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BEST FUTURES BROKERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Curious about trading futures in South Africa’s fast-moving markets? This review highlights brokers offering advanced tools, secure platforms and transparent pricing for futures trading. We assessed essential features like margin requirements, execution reliability and range of contracts available — from energy and metals to financial indices. Designed for experienced investors, these platforms give South Africans the precision, control and opportunity needed to trade confidently in local and international futures markets.

2025-10-26

A good choice

Ranking Methodology

To compile the ranking, we rely on a professional criterion that follows these steps:

We test the platforms based on several basic parameters (see list).
We test the platforms based on ranking-specific parameters.
We ensure the results are accurate (consistency and absence of outliers).
We verify on social media and forums that our parameters are socially sound and that no relevant negative reviews exist.
We present and publish the ranking.

Basic Testing Parameters for Apps Included in the Ranking

They allow accounts to be opened by local clients; meaning we exclude platforms not available in certain countries.
Regulatory compliance and security.
Transparency, reputation, and data protection.
Total costs (commissions, spreads, non-trading fees, deposits/withdrawals).
User experience (UX/UI), stability, and performance (uptime, latency).
Platform and tools (charts, alerts, backtesting, mobile, desktop, API).
Execution and liquidity (order quality, slippage, depth).
Customer support (languages, coverage, response times).
Education and resources (guides, research, demos, simulators).

Specific Parameters for the Futures Ranking

Access to futures contracts on recognised exchanges (CME, ICE, Eurex, etc.).
Coverage of futures on indices, commodities, currencies, and interest rates.
Margin requirements and leverage available (levels, flexibility, margin calls).
Specific trading costs in futures (spreads, exchange fees, rollover).
Execution quality and market depth (volume, liquidity, slippage).
Availability of advanced orders (stop, OCO, trailing stop, bracket orders).
Risk management tools specific to futures (margin analysis, volatility scenarios).
Access to historical data and backtesting for futures strategies.

Our ranking

TOP PICKS

Ranking

# 1

Pepperstone

Pepperstone is highly regarded for its CFD Forwards (Futures) offering, distinguished by its professional-grade infrastructure, deep liquidity, and advanced analytics suite. These forward contracts—which derive pricing from the underlying front-month futures contract—cover major indices, energies, and precious metals, including US500, NAS100, GER40, WTI, and Brent. Traders can access these markets via MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and TradingView, all optimised for seamless strategy execution and advanced analytics.Pepperstone’s infrastructure, utilizing co-located servers in Equinix LD5 (London) and NY4 (New York) data centers, delivers lightning-fast execution, with average speeds often under 30 milliseconds. This ultra-low latency environment, combined with highly competitive spread pricing and flexible leverage up to 1:200 (for professional clients), allows high-volume and algorithmic traders to operate efficiently across volatile global sessions.

More details View review

# 2

BlackBull

BlackBull is a New Zealand-based broker specializing in ECN trading with direct market access, ultra-fast execution, and spreads from 0.0 pips. Regulated by the FMA and FSA, it offers multiple platforms such as MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. Ideal for active traders, scalpers, and institutional clients seeking professional-level liquidity without operational restrictions.

TRY IT

More details View review

# 3

FxPro

FxPro is a global broker headquartered in Cyprus with offices in the United Kingdom, the Bahamas, and South Africa. Regulated by CySEC, FCA, and other authorities, it operates under a No Dealing Desk model with access to forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and crypto CFDs. With spreads starting at 0.3 pips and advanced platforms like cTrader, MT4, and MT5, FxPro is ideal for experienced traders seeking direct execution and powerful tools.

TRY IT

More details View review

Not sure?

How to open an Investment Account

In South Africa, setting up an investment account is simple once you’ve chosen a provider. The steps apply across asset classes including stocks, bonds, ETFs, futures, options, indices, commodities, crypto and real estate.

Visit the official site: Click “Open account” or “Get started”.
Complete registration: Provide name, email, phone, country. You’ll need a South African ID or passport, plus proof of address such as an Eskom electricity bill or a bank statement issued within 3 months.
Approval: Immediate for some, a few days for others.
Set preferences: Adjust account settings once verified.
Fund account: Deposit by card, EFT, or wallet.

And you’re ready to start investing.