XAU BROKER RATING · v1 · NOVEMBER 2026
Best gold brokers in South Africa (2026)
On our 2026 rating for South Africa residents, the highest scores go to: ThinkMarkets (65, account held by TF Global Markets (South Africa), FSCA); Vantage (65, account held by Vantage Markets (Pty) Ltd, FSCA); IG (64, account held by IG Markets South Africa, FSCA). The score is based on the company that would hold your account in South Africa, not the best licence the group holds elsewhere.
- Tier 1–2 company for you
- 9
- Offshore for you
- 7
- Do not accept you
- 6
Data checked: November 2026
Trading gold in South Africa: the rules
CFD providers need an FSCA licence (including the over-the-counter derivatives provider licence). Many international brokers hold one for South African clients.
Gold broker ratings for South Africa residents
18 brokers available in South Africa
- 1
ThinkMarkets
London, UK · 2010
Your account would be held by: TF Global Markets (South Africa), FSCA (South Africa)Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5TradingViewOwn platformSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B+65/100
Trader Voice 63
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
58
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
90
- 2
Vantage
Sydney, Australia · 2009
Your account would be held by: Vantage Markets (Pty) Ltd, FSCA (South Africa) · 51268Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5TradingViewOwn platformSwap-freeB+65/100
Trader Voice 80
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
58
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
90
- 3
IG
London, UK · 1974 · LSE: IGG
Your account would be held by: IG Markets South Africa, FSCA (South Africa)Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4TradingViewOwn platform- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B64/100
Trader Voice 63
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
66
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
55
- 4
FP Markets
Sydney, Australia · 2005
Your account would be held by: FP Markets (Pty) Ltd, FSCA (South Africa)Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5cTraderTradingViewSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B63/100
Trader Voice 94
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
54
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
95
- 5
AvaTrade
Dublin, Ireland · 2006
Your account would be held by: Ava Capital Markets Pty (South Africa), FSCA (South Africa)Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5Own platformSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B62/100
Trader Voice 90
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
58
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
75
- 6
Exness
Limassol, Cyprus · 2008
Your account would be held by: Exness ZA (Pty) Ltd, FSCA (South Africa)Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5Own platformSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B62/100
Trader Voice 91
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
58
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
75
- 7
HFM
Limassol, Cyprus · 2010
Your account would be held by: HF Markets SA (PTY) Ltd, FSCA (South Africa)Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5Own platformSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B62/100
Trader Voice 72
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
58
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
75
- 8
Tickmill
London, UK · 2014
Your account would be held by: Tickmill South Africa, FSCA (South Africa)Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5TradingViewSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B62/100
Trader Voice 37
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
56
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
85
- 9
Admirals
Tallinn, Estonia · 2001
Your account would be held by: Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd, FSCA (South Africa)Tier 2 · strong Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5Own platformSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B59/100
Trader Voice 78
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
54
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
75
- 10
FXTM
Limassol, Cyprus · 2011
Your account would be held by: Exinity Ltd, FSC (Mauritius)Tier 3 · moderate Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5Own platformSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
B56/100
Trader Voice 44
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
50
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
75
- 11
EBC Financial Group
London, UK · 2020
Your account would be held by: EBC Financial Group (Cayman) Ltd, CIMA (Cayman Islands) · 2038223Tier 3 · moderate Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5Swap-freeWe have a commercial relationship with this broker. It does not enter the score.
