With more than 50 Forex / CFD brokers marketing their services to South African resident traders, finding the right broker for you can be a challenge. We have done the research for you, compiling a shortlist here of the most credible Forex / CFD brokers in the South African market. Read on to review our choices, find out which one best suits your needs, and check out our guides for choosing a Forex broker in South Africa, determining whether a broker is regulated in South Africa, how to get started trading Forex, and some details on the legality of Forex trading and tax liabilities in South Africa.To get more news about best forex brokers in south africa, you can visit wikifx.com official website.
Retail traders resident in South Africa, meaning individuals who trade their own money, can legally trade Forex and other instruments such as CFDs and cryptocurrencies. There are no restrictions on types of currency pairs, and brokers can offer South African-resident traders major Forex pairs (e.g., EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, AUD/USD, etc.), crosses, and minor pairs (EUR/JPY, USD/MXN, etc.)
Do South African residents pay taxes on Forex profits?
South African residents must declare all their income and profits from Forex trading on their annual tax returns. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) treats Forex trading as revenue (assuming the Forex trading is to make a profit and not to hold as an investment), i.e., the same as self-employed, independent contractor or freelancer. All expenses incurred from Forex trading should be deducted from the gross income of the trading to calculate the taxable profit from Forex trading. The profit made must be added to other income earned for tax purposes. Forex traders should keep all their documents and records of their Forex trading activities for tax purposes. At the time of writing, South African Forex traders must pay 28% tax on net profits.
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) regulates the financial services sector in South Africa. The FSCA replaced the Financial Services Board (FS in 2018. The FSCA authority extends to online derivatives providers (ODPs), including Forex and CFD brokers.
By international standards, the FSCA is newer and does not have the same capabilities as many other regulators in more established jurisdictions. That is why the best Forex trading brokers in South Africa are usually regulated in multiple jurisdictions.
Online derivatives providers (ODPs) must have a Financial Services Provider (FSP) license to serve South African residents. For firms to obtain a license, they must show integrity, for example, no previous convictions of key personnel, competence requirements, continuous professional development, operational ability, and financial soundness.
How to Choose a South African Forex Broker
Step 1: Fees
Brokers charge fees, and simply put, you want to be paying competitive fees instead of paying too much. It is important to remember that you do not necessarily want to choose the cheapest broker in the world – good regulation and security, plus an appropriate selection of assets to trade and other issues are also particularly crucial factors. Yet fees will always rank highly on the list of appropriate considerations. Keep in mind that brokers often offer several different account types with different fee structures. Some fee structures are better for longer-term traders and others for shorter-term traders. For example, if you are using long-term strategies, overnight fees will likely be more important to you than the spread or commission charged on opening and closing a trade.
Step 2: Minimum account size
Check that the minimum account size is small enough for your requirements. I always like to start with this step because no matter how much you like a broker, it will not matter if you do not have enough capital for the minimum deposit. The best Forex brokers for beginners will have small minimum account sizes to help you get started.
Step 3: Regulation
Make sure to choose a broker with a solid regulatory cover that demands high standards for clients, such as fair and transparent pricing, segregation of client funds, etc. Many international brokers are regulated under jurisdictions with strong regulatory standards, such as brokers regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or brokers regulated by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), which go to great lengths to protect clients. The best Forex brokers for South African resident traders are usually regulated by multiple regulators.
The best way to verify FSCA registration is through the FSCA website. Depending on the type of firm, your broker may be listed in one of two areas on the site. This step-by-step process will take you through both.
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