Trading platforms in South Africa: entities, licences & costs
Which platforms accept South African clients, the exact legal entity that opens your account, register-checked licence numbers and real costs — ranked by our published method, commission weighted 0%.
15 of the 15 platforms in our database accept South African clients. We've mapped 12 of them to the specific legal entity that onboards a South African client: 5 route South African clients through an offshore (tier-3) entity — which changes your compensation cover and complaint route. The table below lists 9 register-checked licence numbers so you can verify each firm yourself (SCB, FSA Seychelles, FSCA, FSC Belize). On the numbers, the lowest all-in cost option here is Pepperstone, and the highest leverage available to South African traders is 2000:1 (Exness).
Regulator
FSCA
Trading is legal and the FSCA licenses financial service providers. Look for the broker's FSP number.
Leverage rules
The FSCA does not impose the 30:1 retail cap seen in the EU/UK, so brokers may offer much higher leverage. Higher leverage materially increases the risk of rapid, large losses.
Common deposit methods
Card, EFT bank transfer, Crypto
Which legal entity onboards a South African client
The brand you see isn't always the entity on your client agreement. These are the entities our checks map to South African clients, with the licence number to verify on the official register. 5 here route you offshore — protection differs.
Entity mapping from our register checks — shown to illustrate how the onboarding entity shifts by country. Yours may differ; always confirm the legal entity on the signup screen and the official register before depositing. Informational only, not financial advice.
Trading costs for South African traders
Lowest all-in cost on our scan: Pepperstone. Indicative figures — verify the live schedule before funding.
| Platform | All-in cost | Spread from | Commission | Min deposit | Withdrawal | Max leverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | $···· | 0 pips | $7/lot | $10 | Same – next day | 1000:1 |
| IC Markets | $···· | 0 pips | $7/lot | $200 | Same – next day | 500:1 |
| FP Markets | $···· | 0 pips | $6/lot | $100 | Within 1 day | 500:1 |
| Exness | $···· | 0 pips | $7/lot | $10 | Often instant | 2000:1 |
| Blueberry Markets | $···· | 0 pips | $7/lot | $100 | Same – next day | 500:1 |
| ThinkMarkets | $$··· | 0 pips | $7/lot | $0 | 1–2 days | 500:1 |
| Vantage Markets | $$··· | 0 pips | $6/lot | $50 | Same – next day | 500:1 |
| VT Markets | $$··· | 0 pips | $6/lot | $100 | Same – next day | 500:1 |
| Eightcap | $$··· | 0 pips | $7/lot | $100 | 1–2 days (same-day cut-off) | 500:1 |
| RoboForex | $$··· | 0 pips | $4/lot | $10 | Within hours | 2000:1 |
| PU Prime | $$··· | 0 pips | $7/lot | $50 | Reported instant | 1000:1 |
| StarTrader | $$··· | 0 pips | $6/lot | $50 | Within 24h | 500:1 |
| LiteFinance | $$··· | 0 pips | $5/lot | $50 | Within 24h | 1000:1 |
| FXTM | $$$·· | 0.1 pips | $4/lot | $10 | Same – next day | 1000:1 |
| XM | $$$·· | 1.6 pips | — | $5 | 1–2 days | 1000:1 |
15 platforms available in South African
Why this fits: Onboarded via Pepperstone Markets Limited (SCB) · Max leverage here: 1000:1
Why this fits: Onboarded via Raw Trading Ltd (trading as IC Markets Global) (FSA Seychelles) · Max leverage here: 500:1
Why this fits: Onboarded via FP Markets (Pty) Ltd (FSCA FSP 50926) · Max leverage here: 500:1
Why this fits: Onboarded via Exness ZA (Pty) Ltd (FSCA 51024) · Max leverage here: 2000:1
Why this fits: Accepts South African clients · Max leverage here: 500:1 · Verify the account entity at signup
Why this fits: Onboarded via Vantage Markets (Pty) Ltd (FSCA FSP 51268) · Max leverage here: 500:1
Why this fits: Onboarded via ForexTime Ltd (FSCA FSP 46614) · Max leverage here: 1000:1
Why this fits: Accepts South African clients · Max leverage here: 500:1 · Verify the account entity at signup
Why this fits: Onboarded via VT Markets (Pty) Ltd (FSCA FSP 50865) · Max leverage here: 500:1
Why this fits: Onboarded via Eightcap Global Limited (SCB SIA-F220) · Max leverage here: 500:1
Why this fits: Onboarded via XM Global Limited (FSC Belize) · Max leverage here: 1000:1
Why this fits: Onboarded via RoboForex Ltd (FSC 000138/7) · Max leverage here: 2000:1
A multi-entity CFD broker with education resources, webinars, broad market access and copy trading availability. Entity, leverage and product terms should be verified before depositing.
Why this fits: Onboarded via PU Prime (Pty) Ltd (FSCA FSP 52218) · Max leverage here: 1000:1
Why this fits: Onboarded via StarTrader International Pty Ltd (FSCA FSP 52464) · Max leverage here: 500:1
Why this fits: Accepts South African clients · Max leverage here: 1000:1 · Verify the account entity at signup
We earn a commission if you open an account through our links — at no extra cost to you. It does not change our rankings. How we make money.
Trading in South Africa — questions
Which legal entity will onboard me as a South African client?
Across the platforms that accept South African clients, accounts are opened through entities under SCB, FSA Seychelles, FSCA, FSC Belize, FSC. 5 route South African clients through an offshore (tier-3) entity — protection differs there. Local oversight is typically FSCA. Always confirm the licence on the official register before depositing.
Which platform has the lowest cost in South Africa?
Of the 15 platforms available to South African traders, Pepperstone has the lowest all-in cost on our scan (spreads from 0 pips, $7/lot commission, $10 minimum). Costs change with account type and instrument — verify the live schedule before funding.
What leverage can I use in South Africa?
The highest leverage available to South African traders among these platforms is 2000:1 (Exness). The FSCA does not impose the 30:1 retail cap seen in the EU/UK, so brokers may offer much higher leverage. Higher leverage materially increases the risk of rapid, large losses. Higher leverage increases both potential gains and losses.
How does Clarytrade pick these platforms?
We rank by our published 8-criteria method, filter to platforms that accept South African clients, resolve the specific legal entity that would open your account, and weight affiliate commission at 0%.