The forex market is accessible from anywhere in the world including South Africa. If you implement a swing trading strategy, here are 10 recommended brokers to choose from.
There are many types of traders out there, but the majority of forex traders actually fall in the swing trading category. Swing strategy is a trading method that benefits from medium-term price movements. A swing trader typically opens a position and holds it for a few days or weeks. The main goal of swing trading is to monetize bigger price shifts that rarely happen within a single day.
Forex traders also vary in terms of their nationalities and countries of origin. Although the US and Europe remain the largest centers of forex trading activity at the moment, there are also a good amount of traders that are based in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. One common task that every trader must do in their early days is finding a broker. Today, we're going to be focusing on the best brokers for swing traders in South Africa.
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Forex Trading in South Africa
Forex trading is pretty popular in South Africa. The South African forex industry is protected by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), so forex trading in South Africa is completely legal. The FSCA is one of the most reputable authorities in the world that ensures all traders are treated fairly and that the brokers are complying with all the existing rules. The FSCA aims to protect traders against frauds and promote a healthy and competitive financial marketplace in the country. It also provides regular updates on forex brokers, including risk warnings and compliance reports that traders can easily access.
In a nutshell, the FSCA supports and enhances the credibility of the financial markets in South Africa, so traders won't have to worry about security issues and such. For that reason, it is highly recommended for South African traders to choose brokers that are regulated by the FSCA and have a good track record to ensure secure access to the vast forex market.
When choosing a broker, it's also important to consider based on your trading style and preferences. Swing traders in particular typically put more emphasis on the broker's reputation, depth of services, trading fees, and customer support. In the list below, we have compiled 10 best-performing forex brokers that are suitable for swing traders in South Africa.
IC Markets
IC Markets is a well-known Australian broker that was founded in 2007. As an ECN broker, IC Markets is able to use the no dealing desk system and ensure that there's no intervention between the trader and the market. The company is considered safe because it is currently under the regulation of the FSA, ASIC, and CySEC.
IC Markets is particularly suitable for traders who value easy trading execution and low trading costs. All deposits and withdrawals are free of charge and there are no inactivity fees. However, keep in mind that IC Markets still has a limited number of CFDs.
IC Markets is an online forex broker operating under the company of International Capital Markets Pty Ltd. Traders under the Australian jurisdiction are provided with the trading service of IC Markets AU that is headquartered in Australia and licensed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
On the other hand, non-Australian traders who open an account in this broker are registered under IC Markets SEY that is based in Seychelles, and regulated under the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (SFSA). The dual operation is a result of the relatively new rules from ASIC that prohibit their regulated broker to offer trading services outside Australia.
Classified as an ECN broker, IC Markets provide clients with MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader as platform trading options. This broker also follows market trends to include Cryptocurrencies as one of its products, enriching its already wide selection of trading assets that include Currencies, Indices, Metals, Energies, Softs, Stocks, as well as Bonds.
The minimum deposit in IC Markets is in the middle range compared to other ASIC-regulated brokers, as it reaches $200 for every client. Market analysis materials are also prepared regularly for trading insights on IC Markets's official website, proving their competence to serve their traders with important contents created by market experts that work specifically for them.
For payment methods, IC Markets allows funding and withdrawal via wire transfer, credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, FasaPay, UnionPay, as well as Bitcoin via BitPay. The more interesting aspect from this broker is its multi-base currencies that include USD, AUD, EUR, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, and CAD.
As the trading technology in IC Markets is highly equipped with co-located servers and extremely low latency (especially on cTrader), the broker is widely known for its capability in hosting traders with the special needs for high-frequency trading as well as scalping.
To sum up, IC Markets is a fitting destination for active traders looking for a well-regulated broker. IC Markets is also flexible in terms of base currency and payment methods, signaling their commitment to welcome traders beyond their home country. As of late 2019, IC Markets provided their website in 18 international languages including English, Korean, Indonesian, French, Spanish, Italian, Malay, German, and Chinese.
Exness
Exness is a popular broker that has been around since 2010 and is now one of the largest brokers in the world with about 2 trillion USD daily trading volume as of May 2022. The broker is regulated by several trusted authorities such as the FSCA, FCA, and CySEC.
