In order to trade successfully, it is very important to choose the right broker. in South Africa, a large number of companies provide access to trading and you will have to choose the one for you among them. It is important to work only with reliable brokers providing all the required instruments for trading based on your trading strategy. TU analysts have selected the best otc stock brokers for beginners in South Africa 2025. You can compare their features and trading conditions.
1
RoboForex - Best for beginners in South Africa
RoboForex is a well-established brokerage company offering a broad spectrum of trading opportunities for active traders and investors alike. With an impressive selection of over 12,000 financial instruments - including currency pairs, CFDs on stocks, indices, metals, energies, and futures - RoboForex provides a versatile trading environment.
The broker boasts competitive trading conditions: tight spreads starting from 0 pips, high leverage up to 1:2000, and fast execution speeds. The broker also offers the CopyFx investment program, which allows traders to copy the strategies of successful investors and earn passive income. Additional perks include instant fund withdrawals and some of the industry’s highest affiliate payments (up to 84%).
RoboForex prioritizes reliability and client satisfaction, establishing itself as a trusted partner for traders worldwide.
Read more in Roboforex reviews from clients in South Africa
👍 Advantages of trading with RoboForex for traders from South Africa:
•Availability of favorable trading conditions and a minimum deposit
•Unique investment program CopyFx
•Highest affiliate payments: up to 84% of the fee paid by the referral
•Market launch - STP and ECN
•Instant withdrawal of funds
•Minimum deposit - $10
👎 Disadvantages of RoboForex for traders from South Africa:
•A small number of currency pairs - 28, for accounts: Pro, Pro-Cent, ECN
2
HFM - Best for beginners in South Africa
HFM is a broker owned by the HF Markets Group, offers a wide variety of account types, and has the widest selection of trading assets and high-quality software. HFM also has favorable trading conditions and instant execution of orders. Plus, a solid list of tools and services allow everyone to choose the best option. The broker's reliability is confirmed by the license of several regulators. The company's work experience in the financial, brokerage and other services market is over 10 years. Within that time, HFM has received 35 prestigious awards. For trading, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading terminals are used.
👍 Advantages of trading with HFM for traders from South Africa:
•favorable trading conditions and low spreads - from 0 pips;
•controlled by several regulators;
•no commissions for account replenishment and bank transfers.
👎 Disadvantages of HFM for traders from South Africa:
•Withdrawal terms do not always correspond to those indicated;
•Few account currencies, which is why some clients have to pay for double conversion;
•The choice of electronic payment systems for replenishment/ and withdrawal is rather modest;
•Registration is quite easy, but while it is in progress, you cannot learn the conditions on other types of accounts;
•Customer support is closed on weekends.
3
TD Ameritrade - Best for beginners in South Africa
TD Ameritrade (Charles Schwab) is an American broker that provides top-notch online services for trading and investing in securities on the OTC markets. The company was founded in 1975 under the name First Omaha Securities. It was reimagined as an online broker in 1998. TD Ameritrade (Charles Schwab) is a member of FINRA (CRD#: 7870/SEC#: 801-60469,8-23395 ) and SIPC and currently serves over 11 million client accounts. The broker offers simple pricing, high-tech trading platforms with professional analytics, and a wide range of markets and investment products. TD Ameritrade (Charles Schwab) was named Best Online Broker 2020 by StockBrokers.com and ranked first in the Platforms & Tools, Beginners, Education, and Customer Service categories.
👍 Advantages of trading with TD Ameritrade for traders from South Africa:
•The broker's regulators are FINRA and SIPC, which guarantee the protection of client funds and their return in the event of TD Ameritrade's (Charles Schwab) bankruptcy or other default.
•Clients have open access to the securities market, OTC, derivatives trading, and legal work with Forex instruments.
•The broker offers a vast array of investment products for generating passive income.
•The company does not charge fees for trading in American and Canadian stocks, options, and ETFs.
•There are no requirements for the size of the minimum deposit on cash accounts.
•The broker offers high-tech author's terminals that work from desktop or mobile device.
