Market hours · South Africa
Forex market hours in Johannesburg
Every major trading session in Johannesburg time (UTC+2), updated live. The busiest window, the London–New York overlap, runs from 14:00 to 18:00 local time. The same times apply in Cape Town, Kigali and Lusaka.
Times shown in Johannesburg time.
Sydney
Tokyo
London
New York
The trading day in Johannesburg
Session hours across a 24-hour day in Johannesburg local time.
Weekly open and close
Spot forex trades from Sunday to Friday, 17:00 New York time.
| Market opens | Sunday 23:00 |
| Market closes | Friday 23:00 |
| Daily rollover | 23:00 |
Winter vs summer
Johannesburg keeps the same clock all year, but London, New York and Sydney don’t.
| Session | January | July |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 22:00–07:00 | 23:00–08:00 |
| Tokyo | 02:00–11:00 | 02:00–11:00 |
| London | 10:00–19:00 | 09:00–18:00 |
| New York | 15:00–00:00 | 14:00–23:00 |
Best hours for popular pairs in Johannesburg
The three-hour window in which each pair has moved most on average over the last year, converted to Johannesburg time.
Trading forex from Johannesburg
From Johannesburg, the London session falls closest to the middle of your day, and the London–New York overlap runs 14:00–18:00. Most of the day’s movement in EUR, GBP and USD pairs happens during London and New York hours, while JPY, AUD and NZD pairs are relatively more active during Tokyo and Sydney hours.
Read our guide to forex trading sessions to understand what drives each session, and check the market pages for each pair’s hour-by-hour volatility.
FAQ
What time does the forex market open in Johannesburg?
The forex week opens on Sunday 23:00 Johannesburg time (17:00 Sunday in New York) and closes on Friday 23:00 (17:00 Friday in New York). In between it trades around the clock.
What is the best time to trade forex in Johannesburg?
For most major pairs it is the London–New York overlap, which currently runs from 14:00 to 18:00 in Johannesburg. Liquidity is highest and spreads are usually tightest then.
When does the London session open in Johannesburg?
The London session currently runs from 09:00 to 18:00 Johannesburg time.
Do forex hours change in Johannesburg during the year?
Johannesburg does not observe daylight saving time, but London, New York and Sydney do, so session times in Johannesburg still shift by an hour at points during the year. The table on this page shows winter and summer times.
Are forex hours the same in Cape Town, Kigali and Lusaka?
Yes. Cape Town, Kigali and Lusaka keep the same clock as Johannesburg all year, so every session time on this page applies there too.
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