What a minimum deposit really tells you

The minimum deposit is the smallest amount an account can be opened with. It is the cheapest fact to publish and the easiest to misread: a ZAR10 minimum says what the door costs, not what trading there costs.

Read it beside two other figures - the round-turn cost and the withdrawal time. A low minimum with a wide spread takes the difference back on every trade, and a low minimum you cannot withdraw from quickly is not a cheap account.

The ten below publish the lowest minimum deposit for residents of South Africa. Where a broker states no minimum at all, that is recorded as zero, which is a figure, not a blank.

Affiliate links: we earn a commission; it never changes scores or order. CFDs are high-risk and leverage can lose you money rapidly.

Key facts (43 of 104 counts · 104 brokers onboarding South African residents)

43of 104

qualify for this ranking

41% of 104

21of 43

scored on all six axes

49% of 43

66of 104

publish a price

63% of 104

72of 104

publish a leverage figure for this country

69% of 104

Top 3 (of 3 ranked)

1FXGT4.36highest score of the three · locally licensed · withdrawal in 24 h 2Admirals4.36locally licensed · withdrawal in 24 h 3ThinkMarkets4.28locally licensed · withdrawal in 4 h

What a minimum deposit really tells you (43 of 104)

OrderBy slice score, formula v1.0.

Shown43 of 104 brokers in this ranking · all 43

#	Broker	Round turn, USDZA	Min deposit, USDZA	Leverage	Withdrawal, hZA	Score	Execution	Founded	Funding
1	FP Markets	6.5	100	500ZA	—	4.78	ECN/raw + standard	2005	3 methods
2	Capital.com	6	20	—stated, not verified	—	4.6	Standard	2016	3 methods · local
3	AvaTrade	9	100	400ZA	—	4.55	Standard	2006	5 methods · local
4	STARTRADER	4	50	1000ZA	24	4.42	ECN/raw + standard	2019	4 methods
5	FXGT	6	10	5000ZA	24	4.36	ECN/raw + standard	2019	6 methods · local
6	Admirals	6	25	500ZA	24	4.36	ECN/raw + standard	2001	4 methods · local
7	ThinkMarkets	7	50	500ZA	4	4.28	ECN/raw + standard	2010	5 methods · local
8	FXCM	7	4	400ZA	72	4.26	ECN/raw + standard	1999	2 methods · local
9	Tickmill	6	100	1000ZA	—	4.25	ECN/raw	2014	4 methods · local
10	Mitrade	8.5	20	200ZA	24	4.24	Standard	2011	4 methods
11	CMTrading	8	300	200ZA	24	4.24	ECN/raw + standard	2012	4 methods · local
12	Fusion Markets	4.5	0	500ZA	1	4.13	ECN/raw + standard	2017	6 methods
13	Moneta Markets	7	50	1000ZA	24	4.12	ECN/raw + standard	—	5 methods
14	Land-FX	3.35	10	2000ZA	1	4.1	ECN/raw + standard	2008	7 methods · local
15	IronFX	18	100	500ZA	—	4.07	ECN/raw + standard	2010	6 methods · local
16	CAPEX	14	100	300ZA	24	4.02	ECN/raw + standard	2016	3 methods · local
17	FXGT.com	—	5	1000ZA	—	4.01	—	2019	5 methods · local
18	Grand Capital	5	10	500ZA	0.25	4	ECN/raw + standard	2006	3 methods
19	Traders Trust	6	50	3000ZA	24	3.96	ECN/raw + standard	2009	5 methods
20	IC Markets	7.5	200	500ZA	24	3.92	ECN/raw + standard	2007	9 methods · local
21	BlackBull Markets	6	0	500ZA	72	3.92	ECN/raw + standard	2014	6 methods · local
22	Scope Markets SA	9	100	1000ZA	120	3.92	Standard	2014	4 methods · local
23	XTB	5	0	500ZA	72	3.83	Standard	2002	2 methods
24	FxPro	7	100	200ZA	—	3.82	ECN/raw + standard	2006	3 methods · local
25	Orbex	8	100	500ZA	24	3.82	ECN/raw + standard	2010	5 methods
26	GO Markets	6	200	500ZA	48	3.8	ECN/raw + standard	2006	4 methods
27	FXChoice	7	100	200ZA	24	3.8	ECN/raw + standard	2010	3 methods
28	Headway	—	1	—stated, not verified	—	3.77	—	2023	4 methods · local
29	Alpari	5.5	30	3000ZA	—	3.73	Standard	1998	5 methods
30	Dukascopy	8	100	200ZA	—	3.71	ECN/raw + standard	2004	3 methods
31	Equiti	8	500	500ZA	—	3.7	ECN/raw + standard	2003	3 methods
32	LiteFinance	18	50	1000ZA	24	3.67	Standard	2005	3 methods
33	FXTM	16	10	2000ZA	24	3.6	Standard	2011	5 methods · local
34	ForexMart	10	15	500ZA	7	3.59	Standard	2015	6 methods · local
35	NAGA	11	250	1000ZA	24	3.58	Standard	2015	4 methods · local
36	Swissquote	16	1000	100ZA	24	3.5	ECN/raw + standard	1996	2 methods
37	Skilling	8.5	100	500ZA	—	3.43	ECN/raw + standard	2016	6 methods
38	Interactive Brokers	—	0	—stated, not verified	—	—	—	1978	1 methods
39	FIBO Group	—	50	1000ZA	—	—	—	1998	5 methods
40	Markets.com	—	100	300ZA	168	—	—	2008	5 methods · local
41	GT247.com	—	0	25ZA	—	—	—	1998	2 methods · local
42	Nedbank Online Share Trading	—	0	—stated, not verified	—	—	—	—	2 methods · local
43	OctaFX	—	25	1000ZA	3	—	—	2011	3 methods · local

Ten are shown; the button opens the rest.

