Forex Trading Sessions in South Africa (SAST Times)

If you trade forex from South Africa, the single most useful thing you can know is which session is open right now in SAST. The forex market runs 24 hours a day from Sunday evening to Friday evening, but most of the action happens during just a few hours of the day, and the rest is dead water. This guide breaks down exactly when each session opens and closes in South African Standard Time, which currency pairs move during each window, and the two-hour overlap that most South African day traders build their day around. If you are new to this, you may also want to read our how to trade forex walkthrough and our forex trading for beginners guide before you place a position.

TL;DR

The forex market opens Sunday 23:00 SAST and closes Friday 23:00 SAST. South Africa does not observe daylight saving time, but London and New York do, so session times shift by one hour twice a year.
London session: 10:00 to 19:00 SAST (winter), 09:00 to 18:00 SAST (summer).
New York session: 15:00 to 00:00 SAST (winter), 14:00 to 23:00 SAST (summer).
The London and New York overlap, 15:00 to 19:00 SAST in winter and 14:00 to 18:00 SAST in summer, is the highest volume window of the day. It is the best time to trade forex from South Africa if you want tight spreads and clear directional moves.

Forex trading session times in South Africa (SAST)

Here are the four major forex sessions converted to South African Standard Time. SA stays on UTC+2 all year, so the column you read depends on whether London and New York are on their winter or summer clock.

Session	Open (winter SAST)	Close (winter SAST)	Open (summer SAST)	Close (summer SAST)
Sydney	00:00	09:00	23:00 (prev day)	08:00
Tokyo	02:00	11:00	01:00	10:00
London	10:00	19:00	09:00	18:00
New York	15:00	00:00	14:00	23:00

Winter columns apply roughly November through mid-March (when the northern hemisphere is on standard time). Summer columns apply mid-March through early November (when the UK is on BST and the US is on EDT). The exact changeover dates differ between London and New York by about two weeks each year, which is why the table is a guide and not a contract. Always double-check with a market clock on the day you trade.

When does the London session open in South Africa?

The London session opens at 10:00 SAST in winter and 09:00 SAST in summer, which is when most South African traders pour their first coffee. It closes at 19:00 SAST in winter and 18:00 SAST in summer.

London is the largest forex centre in the world by volume, and the first 60 to 90 minutes after the open are usually the most volatile of the entire day. The pairs that move hardest during this window are the ones with a European leg:

EUR/USD
GBP/USD
EUR/GBP
EUR/JPY
GBP/JPY

You will also see USD/ZAR pick up because the South African Reserve Bank and major local banks are at their desks and London is pricing rand against everything else. Spreads on the majors are usually at their tightest during London hours. You can see typical pricing on our spreads and fees page.

When does the New York session open in South Africa?

New York opens at 15:00 SAST in winter and 14:00 SAST in summer, and runs until midnight SAST in winter or 23:00 SAST in summer. The first 90 minutes after the New York open are the second big volatility window of the day, mostly because London is still open and US economic data tends to drop right at the New York open.

Pairs that move on New York hours:

EUR/USD (still the most-traded pair on Earth during this window)
USD/JPY
USD/CAD
USD/CHF
Gold (XAU/USD), because gold is priced in dollars and reacts to every Fed comment

The biggest scheduled event for New York-hour traders in South Africa is Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP). It drops on the first Friday of every month at 15:30 SAST in winter and 14:30 SAST in summer. EUR/USD, USD/JPY and gold can move 50 to 100 pips in the first ten seconds. If you are not sure what a pip move is worth on your position size, our pip calculator will do the maths for you.

The London and New York overlap is the best time to trade forex from South Africa

The four hours between 15:00 and 19:00 SAST in winter (or 14:00 to 18:00 SAST in summer) are when London and New York are both open. Roughly 50% of all daily forex volume passes through the market during this overlap. For a South African trader, this matters for three reasons:

Spreads are at their tightest. EUR/USD spreads on LHFX start from 0.0 pips during this window on the Raw account. You pay the $3/side commission and that is your total cost.
Moves are directional. EUR/USD typically covers 70 to 90 pips between the London open and the New York close on a normal day. On NFP day or an FOMC day it can be double that.
You are awake for it. SA traders do not have to set a 03:00 alarm to catch the action. The overlap is in late afternoon and early evening, which is when most retail traders in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban are actually at their screens.

If you only have two hours a day to look at the market, make it 15:00 to 17:00 SAST. That is when the highest-probability moves happen on the major pairs and on gold.

The Sydney and Tokyo sessions

Sydney opens at midnight SAST in winter (23:00 SAST in summer, because Australia runs its own DST on the opposite cycle to the northern hemisphere). Tokyo opens around 02:00 SAST. For a South African trader, both of these are overnight, and unless you are running an automated strategy or trading Aussie or Yen pairs specifically, you can usually skip them.

What moves during these hours:

AUD/USD and AUD/JPY (Reserve Bank of Australia rate decisions, Aussie CPI, Chinese economic data)
USD/JPY and EUR/JPY (Bank of Japan, Tokyo Stock Exchange open)
NZD/USD

Liquidity is thinner here than during London or New York, so spreads on minor pairs widen and stop hunts on tight stops are more common. If you are scalping, this is usually not your window.