Exness offers competitive spreads with an average of about 1 pip for EUR/USD in the Standard account, but it can go as low as 0 pips in the Zero and Raw Spread accounts. The broker supports MetaTrader 4 and 5 for its traders and offers a wide range of CFD instruments, including 10 metals, 35 cryptos, 10 indices, 3 energies, and over 100 stocks. For South African traders, Exness offers a local internet banking transfer option for deposits and withdrawals, with all major banks included.
The choice of broker is adjusted to the needs of each trader. If you are a trader who only needs a basic platform and trading features with the best attributes, then Exness can be your best choice.
Exness covers its lack of feature variations with other advantages like low spreads starting from only 0.1 pip. This is very suitable for traders who use scalping strategies (Scalper). Spreads on major pairs in certain account types can also be as low as 0.0 pip, depending on market conditions.
Not only that, but traders can also enjoy other advantages such as automatic fund withdrawals. Exness processes the majority of client withdrawals instantly, without manual checks; however, withdrawals may be subject tos depending on the payment provider or method of choice.
The safety of traders' funds is also guaranteed as Exness is one of the European-based STP/ECN brokers. Exness's ability to become an official partner of the Real Madrid soccer team for 3 years, starting July 2017, also provides evidence that the company has high solidity.
Deposits and withdrawals may be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, it is important to note that the company shall not be liable fors in processing deposits and withdrawals if suchs are caused by the payment system.
Traders do not need to worry about transaction fees when depositing and withdrawing. Exness doesn't charge any transaction fees to traders even though some charges may be incurred depending on the payment provider of choice. A variety of payment methods are provided for traders, including Wire Transfer, Bank Card, Neteller, Skrill, and many others.
The financial reports and metrics on the Exness website are audited quarterly by Deloitte, one of the four largest public accounting firms globally.
Moreover, Exness is one of the mote transparent brokers in the online trading industry. Traders can find out all information about this company on the website, such as trading volume, number of active clients, client deposits, company funds, and many more.
The platforms provided by Exness vary in MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Web, and Mobile platforms. This makes it easy for traders when trading on Exness, as they can also access Exness platforms anywhere and anytime.
Over the years, Exness has developed into a broker that attracts traders. Trader's trust is further enhanced by its compliance with financial regulations like the FCA and CySEC.
One measure of client confidence can be put on the trading volume. By December 2018, their clients' monthly trading volume reached USD348.4 billion and active traders around the world surpassed 50,342.
Through the program offered by Exness, traders also have the opportunity to earn extra income by becoming their partners. From the Introducing Broker (IB) program, partners can earn up to 33% spread commission from every new client that registers with them.
Additional income can also be obtained from Exness Partners. Traders can get a spread commission of up to 25% per transaction made by traders who register through an affiliate link.
When trading with Exness, clients can also make use of its free VPS hosting services. A VPS (Virtual Private Server) offers increased reliability and stability for traders as they can maintain their trades and expert advisors without interruption in the event of unexpected technical issues, such as internet or electricity downtime.
From the review above, it can be concluded that Exness is a favorite broker for traders because of low spreads and flexible account types. This condition is very suitable for traders with limited funds but is in need of more opportunities to get maximum profit. This broker is also well known for its maximum support on both new and existing partners.
Khwezi Trade
Khwezi Trade is a leading South African broker that is regulated by the FSCA and fully authorized as an ODP. Khwezi Trade supports Rand-based forex and CFD trading with a wide range of trading instruments, which makes it suitable for both beginners and professionals. For safety reasons, all client funds are put in a segregated account and the maximum leverage is 1:400.
The minimum deposit to open a trading account in Khwezi Trade is R500 ZAR, which is equivalent to around $32. This number is relatively low compared to other brokers, so it's a pretty good advantage for small-cap traders. Apart from that, each account has a dedicated account manager. The broker also offers an additional sign-up bonus for those who deposit at least R1000 in their account. There are no fees for deposits or withdrawals and trading is available on the MetaTrader 4 platform.