👎 Disadvantages of TD Ameritrade for traders from South Africa:
•A high entry threshold has been set for margin trading and investment in managed portfolios.
•The broker offers a limited selection of payment systems for deposits and withdrawals.
•There is no online chat on the company's website. It is available only in some versions of trading platforms.
4
Stake - Best for beginners in South Africa
Stake is a broker that has been providing trading services for U.S. securities in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil since 2017. It is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (830771) and is licensed for financial services in Australia. Stake offers its clients zero fees on trades in U.S. stocks and ETFs, a convenient and easy-to-use mobile trading app, and investment protection from the FSCS and SIPC. The trading conditions for clients from different countries are similar, but there are slight differences. In this review, the main focus is on the UK branch of Stake.
👍 Advantages of trading with Stake for traders from South Africa:
•Available minimum deposit size for medium- and long-term strategies.
•Regulation in multiple jurisdictions, including by the FCA.
•Zero trading fees on unlimited trades in stocks, ETFs, and ADRs listed on U.S. exchanges.
•Easy-to-use trading platforms.
•Ability to invest in equities.
•Lightning-fast and fully digital account opening.
•Offers one free stock to every new customer who deposits within 24 hours of account opening.
👎 Disadvantages of Stake for traders from South Africa:
•Having a GBP to USD (and vice versa) conversion fee for deposits and withdrawals.
•The list of countries whose citizens can become a client of the broker is limited. Registration is not available for U.S. residents.
•There is no online chat and telephone support is not available.
5
SogoTrade - Best for beginners in South Africa
SogoTrade is a US registered broker that has been operating since 1986. It offers a wide range of stock market assets, proprietary trading platforms with built-in analytics, and forecasting tools. The broker is a member of FINRA (CRD#: 17912/SEC#: 8-35930) and SIPC, and has offices in New York and Chesterfield (Missouri). The company's regional service center also serves customers from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In 2020, the financial portal GOBankingRates named SogoTrade as the best online broker for day trading and for novice traders.
👍 Advantages of trading with SogoTrade for traders from South Africa:
•FINRA and SIPC membership.
•A variety of investment products for generating passive income, including diversified portfolios of securities with different levels of risk and reward.
•The minimum deposit for the Cash Account starts at $0.
•A wide range of analytical tools such as stocks and options, screeners, P&L calculators, daily newsletters, third-party analyst ratings, reviews, and more.
•The existence of a proprietary platform for online options trading.
👎 Disadvantages of SogoTrade for traders from South Africa:
•The broker withholds $2.88 for market trades in stocks, as well as a commission for each contract when trading options.
•There are no cash bonuses for opening an account or making a deposit.
•The minimum investment for working with investment portfolios is $25,000.
Commissions & Fees
Brokerage fees are the amount of money that you pay for using the services that a brokerage offers in order to perform trading and manage investments. The brokerage fee structure and regulations vary from broker to broker, and there are two primary fee types which are:
Trading Fees: This type of fee is only charged when you perform a trade. It can be a conversion fee, margin rate, financing rate, spread, or commission.
Non-Trading Fees: This type of fee isn't directly related to your trading activity, and it can include inactivity fee, withdrawal fee, deposit fee, etcetera.
