Forex trading hours in South Africa (SAST)
Updated 2026-10-12
The forex market runs 24 hours a day from Monday morning to Friday night in South Africa, but it is not equally busy all day. Here are the sessions in South African Standard Time, worked out for today's daylight-saving settings in the US, UK and Australia.
Forex sessions in SAST this week
Calculated for Mon 12 Oct, 11:52 SAST: US summer time, UK summer time.
| Session | Opens (SAST) | Closes (SAST) | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 22:00 | 07:00 | Closed |
| Tokyo (Asia) | 02:00 | 11:00 | Closed |
| London | 09:00 | 18:00 | Open |
| New York | 14:00 | 23:00 | Closed |
| London–New York overlap | 14:00 | 18:00 |
Forex week: opens Sunday 23:00 SAST, closes Friday 23:00 SAST.
Why the times shift during the year
South Africa stays on UTC+2 all year. The US, the UK, Europe and Australia change their clocks, and not on the same weekend, so a session that opens at 09:00 SAST in July opens at 10:00 SAST in December. The US moves its clocks on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November; the UK and EU on the last Sundays of March and October. For two or three weeks each spring and autumn the gap between London and New York is an hour shorter than usual.
The table above is calculated for today, so it is always right for the current week.
The busiest hours for South African traders
- London open (09:00 SAST in the UK summer, 10:00 in the UK winter): the first big burst of volume. Euro, pound and rand pairs often set the day's first swing here.
- London–New York overlap (about 14:00–18:00 SAST in the northern summer): the deepest liquidity of the day. US data at 14:30 SAST (15:30 in the US winter) lands in this window.
- New York cash open (15:30 SAST in US summer time, 16:30 in winter): the stock indices US30, NAS100 and US500 move most here.
The Asian session (about 02:00–11:00 SAST) is calmer for most pairs except the yen, Australian and New Zealand dollars.
When spreads are widest
Around the daily rollover (17:00 New York time: 23:00 SAST in US summer time, 00:00 in winter) liquidity thins out and many brokers widen spreads for 30–60 minutes. Spreads also widen around high-impact news and in the first minutes after the Monday open. Rand pairs (USD/ZAR, EUR/ZAR, GBP/ZAR) have noticeably wider spreads outside London and New York hours.
Weekends and holidays
Forex closes on Friday at 17:00 New York time (23:00 SAST in US summer time, 00:00 Saturday in winter) and reopens on Sunday at the same New York time. Prices can gap over the weekend. Crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum) trades through the weekend. Stock indices also close on their exchange holidays, even when forex is open.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the forex market open in South Africa?
On Sunday at 17:00 New York time: 23:00 SAST during US summer time (March to early November) and 00:00 SAST on Monday in the US winter. Liquidity is thin until Tokyo and then London open.
What is the best time to trade forex in South Africa?
Most traders focus on the London session and the London–New York overlap, roughly 09:00 to 18:00 SAST, when spreads are tightest and moves are largest. The best time for you depends on the market you trade and your strategy.
What time does the London session start in South Africa?
At 09:00 SAST during UK summer time (last Sunday of March to last Sunday of October) and 10:00 SAST in the UK winter.
What time does the New York session start in SAST?
Forex activity picks up from 08:00 New York time: 14:00 SAST in US summer time and 15:00 SAST in winter. The US stock market opens at 15:30 or 16:30 SAST.
Is forex open on public holidays in South Africa?
Yes. South African public holidays do not close the global forex market, though rand liquidity is thinner. US and UK holidays affect volume more.
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