FXTM
FXTM was established in 2011 and got regulated by the FSCA in 2016. Other than that, the broker is monitored by several other regulators, including the FCA and CySEC. FXTM has over 3 million customers worldwide and offers more than 250 different financial instruments, which include currency pairs and CFDs. The broker supports MetaTrader 4 and 5 as trading platforms, both of which can be accessed from various devices such as PC, laptops, tablets, and/or mobile phones.
FXTM is often said to be a great broker for beginners because it offers competitive spreads, commission-free trading, a demo account, and low minimum deposits. They also have excellent customer support live chat that opens 24/5 and free educational materials in the form of articles, webinars, and more. However, it's worth mentioning that FXTM does not provide a ZAR-based currency account, so South African traders must convert their national currencies to either USD, GBP, or EUR first before trading. Deposits methods including Qiwi and credit cards.
FXTM was initially launched in 2011 with a unique vision to provide unparalleled superior trading conditions. Opening an account in FXTM would also bring about access to advanced education and sophisticated trading tools in the forex industry.
Now, FXTM is registered under the Financial Conduct Authority of the UK with the number 600475. The company is also regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission with CIF license number 185/12, and is licensed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa, with FSP No. 46614
FXTM has 1 million registered accounts with more traders joining every day. The company continually tries to improve their performance and have got many awards such as Best Trading Experience 2019 by World Finance Awards, Best Online Forex Trading Company Nigeria 2018 by International Finance Awards, Reputable Investor Education Forex Broker Award 2018 by Hexun.com, Forex Brand Of The Year China 2018 by Fxeye.Com, and many more.
As a responsible broker, they determine leverage (expressed as a ratio of transaction size relative to trader's buying power) according to the trader's level of knowledge and experience in trading, which is evaluated by the Appropriateness Assessment. The company also enables trading with leverage up to 1:1000.
As for spreads, FXTM offers low spreads starting from 0.1 pip, so traders can withdraw profits at the start of trading. The company, which has headquarters in several countries, uses No Dealing Desk (NDD) technology and partners with credible liquidity providers to provide the best bid and ask prices.
For beginners, there is an automatic trading facility called algorithmic trading provided. When trading in FXTM, traders can develop their trading strategy or adopt other traders' strategies. Furthermore, the strategy is applied to automated trading systems, such as Expert Advisors. The purpose of this system is traders do not have to worry about losing opportunities while not observing the market so that profits can still be earned.
Three types of ECN accounts use the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms. There are also mobile and Tablet Apps trading platforms. Aside of providing many account variants, FXTM goes above and beyond to ensure that their client receives excellent support that they deserve, making their trading experience optimal and user-friendly.
FXTM also provides a diverse range of products. In addition to over 50 currency pairs, they provide gold, silver, CFD on commodity futures (oil), CFD on ETFs, and indices.
Education about the basic concepts of the forex industry is also accessible in this broker. Traders can read all the concepts provided in the form of e-books, video tutorials, articles, webinars, and forex seminars. There are 17 languages provided on the FXTM website to make it easier for traders to learn about forex.
Traders are also given various choices for payment methods, including Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro) and E-Wallet (Neteller, Skrill, Western Union). For withdrawing funds, traders are not charged a fee with a length of 2 hours to 2 days. Traders can live chat to ask further questions and contact the admin via email. There is also a question and answer page about forex trading on FXTM.
FBS
FBS is a popular forex broker that offers a wide range of trading features, payment methods, and bonus promotions. As an ECN broker, FBS is considered more transparent and able to provide a safer trading environment for traders. On top of that, the broker is regulated by some of the best regulators in the world such as the ASIC, CySEC, IFSC, and FSCA.
FBS is also suitable for beginners and experts, considering the many features that it offers. Traders can open a trading account with only $1 and there is no inactivity fee. Deposits and withdrawals are also free of charge. Lastly, the customer service is excellent and there are loads of educational sources for traders to learn the basics of forex trading.
Since 2009, the action of FBS Holding Inc. or known as FBS in the world of forex trading has been recognized by various international institutions. With clients reaching 14 million as of 2019, FBS has received the title of Most Transparent Forex Broker 2018, Best Investor Education 2017, Best Customer Service Broker Asia 2016, IB FX Program, and many others.