RoboForex Commissions and Fees
Our experts have checked this company for trading and non-trading commissions. In the trading commission category, the broker's spread was considered, and as a non-trading commission, it charges an additional fee for withdrawing funds.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Pro |
$13 |
No |
|
Pro-Cent |
$13 |
No |
|
ECN |
$3 |
No |
|
Prime |
$1 |
No |
HFM Commissions and Fees
The Traders Union experts have reviewed HFM trading conditions for trading and non-trading commissions. HFM's spread was considered as a trading commission while its withdrawal fees were considered as a non-trading commission. These trading commissions are considered as being in the category of medium spreads. With HFM, there are no hidden fees.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Zero spread |
From $0 |
No |
|
Cent |
From $12 |
No |
|
Premium |
From $12 |
No |
|
PRO |
From $5 |
No |
TD Ameritrade Commissions and Fees
Regardless of the account balance and the number of securities purchased, Ameritrade does not deduct fees from clients for trading in US stocks, domestic and Canadian ETFs, and options. Options trading is charged a fee of $0.65 per contract. Futures and options futures carry a commission of $2.25 per contract (plus exchange and regulatory fees). OTC trades that include non-US stocks are subject to a $6.95 fee. TD Ameritrade (Charles Schwab) does not charge a fee to open an account, platform provision, market data supply, inactivity, deposit, or the withdrawal of funds.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standart |
From $1.65 |
No |
Stake Commissions and Fees
Stake does not withhold commissions for trading stocks and ETFs. However, the broker does charge non-trading fees. The monthly fee for using a Stake Black account with advanced features is $9. The fee for express deposits, deposits, and withdrawals in foreign currencies (GBP converted to USD and vice versa) through partners is 0.5% of the amount, but no less than $2. If a client transfers funds in USD, not through a direct Stake partner, each transfer will cost $5. The SEC fee for dealer and stock market regulation costs $0.051 for every $10,000 (charged only on sales of securities). The TAF sales charge is $0.000119 per share with a $5.95 transaction limit. The ADR fee is $0.01-$0.03 per quarter.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard Account |
From $5.95 |
Yes |
|
Stake Black |
From $5.95 |
Yes |
|
Limited Purpose Margin Account |
From $5.95 |
Yes |
SogoTrade Commissions and Fees
The Traders Union analysts have examined the trading conditions of SogoTrade for explicit and implicit fees. Fees for shares and ETFs: for limit orders and qualified limit orders for an odd lot is $0; and for market orders and unqualified orders for odd lots, it is $2.88. Options commission: $0, contract fee - 50 cents. Brokerage commission: for stocks, ETFs and mutual funds - $25; and finally, for options - $25 + $0.5 for each contract. SogoTrade does not charge a fee for opening an account and making a deposit but withholds a fee for withdrawing funds by bank transfer and cheque by mail.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Cash Account |
From $25 |
Yes |
|
Margin Account |
From $25 |
Yes |
Summary
Many brokers are available for traders from South Africa, but not all of them offer good conditions. In this review, TU experts chose the Best otc stock brokers for beginners in South Africa 2025. These are the most trusted companies that offer the best conditions for traders. You will also be able to review the general assessment of each broker.
Overall score of the best OTC Stock Brokers For Beginners in South Africa
| RoboForex | HFM | TD Ameritrade | Stake | SogoTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall score |
9 |
7.09 |
6.79 |
4.96 |
6.37 |
|
Execution of orders |
8.95 |
9 |
7.8 |
5.84 |
7.34 |
|
Investment instruments |
4.9 |
10 |
8.4 |
6.26 |
7.76 |
|
Withdrawal speed |
8 |
8 |
8.2 |
5.9 |
7.4 |
|
Customer Support work |
9.6 |
5.42 |
8 |
6.2 |
7.7 |
|
Variety of instruments |
9.02 |
7.37 |
7.7 |
5.68 |
7.18 |
|
Trading platform |
9.2 |
8.95 |
8.5 |
6.42 |
7.92 |
|
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FAQ
Is it possible to work with offshore brokers?
It is best not to work with offshore brokers. However, if you have chosen such a company, you need to check and analyze it very thoroughly. There are offshore brokers with good reputations. Before you start working with such a company, deposit the minimum amount and start trading. Once you’ve worked with the broker for a little while and checked how it operates and how quickly it processes withdrawals, you can start depositing higher amounts.
What factors are important when you are choosing a broker?
When you are choosing a broker, it is important to make sure it is a reliable company, consider its fees, the list of trading instruments, deposit and withdrawal methods and other factors. It is important to study a broker in detail, before opening an account with it.
How much money do I need in order to start working in the financial markets?
The initial capital depends on the assets you plan to trade. However, in the majority of cases, $300-500 is a good amount for a start.
What learning instruments can a broker offer?
Brokers offer various educational options. These include full-fledged educational courses, or video tutorials, articles, and books. Companies also often hold seminars and webinars.
Best OTC Stock Brokers For Beginners by Countries
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Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.