Forex market hours in South Africa (SAST)
Forex-handelstye in Suid-Afrika (SAST)
The forex market trades 24 hours from Monday morning to Friday night, passing from Sydney to Tokyo, London and New York. Here is every session in SAST (UTC+2), the time of day that matters most for traders in Johannesburg or Cape Town, and the holidays when the market goes quiet.
Forex sessions in SAST
| Session | Local hours there | SAST in winter | SAST in summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 07:00 – 16:00 Sydney time | 22:00 – 07:00 | 23:00 – 08:00 |
| Tokyo | 09:00 – 18:00 Tokyo time | 02:00 – 11:00 | 02:00 – 11:00 |
| London | 08:00 – 17:00 London time | 10:00 – 19:00 | 09:00 – 18:00 |
| New York | 08:00 – 17:00 New York time | 15:00 – 00:00 | 14:00 – 23:00 |
| London + New York overlap | 08:00 – 12:00 New York time | 15:00 – 19:00 | 14:00 – 18:00 |
Winter = November to March, summer = April to October. In the two or three weeks in March and October / November when the US and Europe change their clocks on different days, some rows are an hour off. The live table above always uses today's clocks.
Weekly open and close in SAST
The week opens on Monday 00:00 SAST in winter (Sunday 23:00 in summer) and closes on Saturday 00:00 in winter (Friday 23:00 in summer). The first hour after the open is thin and spreads are wide; weekend news can open the market with a gap.
ICT killzones in SAST
| ICT window | New York | SAST (Nov – Mar) | SAST (Mar – Nov) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian killzone | 20:00 – 00:00 | 03:00 – 07:00 | 02:00 – 06:00 |
| London killzone | 02:00 – 05:00 | 09:00 – 12:00 | 08:00 – 11:00 |
| London silver bullet | 03:00 – 04:00 | 10:00 – 11:00 | 09:00 – 10:00 |
| New York AM killzone | 07:00 – 10:00 | 14:00 – 17:00 | 13:00 – 16:00 |
| NY AM silver bullet | 10:00 – 11:00 | 17:00 – 18:00 | 16:00 – 17:00 |
| London close killzone | 10:00 – 12:00 | 17:00 – 19:00 | 16:00 – 18:00 |
| New York PM killzone | 13:30 – 16:00 | 20:30 – 23:00 | 19:30 – 22:00 |
| NY PM silver bullet | 14:00 – 15:00 | 21:00 – 22:00 | 20:00 – 21:00 |
Holidays that thin the market
| Date | Holiday | Closed | What it means for trading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Veterans Day | US | US banks closed: thinner dollar and gold trading, US indices may be shut. |
| Thu 26 Nov 2026 | Thanksgiving | US | US banks closed: thinner dollar and gold trading, US indices may be shut. |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | US + UK | Both big centres closed: very thin market; many brokers shorten trading hours. |
| Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day (substitute) | UK | London closed: the European morning is quiet and spreads can be wider. |
| Fri 01 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | US + UK | Both big centres closed: very thin market; many brokers shorten trading hours. |
| Mon 18 Jan 2027 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | US | US banks closed: thinner dollar and gold trading, US indices may be shut. |
| Mon 15 Feb 2027 | Washington's Birthday | US | US banks closed: thinner dollar and gold trading, US indices may be shut. |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday | UK | London closed: the European morning is quiet and spreads can be wider. |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday | UK | London closed: the European morning is quiet and spreads can be wider. |
| Mon 03 May 2027 | Early May bank holiday | UK | London closed: the European morning is quiet and spreads can be wider. |
From the official US federal holiday list (opm.gov) and UK bank holidays (gov.uk). South Africa's own public holidays close your local banks and stock market but not the global forex market.
Planning your trading day
Check the economic calendar for US data and central bank decisions in your time, size every trade with the lot size calculator or the gold lot size calculator, see the live clock on the sessions and killzones tool, and see when crypto is busiest in the crypto market hours guide.
Questions
What time does the forex market open in South Africa?
The week starts when Sydney opens, at 17:00 New York time on Sunday: Monday 00:00 SAST in winter and Sunday 23:00 SAST in summer. It closes at Saturday 00:00 SAST on Friday in winter (Friday 23:00 in summer).
What is the best time to trade forex in South Africa?
For most pairs and gold, the London and New York overlap: 15:00 – 19:00 SAST in winter and 14:00 – 18:00 in summer. Volume and moves are largest then, and US data is released inside this window.
When is the London killzone in SAST?
02:00 – 05:00 New York time, which is 09:00 – 12:00 SAST from November to March and an hour earlier from March to November.
Does South Africa change its clocks for summer time?
No, SAST stays at UTC+2 all year. The session times move because London, New York and Sydney change their clocks on different dates.