FBS is regulated by FSC Belize and CySEC Cyprus. This broker has been trusted by millions of traders and 370 thousand partners from various countries. Based on their data, FBS garners about 7,000 new traders and partner accounts every day. And, 80% of the clients stay in the FBS for a long time. No wonder the broker is growing rapidly due to the incredible growth in the number of clients.
Trading products offered by FBS range from forex, CFD, precious metal, and stock. For forex trading, CySEC-regulated FBS offers leverage up to 1:30 on Cent and Standard Accounts. Clients who want to try higher leverage than that can alternatively register an account under FBS Belize.
FBS spread begins from 0.5 pips for Pro account type and from 0.7 pips for Standard and Cent accounts. On a standard account, volume orders can be made from 0.01 to 500 lots. Therefore, this account is recommended for experienced traders.
Whereas on Cent Accounts, volume orders can be carried out with a maximum of 500 cent lots or the equivalent of 5 standard lots. Cent Accounts involve a different level of risk. FBS recommends Cent Accounts for beginner traders. All account types support the following trading instruments: 36 Forex pairs, 8 metals, 3 energies, 11 indices, 127 stocks, 5 crypto pairs.
Before plunging into the real forex market, traders can practice with FBS Demo Account which consists of two types, i.e Standard and Cent.
FBS uses the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms. They offer them on Windows and Mac as well as Android and iOS mobile. These platforms provide a trading experience at traders' fingertips, allowing traders to progress as a trader anywhere at any time.
MetaTrader platforms also have a variety of mainstay features, including the possibility to create, buy, and use expert advisors (EA) and scripts, One-click trading and embedded news, technical analysis tools, the possibility to copy deals from other traders, hedging positions, and VPS service support.
Another advantage provided by FBS is a deposit bonus of 100% for clients who fulfill certain requirements. The process of FSCing and withdrawing funds can be run easily and quickly. Based on clients' testimonies, each process usually takes no more than 3-4 hours, except on holidays.
Traders also have the opportunity to develop a side business when trading with FBS, namely as an Introducing Broker (IB) or Affiliate. The FBS partnership system provides partner commissions that are already in 3 level positions. Only by introducing new clients to FBS according to certain procedures, traders can earn extra income.
Traders will also get trading education experience at FBS. They have prepared a comprehensive forex course. The course consists of 4 levels: beginner, elementary, intermediate, and experienced. Traders can take courses that will turn them from newbies to professionals. All materials are well-structured. Besides, FBS provides various forex analyzes, webinars, forex news, and daily market analysis that can be accessed easily on their site.
Traders can access the FBS website with many language choices. Of course, this will increasingly provide comfort for traders. Available languages include English, Italian, French, Portuguese, Indonesian, Spanish, and others. Live chat support is also provided 24 hours 7 days a week.
In conclusion, FBS is a widely known broker among retail traders around the world. It continually grows to become a preferred broker because of flexible trading conditions that enable its clients to trade with various instruments, low deposit, and other trading advantages.
AvaTrade
AvaTrade is a European-based broker that has been around since 2006. The broker is regulated by the FSCA back in 2015 under the company name Ava Capital Markets Pty Ltd. AvaTrade offers forex and CFD trading in commodities, shares, bonds, indices, crypto, and ETFs through its AvaTrade global network of platforms. For manual trading, traders can choose to either use the AvaTradeGo or the standard MetaTrader 4 platform. Both options can be accessed via PC or mobile.
When it comes to trading fees, AvaTrade offers a fixed spread of 0.9 pips per trade, which is relatively low compared to other brokers. Deposits and withdrawals are also free of charge. However, the other non-trading fees are pretty high. For instance, the broker charges $50 for inactivity fees (after 3 months of inactivity) and $100 as an administration fee (after 12 months of inactivity).
Avatrade can be called one of the most well-rounded brokers that support almost all trading styles. Not only allowing hedging, scalping, and expert advisor (EA), Avatrade also completes their service with One-cancels-the-other order (OCO) and AutoTrading in many variants of automated trading systems.
AvaTrade was founded in 2006, with the primary mission to empower people to trade with confidence. If traders are still confused about what is the best broker for supporting trader's trading, AvaTrade perchance option of traders, because it has been evaluated and honored for some of the industry's most remarkable financial and technological achievements that it provided to clients.
