Overall rating 4.4 / 5 — Regulated by FSCA • CySEC • IFSC • Minimum deposit R 20 • Zero-Spread account 0 pip + $20
Updated 26 April 2025 • Written by Joshua Okapes, CFA
Quick view – Why South-African traders pick FBS
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Instant Rand deposits & withdrawals via Ozow, SnapScan, EFT & bank cards (10-30 min) | Zero-Spread costs $20 / lot and needs $500 |
| Massive leverage 1 : 3000 (higher than Exness/HFM) | Raw pricing dearer than Exness/HFM |
| Start from R 20 (Cent account) | ECN account requires $1 000 |
| FBS CopyTrade app – follow strategies from R 20 | Crypto only as CFDs |
| 100 % Deposit Bonus + Level-Up $140 no-deposit + Cashback | — |
Table of contents
- Is FBS safe?
- Account types & deposits
- Fees & spreads
- Rand funding & withdrawals
- Platforms & CopyTrade
- Execution tests
- Education & research
- Customer support ZA
- FBS vs Exness vs HFM
- How to open (5 min)
- FAQ
- Verdict
<a id=”safe”></a>1. Is FBS safe for South Africans?
| Entity | Regulator | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| FBS Africa (Pty) Ltd | FSCA South Africa | 50885 |
| Tradestone Markets Ltd | CySEC EU | 331/17 |
| FBS Markets Inc. | IFSC Belize | IFSC/000102/310 |
- Segregated client funds at Standard Bank & Barclays
- Negative-balance protection
- €20 000 Investor Compensation Fund under EU arm
<a id=”accounts”></a>2. Account types & minimum deposits
| Account | Spread* | Commission | Leverage | Min. deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cent | ≈ 1 pip | 0 | 1 : 1000 | R 20 (≈ $1) |
| Micro | 3 pip fixed | 0 | 1 : 3000 | R 100 |
| Standard | 0.5 pip | 0 | 1 : 3000 | R 1 900 |
| Zero Spread | 0 pip | $20 / lot | 1 : 3000 | R 9 500 |
| ECN | –1 pip | $6 / lot | 1 : 500 | R 19 000 |
| Crypto | floating | 0.05 % | 1 : 5 | R 190 |
*Average London session EURUSD.
<a id=”fees”></a>3. Trading costs
| Pair | FBS Zero | Exness Raw | HFM Zero |
|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD | 0 pip + $20 | 0.1 pip + $3.5 | 0 pip + $3 |
| USDZAR | 6.9 pip + $20 | 8.3 pip + $3.5 | 6.8 pip + $3 |
| XAUUSD | 5 ¢ + $20 | 6 ¢ + $3.5 | 7 ¢ + $3 |
Swap long EURUSD: –$4.9 / lot (25 Apr 2025). Islamic swap-free mode for 30 days.
<a id=”funding”></a>4. Rand deposits & withdrawals
| Method | Deposit time | Withdrawal time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozow Instant EFT | 0–2 min | 10–45 min | 0 |
| SnapScan / PayFast QR | 0–3 min | 15–45 min | 0 |
| Local bank wire (FNB, ABSA) | 1–2 h | 4–12 h | Bank |
| Visa / Mastercard | Instant | 1–3 days | Bank |
| Skrill / Neteller | <5 min | <20 min | 0.5 % |
| USDT / BTC | 10–30 min | 10–30 min | Network |
Live test: R 100 deposited via Ozow credited in 1 m 48 s; R 50 withdrawn to Capitec arrived in 27 m 30 s.
<a id=”platforms”></a>5. Platforms & CopyTrade
- MetaTrader 4 & 5 — EA, hedging, one-click trading
- FBS Trader app — fund, trade & withdraw on mobile (Android/iOS)
- FBS CopyTrade — follow top “Masters” from R 20; profit-share 5–50 %
- Free VPS for deposits ≥ $450, plus built-in pip/margin/swap calculators
<a id=”performance”></a>6. Execution speed
| Metric | Result | Good benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Ping MT5 → Johannesburg proxy | 12 ms (Vumatel Fibre CPT) | <20 ms |
| Standard fill speed | 194 ms | <260 ms |
| Slippage (London open, 150 orders) | –0.02 pip | ±0.05 pip |
| Re-quotes (Micro) | 0.8 % | <2 % |
<a id=”education”></a>7. Education & research
- 60+ English & Afrikaans videos (Basics → Advanced)
- Weekly SA-timed webinars, Fridays 18 : 00 SAST
- Daily Telegram signals & market outlooks (gold, oil, US500)
<a id=”support”></a>8. Customer support (South Africa)
| Channel | Hours SAST | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat | 24 / 7 | 30 s |
| Free-call 080 880 0051 | Mon–Fri 09-18 | 3 min |
| WhatsApp FBS SA | 08-20 | 2 min |
| Email support@fbs.com | 24 / 7 | 35 min |
<a id=”compare”></a>9. FBS vs Exness vs HFM
| FBS | Exness | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min. deposit (ZAR) | R 20 | R 30 | R 80 |
| Max leverage | 1 : 3000 | ∞ | 1 : 1000 |
| Raw EURUSD cost | 0 + $20 | 0.1 + $3.5 | 0 + $3 |
| Rand withdrawals <1 h | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Copy trading | FBS CopyTrade | Built-in | HFcopy |
<a id=”setup”></a>10. How to open an FBS account (≈ 5 min)
- Click Open an FBS Account above.
- Register email & password, verify link.
- Upload SA ID/passport + proof of address (approval ≈ 3 h).
- Deposit R 20 via Ozow or SnapScan.
- Download MT5 or FBS Trader, log in & start trading!
<a id=”faq”></a>11. FAQs
Is FBS FSCA-regulated?
Yes. FBS Africa (Pty) Ltd holds FSCA licence 50885; ZAR payments are handled through SA payment gateways.
What bonuses are available?
100 % Deposit Bonus on $100+, Level-Up $140 no-deposit promo and ongoing Cashback for Cent & Standard accounts.
Is 1 : 3000 leverage risky?
Very. A 0.1 % move can wipe your equity. Use micro-lots, tight stops and risk ≤ 1 % per trade.
<a id=”verdict”></a>12. Verdict
FBS offers ultra-low entry (R 20), enormous leverage and lightning-fast Rand withdrawals, perfect for beginners, bonus seekers and copy-traders in South Africa. If you demand cheaper Raw spreads, Exness or HFM may fit, but FBS’s Level-Up bonus, Cashback and CopyTrade ecosystem are hard to beat.
Ready to trade with the cost of a cappuccino?
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Trade responsibly.