Guides
Forex guides for South Africa
Independent, honest, licence-checked. We explain how FSCA regulation, the ODP licence, ZAR funding and SARS tax actually work — so you can choose a broker safely. We never publish guaranteed returns, invented numbers, or financial advice.
FSCA and FAIS explained: South Africa's forex regulator, and why a comparison site sits outside FAIS
What the FSCA is, what the FAIS Act regulates (advice and intermediary services), and why a pure no-advice comparison publisher like RandBroker sits outside FAIS licensing. Independent and honest. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →What is an ODP licence — and why it matters for South African CFD traders
An ODP (OTC Derivative Provider) licence under the Financial Markets Act and Conduct Standard 1 of 2018 lets a broker write CFDs onshore as principal in South Africa. Why FSP-only vs ODP-holder is the honest comparison axis. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →Funding a forex account in ZAR: FICA/KYC and SARB exchange control explained
ZAR-denominated accounts vs offshore base currency, FICA customer due diligence (ID and proof of address), SARB exchange-control allowances (the R1m SDA and the R10m Foreign Capital Allowance), and the no-speculating-against-the-Rand rule. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →Forex trading tax in South Africa: how SARS treats your trading profits
How SARS taxes forex and CFD gains on intention and trading pattern (revenue vs CGT), provisional taxpayer registration, and deductible expenses — qualitative only. This is information, not tax advice; check the SARS tables for the relevant tax year.
Read the guide →How to verify a broker's FSCA licence on the register
A step-by-step guide to checking a forex broker's FSCA licence: find the exact legal entity that serves South Africa, search the FSP number on fsca.co.za, confirm current authorisation, confirm ODP for onshore CFDs, and spot clone firms and lapsed licences. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →Responsible trading and CFD risk: a risk-first guide
CFDs are high-risk leveraged products and the majority of retail accounts lose money. The risk-first habits that keep you in the game — demo first, position sizing, stop-losses, never trade essential funds — plus where to get help. No guaranteed returns. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →How RandBroker selects and reviews brokers: methodology and editorial standards
How RandBroker identifies, verifies and ranks forex and CFD brokers for South Africa — the live FSCA FSP register check, the honest-null policy on unverified data, the FSP-vs-ODP comparison axis, and who the editorial desk is. No payment for coverage.
Read the guide →Forex and CFD glossary for South African traders
Plain-language definitions of 50+ forex, CFD and South African regulatory terms — pip, lot, leverage, swap, spread, CFD, margin, FSP, ODP, SARB single discretionary allowance, SARS treatment and more. No jargon, no advice.
Read the guide →Risk management for forex traders: stop-loss, position sizing and risk-reward
How stop-losses work, how to size positions relative to your account, and what a risk-reward ratio means. Educational explanations only — no signals, no advice on what to trade, no guaranteed returns. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →What moves currency prices? SARB rates, inflation and the drivers of the South African rand
Why currency prices move — interest-rate decisions by the SARB and other central banks, inflation, commodity prices, risk sentiment and economic data. The rand's specific drivers explained. Educational only; not financial advice or trading signals.
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