In 2019, the Dublin-based broker got achievement from Daytrading.com as The Best Forex Broker 2019. Besides, the company is honored as Best Forex Broker, Best Bitcoin CFD Trading Provider of the year, and Best Affiliation Programme in the European area.
Furthermore, for traders who have high mobility, AvaTrade provides many platforms that allow traders to trade using laptops and mobile phones. The availability of the free Autochartist tool in the platforms is the best support for both novice and experienced traders because it makes it easier for them to find trading opportunities without the need to glance at charts all day.
The Autochartist free signal is provided in Gold Account, Platinum Account, and AVA Select. By opening an account in AvaTrade, traders don't have to pay for getting a full Autochartist service. Autochartist itself is a market scanner tool that can detect trading signals from various technical perspectives.
Traders can access AvaTrade in many variants of platforms, such as AvaTradeGO, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Automated Trading, Mac Trading, Web Trading, Mobile Trading, and AvaOptions.
In terms of regulation, AvaTrade is regarded as a superior broker because it has a lot of credible licenses. That way, even with deposits of up to ten thousand dollars, security can be guaranteed. Applying the Segregated Account system, AvaTrade is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (No.C53877), ASIC Australia (No.406684), JFSA Japan (No.1662), and South Africa (FSP 45984).
Can traders lose more than their deposit abruptly in the event of high volatility? AvaTrade explicitly answers no, as traders have negative balance protection.
With a minimum deposit of USD100, AvaTrade offers various leverage depending on the trading instruments; whether it is forex (starts from 30:1), indices (starts from 20:1), commodities (starts from 5:1), ETFs (starts from 5:1), or cryptocurrencies (starts from 2:1).
AvaTrade has committed to a set of values in relation to customers. Therefore, the company provides the best trading experience, offering multilingual customer service and the most sophisticated and user-friendly trading platform.
New traders can also learn forex trading in the Education tab on AvaTrade's official website. Traders will find a wide collection of articles, video tutorials, and more tools that will assist them every step of the way. It is an important requirement as the forex market might be a bit overwhelming and even scary at times, so traders need to make sure that they are fully prepared to begin trading in the real account.
There are many types of account types provided by AvaTrade. There is also an Islamic Trading Account, which is uniquely provided for Muslim Traders. Islamic account type is similar to a regular one with one key difference; it is not subject to any special fees or interests (swap-free), which sits well with the finance principles of Sharia Law.
If traders have felt confident for forex trading, traders can choose AvaTrade as an ideal choice. The minimum deposit and various platforms offered to make it a suitable destination for even beginners who would like to try forex trading for the first time.
FxPro
FxPro is a famous London-based broker that was founded in 2006 and regulated by several top-tier regulators, including the FSCA and the FCA. It focuses mainly on online trading and offers CFD trading in forex futures, stocks, spot indices, spot energy, and metals. FxPro has a well-performing platform that is easy to use and user-friendly. You can open an account in FxPro within several minutes. The broker also provides customer service that responds quickly and is able to provide relevant answers in multiple languages.
Overall, FxPro appears to be trustworthy and reliable for its customers. There's no need to worry about the broker's security, and the features are quite diverse for both novice and expert traders. However, keep in mind that traders will be charged with inactivity fees after 12 months of no trading in this broker.
Ever since its establishment in 2006, FxPro has successfully expanded to serve retail and institutional clients in more than 170 countries. Their head office is in London, UK.
FxPro UK Limited is authorized and regulated by the FCA since 2010. Meanwhile, other subsidiaries such as FxPro Financial Services Limited is authorized and regulated by CySEC since 2007 and the FSCA since 2015. Because of that, traders do not need to worry again about their funds safety. As a strong proponent of transparency, it established the highest standards of safety for clients' funds, as the company chooses to keep the funds in major international banks, fully segregated from the company's funds.
They always try to provide transparent and ethical practices across the global trading industry. In 2018, 74.65% of market orders were executed at the requested price while 12.8% of the client's orders were executed with positive slippage. Also, only 1.4% of all instant orders received a requote with 0.72% of them receiving better price when executed.
