around six hours of trading during which stock exchange activity usually takes place during these times. You should be aware that not all currency pairs are available during these hours. For example, if there is a chance of an early-morning news announcement in the U.S., then your European trading day will begin early. Similarly, if the U.S.'s opening hours start later than your local market's open time, you will also have to wait until 9 am local time when the currency markets open. The market response may vary from one continent to another because of this reason and can be hard to predict-especially for inexperienced traders.

Closing Hours

The most favourable market conditions are seen during closing hours, between 3 pm and 5 pm South African time. Although there are many factors that may cause such a situation to occur, certain countries may have major announcements to make or their currency may unexpectedly weaken. If you have the option, we would recommend you trade during these hours in South Africa. If your trading results are based on your home time and not the global market - which is a good idea-there will be little difference in percentage terms between Forex trading close times. However, it should be noted that there will be more volume at times of the day when certainly a lot of orders are placed during these times. This can lead to losses for forex traders who do not have a plan in place.


Conclusion on the ideal forex market hours

The currency trading market in South Africa is quite different from what it is in the U.S. and other parts of the world. There are more than 300 currency pairs available, with different rates for each pair-and these rates change almost daily. However, it is still possible to do well in Forex trading if you have enough knowledge and a solid plan. If you do not have time to follow the news closely, then an automated Forex signals service can help you make better choices for your trades. If you think that more experience is needed, you should actively seek training from a reputable company in South Africa. It's important that you keep an eye on the market because this will enable you to be on top of your game. In conclusion, we would like to say that the currency market in South Africa is quite different than markets in other parts of the world and there are more than 300 currency pairs available-so trading could be challenging for new traders alike.