C51/100
Trader Voice 67
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
46
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
70
- 12
Pepperstone
Melbourne, Australia · 2010
Your account would be held by: Pepperstone Markets Ltd, SCB (Bahamas)Tier 4 · light offshore Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5cTraderTradingViewSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
- ⚠ Has strong licences elsewhere, but serves this country from an offshore entity
C48/100
Trader Voice 79
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
34
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
95
- 13
Eightcap
Melbourne, Australia · 2009
Your account would be held by: Eightcap Global Ltd, SCB (Bahamas)Tier 4 · light offshore Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5TradingViewSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
- ⚠ Has strong licences elsewhere, but serves this country from an offshore entity
C45/100
Trader Voice 70
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
34
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
85
- 14
IC Markets
Sydney, Australia · 2007
Your account would be held by: Raw Trading Ltd, FSA (Seychelles)Tier 4 · light offshore Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5cTraderTradingViewSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
- ⚠ Has strong licences elsewhere, but serves this country from an offshore entity
D41/100
Trader Voice 94
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
26
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
95
- 15
OANDA
New York, US · 1996
Your account would be held by: OANDA Global Markets Ltd, FSC (British Virgin Islands)Tier 4 · light offshore Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5TradingViewOwn platform- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
- ⚠ Has strong licences elsewhere, but serves this country from an offshore entity
D40/100
Trader Voice 58
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
30
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
75
- 16
XM
Limassol, Cyprus · 2009
Your account would be held by: XM Global Ltd, FSC (Belize)Tier 4 · light offshore Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5Own platformSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
- ⚠ Has strong licences elsewhere, but serves this country from an offshore entity
D40/100
Trader Voice 15
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
30
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
75
- 17
XTB
Warsaw, Poland · 2002 · WSE: XTB
Your account would be held by: XTB International Ltd, FSC (Belize)Tier 4 · light offshore Check this licence yourself
Own platformSwap-free- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
- ⚠ Has strong licences elsewhere, but serves this country from an offshore entity
D37/100
Trader Voice 65
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
38
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
35
- 18
Wisuno
Kingstown, St Vincent & the Grenadines · 2013
Your account would be held by: Wisuno (SVG), SVG FSA (St Vincent & the Grenadines)Tier 5 · registration only Check this licence yourself
MT4MT5- ⚠ Licences taken from the broker’s legal page; register check pending
- ⚠ Claims licences we could not find on the regulators’ registers
- ⚠ The entity for this country is only a company registration, not a forex licence
We have a commercial relationship with this broker. It does not enter the score.
D12/100
Trader Voice 69
Provisional
Protection you actually get · 35%
0
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yet
Execution under stress · 15%
Not measured yet
Money in and out · 15%
Not measured yet
Platforms and gold conditions · 10%
55
Which licence protects you in South Africa
Of the 24 brokers we rate, 9 would open a South Africa resident's account with a Tier 1 or Tier 2 regulated company, 7 would use a light offshore or registration-only company, and 6 do not accept South Africa residents.
Account held by a Tier 1–2 regulated company
Account held by an offshore company
These groups may hold strong licences elsewhere, but that protection does not extend to you.
Local regulators seen in this list: Financial Sector Conduct Authority
Brokers that do not accept South Africa residents
Questions people ask
Which gold broker is best in South Africa?
On our 2026 rating for South Africa residents, the highest scores go to: ThinkMarkets (65, account held by TF Global Markets (South Africa), FSCA); Vantage (65, account held by Vantage Markets (Pty) Ltd, FSCA); IG (64, account held by IG Markets South Africa, FSCA). The score is based on the company that would hold your account in South Africa, not the best licence the group holds elsewhere.
Is gold and forex trading legal in South Africa?
CFD providers need an FSCA licence (including the over-the-counter derivatives provider licence). Many international brokers hold one for South African clients.
How many international brokers serve South Africa from a local licence?
Of the 24 brokers we rate, 9 would open a South Africa resident's account with a Tier 1 or Tier 2 regulated company, 7 would use a light offshore or registration-only company, and 6 do not accept South Africa residents.
How do I check a broker's licence in South Africa?
Find the company name on your account agreement (not the brand), then search that exact company on the FSCA register (https://www.fsca.co.za/Fais/Search_FSP.htm). If the company is not listed, or the licence number belongs to a different company, do not deposit.
See also
Other countries
How we rate
CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Ratings are our opinion, based on the data and rules described in the methodology. They are not investment advice.