Which currency pairs to trade in which session

A simple rule: trade the pair when its home market is open. Volume follows the sun, and so do the cleanest charts.

Sydney session: AUD/USD, NZD/USD, AUD/JPY
Tokyo session: USD/JPY, EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY, AUD/JPY
London session: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP, USD/CHF, EUR/JPY, USD/ZAR
London and New York overlap (15:00 to 19:00 SAST winter): EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, gold (XAU/USD)
New York session (after London closes): USD/CAD, USD/JPY, USD/MXN

LHFX offers 41 forex pairs, plus 10 indices, 5 commodities, 72 stocks and 10 crypto CFDs on MetaTrader 5. You can see the full instrument list on the forex markets page.

High-impact news events that move the market during South African trading hours

News drives forex more reliably than any chart pattern, and almost every high-impact release for the majors happens during London or New York hours, which is convenient if you trade from SA.

US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP): First Friday of the month, 15:30 SAST in winter and 14:30 SAST in summer. Moves EUR/USD, USD/JPY and gold.
US CPI (inflation): Mid-month, usually 14:30 or 15:30 SAST. Drives dollar volatility for the rest of the week.
FOMC interest rate decision: Eight times a year, usually 20:00 SAST in winter and 19:00 SAST in summer. The press conference 30 minutes later is often the bigger move.
ECB interest rate decision: Eight times a year, 14:15 SAST winter / 13:15 SAST summer, followed by a press conference 45 minutes later. Moves EUR pairs.
Bank of England (BoE) rate decision: Eight times a year, 13:00 SAST winter / 12:00 SAST summer. Moves GBP pairs.
SARB MPC decisions: Six times a year. Moves USD/ZAR and the JSE.

Check an economic calendar on the morning of your trade. If a red-folder event is dropping on a pair you are holding, size down or stand aside.

When the forex market is closed

The interbank forex market is closed from Friday 23:00 SAST until Sunday 23:00 SAST. You cannot open or close positions during that window. If you hold a position into the weekend, you carry overnight gap risk: the price on Sunday at 23:00 SAST may open well away from where it closed on Friday, especially if there has been geopolitical news or a central-bank announcement over the weekend.

Other low-liquidity periods to watch out for:

Christmas Eve through New Year''s Day. Volumes drop, spreads widen on minor pairs, and moves can be erratic.
US Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November) and the Friday after. New York volume is thin.
UK and US bank holidays. Watch for partial sessions and reduced liquidity.

Frequently asked questions

What time does the forex market open in South Africa?

The forex market opens at 23:00 SAST on Sunday evening, when Sydney begins its trading day. The first major liquidity injection of the new week is when Tokyo opens around 02:00 SAST on Monday morning, and the main action begins when London opens at 10:00 SAST in winter or 09:00 SAST in summer.

What time does the forex market close in South Africa?

The market closes at 23:00 SAST on Friday evening, when the New York session ends. From that moment until 23:00 SAST on Sunday the market is closed and no trades can be opened or closed.

When does the London session open in South Africa time?

The London session opens at 10:00 SAST in winter and 09:00 SAST in summer, and closes at 19:00 SAST in winter or 18:00 SAST in summer. The first 60 to 90 minutes after the open are the most volatile, especially on EUR/USD and GBP/USD.

When does the New York session open in South Africa time?

New York opens at 15:00 SAST in winter and 14:00 SAST in summer. It closes at 00:00 SAST in winter and 23:00 SAST in summer. US economic data, including NFP and CPI, drops in the first 30 to 90 minutes after the open.

What is the best time to trade forex in South Africa?

The London and New York overlap, between 15:00 and 19:00 SAST in winter (14:00 to 18:00 SAST in summer), is the best time to trade forex from South Africa. Spreads are tightest, volume is highest, and moves are most directional. If you can only watch the market for two hours, make it 15:00 to 17:00 SAST.

Is the forex market open on weekends?

No. The interbank forex market closes at 23:00 SAST on Friday and reopens at 23:00 SAST on Sunday. You cannot place or close trades during that window. Positions held over the weekend are exposed to gap risk on the Sunday open.

Does South Africa observe daylight saving time?

No, South Africa does not observe daylight saving time. SAST stays on UTC+2 all year. London and New York both move their clocks forward in spring and back in autumn, which is why the London and New York session times in SAST shift by one hour twice a year. The actual changeover dates between London and New York differ by about two weeks each year.

Trade the sessions on LHFX

LHFX is FSCA-regulated (license 52816) and FSC Mauritius-regulated (GB23202204). South African traders get 41 forex pairs on MetaTrader 5, spreads from 0.0 pips with $3/side commission on the Raw account, leverage up to 1:500 on forex and gold, a $10 minimum deposit, and withdrawals that typically clear in around 20 minutes. Trustpilot rating: 4.4/5. If you want to practise the sessions risk-free first, open a demo account. When you are ready to put real money on the London open, create a live account. More on what makes us different for local traders on our forex trading in South Africa page.