— the broker does not publish this figure; it is not read as a zero and it is not scored.

IC Markets publishes a retail leverage of 1:500 without naming the entity that grants it, so the figure is marked group and left out of the leverage ranking and median.

The ten above illustrate the term. Brokers with the lowest minimum deposit in South Africa lists every broker that qualifies, with the figure each one publishes.

Identical for every row, so it is stated once: Who onboards Local · FSCA · Swap-free fee none, no limit · ZAR account Yes.

1. FXGT — highest score of the three · locally licensed · withdrawal in 24 h (score 4.36)

Round turn: 6 USD
Withdrawal: within 24 hours
ZAR account: USD, EUR, JPY and ZAR - South Africans can hold a ZAR account and avoid conversion.
Leverage: 5000ZA
Licence: FSCA 48896
Accepts residents: through an offshore entity
Onboarding entity: South African clients are onboarded under the local entity GT IO Markets (Pty) Ltd, with the Seychelles entity used for global products.
Founded: 2019
Register: https://fxgt.com · 09.07.2026
Group leverage: localgroup
Instruments: 50+ FX pairs, 30+ crypto CFDs, synthetic crypto pairs, 50+ US share CFDs, 10+ indices, metals and energy CFDs.
Platforms: MT5cTraderWebTradingView
Funding: Cards, local bank/EFT, e-wallets (Neteller/Skrill/STICPAY) and crypto; ZAR deposits supported.
Not served: United States, Canada, European Union member states, Iran, North Korea, Belize, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Reviews25%65
Round-turn cost20%95
Safety100
Payouts15%80
Track record10%35
Platforms

Why it ranks here

Round turn 6 USD against the slice median 7 USD. strongest axis safety 100 of 100. total score 4.36.

Watch for

Payouts axis 58 of 100; e-wallet times not published.

Full review of FXGT

2. Admirals — locally licensed · withdrawal in 24 h (score 4.36)

Round turn: 6 USD
Withdrawal: same business day
ZAR account: ZAR available, plus USD, EUR, GBP.
Leverage: 500ZA
Licence: FSCA 51311
Accepts residents: yes
Onboarding entity: South African clients served by locally licensed Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd.
Founded: 2001
Register: https://admirals.group · 09.07.2026
Group leverage: local
Instruments: FX, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, bonds, crypto CFDs.
Platforms: MT5MT4Web
Funding: Bank wire, Visa/Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller; local ZAR bank transfer supported.
Not served: United States, Canada, Japan, Belgium

Why it ranks here

Round turn 6 USD against the slice median 7 USD. strongest axis safety 100 of 100. total score 4.36.

Watch for

Min deposit 200 USD, double the South Africa median of 50; withdrawal time not published.

Full review of Admirals

3. ThinkMarkets — locally licensed · withdrawal in 4 h (score 4.28)

Round turn: 7 USD
ZAR account: ZAR account supported, plus USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CHF - so no forced conversion for rand deposits.
Leverage: 500ZA
Licence: 49835
Accepts residents: through an offshore entity
Onboarding entity: Pty Ltd
Founded: 2010
Register: https://thinkmarkets.com · 09.07.2026
Group leverage: localgroup
Instruments: 40+ forex pairs, 17 index CFDs, metals/energies, 1,500+ share CFDs, 20+ crypto CFDs.
Platforms: MT5WebMobile
Funding: Local SA bank transfer/EFT supported, plus Visa/Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller; free bank-wire deposits.

Why it ranks here

Round turn 7 USD against the slice median 7 USD. strongest axis payouts 97 of 100. total score 4.28.

Watch for

Onboards South African residents through an offshore entity: no FSCA licence, no FSCA complaints route, no ZAR account.