The total number of trades in FxPro has increased from year to year. In 2018, the number of trades achieves 53.6 million. Based on trust from their clients, FxPro received awards as Most Trusted Forex Brand UK 2017 by Global Brands Magazine. Besides, they became the first broker to sponsor an F1 team in 2008. There are around 60 UK and International Awards which had been achieved by FxPro.
They are committed to create a dynamic environment that equips traders with all the necessary tools for their trading experience. Opening an account in FxPro grants access to more than 250 CFDs on 6 asset types, including forex, shares, spot indices, futures, spot metals, and spot energies. They want to provide their clients with access to top-tier liquidity and advanced trade execution with no dealing desk intervention. The average execution time is less than 11.06 millisecond with up to 7,000 orders executed per second. Those advantages enable traders to benefit from tight spreads and competitive pricing.
Furthermore, FxPro is recognized as an innovative broker. The company allows its clients to enjoy a wide range of trading platforms, such as MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and FxPro Edge. Web-based versions and mobile applications are also available so that traders can access financial markets at any time and anywhere.
Traders can choose platforms according to their needs. Fans of MT4 is provided with instant execution and easy-to-use trading platform. In this account, leverage is up to 1:500 and spreads start from 1.6 pips without commissions.
If traders want to get experience with more modern technology, traders should choose FxPro MT5 Accounts. In this account, spreads start from 1.5 and leverage is up to 1:500 without commissions.
Another type of accounts is FxPro cTrader. It is suitable for traders who give priority to the speed of execution with the most restrictive spreads compared to other account types'. FxPro cTrader is a powerful trading platform offering the best available bid and ask prices, with orders filled in just milliseconds. The platform also provides Market Depth and trading analysis tools. In this account, spreads start only from 0.3 pips. But, traders have to pay commissions $45 per $1 million traded (upon opening and closing a position) in forex and metals.
The key difference between MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader lies in the range of the CFD products that are available. The MT4 platform gives traders a chance to open positions on all of the 6 asset classes, whereas the MT5 doesn't support shares, and cTrader doesn't support shares and futures.
Besides 3 types of platforms above, trading in FxPro also enables access to FxPro Edge. This platform offers clients a new way to trade the markets in the form of spreads betting.
Each broker has pros and cons, and FxPro is not an exception. Aside from the advantages as explained before, FxPro has a high minimum deposit. Also, there are not many types of payment and withdrawal methods available at FxPro. Some types of methods even require traders to pay fees. However, it is still important to note that clients can trade forex, shares, indices, metals, and energies, with limited risk account at no additional cost in Fxpro
Regardless of the advantages and disadvantages, FxPro can be traders' choice as one of the best brokers with sophisticated technology. The company is suitable for traders prepared to trade with funds starting from $500.
FP Markets
FP Markets has been operating for quite a long time as the broker was established back in 2005. One of the greatest advantages of this broker is that it uses true ECN bridges and advanced technology. It also provides a safe trading environment since the broker is under strict regulation of ASIC. The broker offers a bunch of financial assets such as forex, shares, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies.
Clients can choose to use MetaTrader 4 or 5 either via desktop, web trading, tablet, or mobile. The platforms are able to support various trading strategies with many useful instruments that could help traders with any level of expertise. The spread can go as low as 0 pips, but withdrawals on FP Markets are not free of charge.
Keeping positions open overnight won't result in the overnight/rollover fee reducing your earnings, so you don't have to worry about it. FP Markets offers the most competitive swap rates in the industry by introducing Swaps Points in the form of a live swap rates list on the MT4 and MT5 platforms. Here are some examples:
- ACWI: -5.00 for long positions and -2.50 for short positions.
- ADAUSD: -20.00 for long positions and -20.00 for short positions.
- AGG: -5.00 for long positions and -2.50 for short positions.
Pepperstone
Pepperstone is a famous Australia-based broker that was founded in 2010 and it is regulated by multiple regulators, including the FCA and ASIC. Pepperstone is often considered to be the best broker in Australia that's suitable for almost any kind of trader including swing traders.
There are more than 150 financial assets to choose from as well as three major trading platforms. Some other benefits of this broker include competitive trading costs, great customer service, negative balance protection, and powerful trading tools. On top of them, Pepperstone offers low spreads and speedy execution.
Pepperstone was founded in 2010 by a team of experienced traders with a shared commitment to improve the world of online trading. Based in Melbourne, Australia, they grew to become one of the largest forex brokers in the world. If traders want to find a broker that provides low spreads, fast execution, and award-winning support, then the answer is Pepperstone.
Pepperstone has a strong legality guarantee because it has been licensed by the Australian regulator ASIC and FCA. Traders' funds can be deposited in segregated accounts at top Australian banks, one of which is the National Australia Bank (NAB). Therefore, the safety of funds is not a concern if a trader chooses to open an account in Pepperstone.
They succeeded in collaborating with 23 top banks to bring Bid to investors instantly via optical fiber. This allows all orders to be executed 100 percent automatically with low latency up to 0.05 milliseconds, without dealing desk intervention and requotes, as well as with super low trading costs.
Trusted by over 73,000 traders around the world, Pepperstone processes an average of USD12.55 billion of trading volumes every day. Because of that, they have many awards such as:
- The Best Global Forex ECN Broker 2019 and Best Forex Trading Support-Europe
- Best Australian Broker and Best Trading Platform 2018 by Compareforexbrokers.com
- Best Forex ECN Broker, Best Forex Trading Support, and Best Forex Trading Conditions by UK Forex Awards 2018
With the many rewards gained, Pepperstone hopes to attract more and more traders from all over the world. The rising performance of Pepperstone is not only due to the super-tight spreads and fast execution that it provides, but also because many traders are interested in trading with deposits in currencies other than US Dollars.
For this reason, Pepperstone is one of the most market-responsive brokers because it is willing to accept deposits in 10 currencies, which include AUD, USD, EUR, CAD, GBP, CHF, JPY, NZD, SGD, and HKD.
Trading in Pepperstone would allow traders to choose between 11 trading platforms: MT4 for desktop, MT4 Mac, MT4 iPhone, MT4 Android, MT4 iPad/Tablet, MT5, WebTrader, cTrader WebTrader, cTrader cAlgo, and cTrader Mobile. The choice of trading platforms may seem confusing to novice traders, but actually, it is very useful because it has fast execution.
When trading forex, traders can enjoy raw spreads from 0.0 pips on Razor accounts, over 61 currency pairs, and commission-free account funding on a wide range of deposit options. In addition to currency pairs, Pepperstone provides many types of trading instruments, including CFDs for indices and shares, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
Instruments in commodity trading are pretty much diversified. Not only metal, gold, and silver, but traders can also trade with soft commodities such as cotton, sugar, coffee, cocoa, and orange juice. Pepperstone also provides trading on energy (oil and gas).
There are two types of accounts provided by Pepperstone, namely Razor accounts, and Standard accounts. If you area beginner, it is recommended to choose a Standard account with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.0-1.3 pips and free commission.
Those with particular trading styles such as scalpers and algorithmic traders may enjoy the lower cost setup traditionally seen in a Razor account, with a commission from AUD7 round turn of 100k traded. You can start trading with a minimum lot of 0.01 (micro) and 1:400 leverage.
As a Pepperstone client, a trader can fund and withdraw with alternative methods including Visa, Mastercard, POLi internet banking, bank transfer, BPay, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, and Union Pay.
If you are new to trading or looking to practice your trading strategies in a risk-free environment, you can create Demo Account in Pepperstone. But if you are an experienced trader or prefer to learn by doing, Pepperstone provides a Live Account that allows you to trade with live executions and pricing.
Traders can also follow and copy strategies from popular traders using third-party services while learning how to improve their trading abilities. Pepperstone has partnered with a range of social trading platforms that traders can choose from, such as Myfxbook, ZuluTrade, Mirror Trader, MetaTrader signals, and Duplitrade.
HF Markets
HF Markets is an award-winning broker that is regulated across several countries in the world including South Africa through the FSCA. HF Markets has won more than 25 awards that cover various aspects such as excellent customer service, powerful trading platforms, and favorable trading conditions to name a few.