Full review of ThinkMarkets

What the data shows(4 distributions · 104 brokers)

Swap-free availability (104 brokers)

Offered30Not offered14

Admin fee after the free period (43 of 104 swap-free)

Never16After 3–30 days9not published5

Who onboards South African residents (104 brokers)

Local FSCA entity20Offshore entity24

ZAR account (104 brokers)

Yes16No23not published5

Swap-free round turn, USD (66 of 104 priced · median 7)

7<5

455-10

810-15

515-20

120+

Retail leverage in South Africa (72 of 104 · 1 group excluded)

48<1000

151000-2000

42000-3000

43000-4000

14000+

Full list(43 of 104)

1FP Markets4.78
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
6.5
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
2Capital.com4.6
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
6
Min deposit, USD
20
ZAR
Yes
3AvaTrade4.55
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
9
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
400ZA
ZAR
Yes
4STARTRADER4.42
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
4
Min deposit, USD
50
Leverage
1000ZA
ZAR
Yes
5FXGT4.36
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
6
Min deposit, USD
10
Leverage
5000ZA
ZAR
Yes
6Admirals4.36
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
6
Min deposit, USD
25
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
7ThinkMarkets4.28
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
7
Min deposit, USD
50
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
8FXCM4.26
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
7
Min deposit, USD
4
Leverage
400ZA
ZAR
Yes
9Tickmill4.25
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
6
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
1000ZA
ZAR
Yes
10Mitrade4.24
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
8.5
Min deposit, USD
20
Leverage
200ZA
ZAR
Yes
11CMTrading4.24
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
8
Min deposit, USD
300
Leverage
200ZA
ZAR
Yes
12Fusion Markets4.13
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
4.5
Min deposit, USD
0
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
13Moneta Markets4.12
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
7
Min deposit, USD
50
Leverage
1000ZA
ZAR
Yes
14Land-FX4.1
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
3.35
Min deposit, USD
10
Leverage
2000ZA
ZAR
Yes
15IronFX4.07
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
18
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
16CAPEX4.02
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
14
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
300ZA
ZAR
Yes
17FXGT.com4.01
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Min deposit, USD
5
Leverage
1000ZA
ZAR
Yes
18Grand Capital4
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
5
Min deposit, USD
10
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
19Traders Trust3.96
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
6
Min deposit, USD
50
Leverage
3000ZA
ZAR
Yes
20IC Markets3.92
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
7.5
Min deposit, USD
200
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
21BlackBull Markets3.92
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
6
Min deposit, USD
0
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
22Scope Markets SA3.92
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
9
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
1000ZA
ZAR
Yes
23XTB3.83
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
5
Min deposit, USD
0
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
24FxPro3.82
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
7
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
200ZA
ZAR
Yes
25Orbex3.82
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
8
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
26GO Markets3.8
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
6
Min deposit, USD
200
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
27FXChoice3.8
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
7
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
200ZA
ZAR
Yes
28Headway3.77
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Min deposit, USD
1
ZAR
Yes
29Alpari3.73
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
5.5
Min deposit, USD
30
Leverage
3000ZA
ZAR
Yes
30Dukascopy3.71
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
8
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
200ZA
ZAR
Yes
31Equiti3.7
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
8
Min deposit, USD
500
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
32LiteFinance3.67
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
18
Min deposit, USD
50
Leverage
1000ZA
ZAR
Yes
33FXTM3.6
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
16
Min deposit, USD
10
Leverage
2000ZA
ZAR
Yes
34ForexMart3.59
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
10
Min deposit, USD
15
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes
35NAGA3.58
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
11
Min deposit, USD
250
Leverage
1000ZA
ZAR
Yes
36Swissquote3.5
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
16
Min deposit, USD
1000
Leverage
100ZA
ZAR
Yes
37Skilling3.43
Onboards
Local · FSCA
Swap-free
none, no limit
Round turn, USD
8.5
Min deposit, USD
100
Leverage
500ZA
ZAR
Yes

How to read the ten below

Start with the figure this page ranks on.
Every row here is ordered by computed score, highest first; unscored brokers follow. A broker that publishes no figure is shown without one rather than guessed at.
Check which company would onboard you.
The same brand can take a resident of South Africa through a locally licensed entity or an offshore one, and the leverage cap, the complaint route and the protection all follow the entity, not the brand.
Read the cost beside the deposit.
The median round turn across this country is 7.0 USD and the median minimum deposit 50.0 USD; a low deposit beside a wide spread takes the difference back on every trade.

Neighbouring slices(6 rankings · 5 explainers)

Same country

Explained

FAQ

How many brokers qualify for this ranking in South Africa?: 43 of 104 brokers measured for this country qualify.
Which broker leads it, and on what basis?: FXGT leads it with a score of 4.36. The order is computed score, highest first; unscored brokers follow.
What does a trade typically cost here?: The median round turn - spread plus commission for one standard lot, in and out - is 7.0 USD across the brokers that publish both parts.
Why do some rows show a dash instead of a figure?: Because the broker does not publish that figure for this country. A dash is a statement about what is published, and a figure is never filled in from a group-wide page as if it applied locally.
Why are only ten brokers shown here?: This page explains the term; the ten illustrate it. The full ranking lists 43 of 104 and is one click away.

How this slice is scored

Slice score = 2 + 3 × weighted mean of the six axes; the swap-free fee and availability feed price and reliability. A missing axis drops out and weights are renormalised; group-wide figures never enter. Full methodology

Verified · What changed · Sources(43 of 104 broker records)

Verified01.10.2026

data re-captured 28.09.2026

Risk warning and affiliate disclosure

CFDs are complex instruments with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. A swap-free account removes overnight interest, not market risk. We earn a commission on some links; paid rows are marked and never ranked first.