When it comes to trading costs, HF Markets has a really low spread with its Zero account and there is no fee for deposits or withdrawals. Conveniently, HF Markets offers a ZAR trading account for South African traders as well as USD and EUR accounts. Apart from that, the broker provides a 100% bonus deposit for new South African traders and great loyalty programs with even more rewards.
HF Markets is an award-winning forex and commodities broker. Established since 2010, the company provides trading services and facilities to both retail and institutional clients. For more than 9 years in business, HF Markets has around 1,500,000 live accounts opened and 200 employees globally.
Based on its services, HF Markets can be regarded as middle-class category. Clients do not need to prepare a big deposit for joining to trade with this broker. Also, there are various account types, trading software, and tools to facilitate individuals and institutional customers to trade forex and CFD online.
HF Markets is a registered brand name of HF Markets (Europe). Based on the location, the company is regulated by various financial regulators. Here are the details:
- HF Markets (SV) Ltd, registered in St. Vincent & the Grenadine as an International Business Company with the registration number 22747 IBC 2015.
- HF Markets (Europe), authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) with Licence Number 183/12.
- HF Markets SA (PTY), is authorized and regulated as a Financial Service Provider (FSP) by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa, under license number 46632.
- HF Markets (Seychelles), incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Seychelles with registration number 8419176-1, regulated by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA) under Securities Dealer Licence number SD015.
- HF Markets (DIFC) Ltd, authorized and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) under license number F004885.
- HF Markets (UK) Ltd, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 801701.
If traders have more experienced, knowledgeable, and sophisticated trading environment, they can join to become Professional Clients, who can manage and assess their own risks. For that reason, these kinds of clients are granted access to more favorable rates but afforded lesser regulatory protections than retail clients.
Trading with HF Markets can enable traders to access a variety of trading instruments like CFDs on Forex, Cryptocurrencies, spot metals (gold, silver, and others), energies (oil and gas), commodities (such as coffee, copper, and sugar), indices, bonds, and popular shares such as Google, Apple, and Facebook.
HF Markets offers some of the tightest spreads in the market, starting from 0 pips in Zero Account. This broker quote major foreign exchange currency pairs to five decimal places. Therefore, traders have the opportunity to get more accurate pricing and the best possible spreads.
HF Markets receives numerous highly prestigious titles, including the huge honor of being ed to join the ranks of the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies. Others are Best Client Funds Security Global by Global Brands Magazine, Best Global Forex Copy Trading Platform by Global Forex Awards 2019, Fastest Growing Forex Broker Mena 2019 by International Business Magazine, and many more.
After opening an account in HF Markets, traders will obtain various forex trading platforms to accommodate all of their trading demands. Whether traders like to trade on desktop or prefer to trade on-the-go, they can use MetaTrader 4 on desktop (terminal, multi-terminal, and web terminal) and phone (iPhone, iPad, and Android).
Clients' funds are held in segregated accounts. Only major banks are used by Markets because they believe that successful traders have to give their full attention to their trading rather than worrying about the safety of their funds.
Traders do not need to worry about transaction fees when depositing and withdrawing. Transaction fees are not charged, and diversity of payment methods enable them to choose between Wire Transfer, Bank Card, and online payments (Neteller, iDeal, Sofort Banking, and Skrill). HF Markets ensures that traders make fast transactions 24/5 during the standard hours.
Traders can earn extra income by joining the affiliate program offered by Markets. Clients who join this program will get some advantages, such as 60% of Net Spreads based on the volume traded by sub-clients, up to $15 per a lot of net revenue, and many more. More information about HF Markets can be obtained on their official website which is supported in 27 languages.
From the review above, it can be concluded that HF Markets is one of the award-winning forex and commodities brokers. There are various account types traders can choose in HF Markets, and the broker itself becomes a favorite among traders for its low spreads. This condition is very suitable for traders with limited funds and a desire to get more opportunities to gain maximum profit.
Summary
Trading is totally legal and pretty common in South Africa. From the list above, we can see that there's a good number of brokers to choose from as well. Each option has its own pros and cons, so it's important to consider all factors before signing up in one of them. As a swing trader, you'd want to find a reliable broker that keeps your funds safe and offers affordable trading costs. Make sure that the broker is regulated by a trusted regulator like the FSCA so that you are protected from malicious activities and scams.