Best Synthetic Indices Brokers in South Africa

Are you looking for the best synthetic indices brokers in South Africa? Welcome! In this blog post, I’m going to show you exactly that.

Synthetic indices trading is becoming very popular in South Africa. Many South African traders are switching to synthetic indices because of the unique advantages they offer compared to traditional currency pairs.

For instance, the synthetic indices market is available 24/7, meaning you can even trade on weekends. This is especially beneficial for South Africans who work a 9–5 job, as it gives them the flexibility to trade when they are off work.

Additionally, the synthetic indices market is not affected by fundamental factors such as news events or global economic activities. This means you don’t need deep knowledge of fundamental analysis to trade synthetic indices. With solid technical analysis skills and proper risk management, you can trade synthetic indices profitably.

Synthetic indices are proprietary trading instruments, and only a few brokers offer them to South African traders. This is different from currency pairs, which are available across almost all forex brokers in South Africa.

In this blog post, I will introduce you to the best synthetic indices brokers in South Africa and show you how you can start trading with them.

Let’s get started.

Best Synthetic Indices Brokers In South Africa

There are only a few brokers that offer synthetic indices trading in South Africa. Deriv and Weltrade stand out as the best synthetic indices brokers in South Africa. Each of these brokers provides its own proprietary synthetic indices instruments designed to simulate real market conditions using advanced algorithms.

Below is a detailed overview of these top synthetic indices brokers in South Africa and the types of synthetic indices you can trade with each platform.

1. Deriv

 

Deriv is the number one synthetic indices broker in South Africa. The company was originally founded in 1999 as BetOnMarkets.com, later rebranded to Binary.com in 2013, and finally rebranded to Deriv.com in 2020 as part of its effort to expand its market offering.

Over the years, Deriv has built a strong reputation for reliability, with no history of scams or platform breaches. This shows that your investment is safe with the platform, as Deriv is known for its high level of security and transparency.

Deriv pioneered the concept of synthetic indices—a type of market driven by a written algorithm designed to mimic real-world market movements. In addition to synthetic indices, Deriv also offers forex pairs, stocks, and commodities, meaning you can trade almost any type of instrument on their platform.

Deriv is a highly transparent broker and is regulated by multiple reputable financial authorities, including:

• Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)

• Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA) in Malaysia

• Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC)

• British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission (BVI FSC)

Synthetic Indices Offered by Deriv

Deriv offers the widest range of synthetic indices in the world. These markets are available 24/7 and are designed to simulate real-world market volatility. The main categories include

1. Volatility Indices

These move based on fixed volatility levels such as

• Volatility 10 Index

• Volatility 25 Index

• Volatility 50 Index

• Volatility 75 Index

• Volatility 100 Index

Deriv also offers Volatility Indices (1s), which move faster and allow shorter-timeframe trading.

2. Crash & Boom Indices

Well-known for their sudden spikes:

• Crash 300, 500, 1000

• Boom 300, 500, 1000

Crash indices produce sudden bearish spikes, while Boom indices produce bullish spikes.

3. Jump Indices

These simulate price jumps with equal probability of up or down movement:

• Jump 10 Index

• Jump 25 Index

• Jump 50 Index

• Jump 75 Index

• Jump 100 Index

4. Range Break Indices

Markets designed around breakout volatility:

• Range Break 100 Index

• Range Break 200 Index

5. Step Index

A unique synthetic market that moves in fixed increments of 0.1 steps.

These instruments make Deriv the leading provider of synthetic indices worldwide.

Trading Platforms Offered by Deriv

Deriv provides multiple trading platforms suitable for all types of traders:

1. Deriv MT5 (DMT5)

A powerful version of MetaTrader 5 customized for Deriv.

• Supports forex, synthetic indices, stocks, and CFDs

• Ideal for technical analysis and automated trading (EAs)

2. Deriv Trader

A simple, web-based platform for trading synthetic indices and forex with ease.

3. Deriv GO

A mobile trading app for trading synthetic indices and forex on the go.

4. Deriv Bot

An automated trading platform for creating and running trading bots without coding. These options ensure that both beginners and advanced traders can trade comfortably.

Minimum Deposit on Deriv

Deriv has one of the lowest minimum deposits in the industry:

• Minimum deposit: $5 (depending on payment method)

Some methods, like bank transfers or certain e-wallets, may require slightly higher minimums.

Spreads and Trading Conditions

• Spread: Very competitive, starting from 0.5 pips on major pairs and tight spreads on synthetic indices

• Leverage: Up to 1:1000 depending on the instrument and regulatory entity

• Order Execution: Fast and stable, with no requotes on synthetic indices

• 24/7 Trading: Especially for synthetic indices

Deriv is designed to provide smooth, uninterrupted trading even during high-volatility periods.

Payment Methods Available on Deriv

Deriv supports multiple deposit and withdrawal methods in South Africa, including:

• Bank Transfer

• Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard)

• E-wallets (Skrill, Neteller, Perfect Money, WebMoney)

• Cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT)

• Deriv P2P (local peer-to-peer payment system)

Withdrawals are typically fast, with most methods processed within 24 hours.

2. Weltrade

Weltrade was founded in 2006 and has grown into a well-known global broker offering forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies, and synthetic indices. Over the years, the broker has built a solid track record for reliability, transparency, and fast trade execution. This makes it a strong alternative for South African traders who want to trade synthetic indices outside Deriv.

Weltrade also offers a dedicated SyntX Account, which gives traders access to its proprietary synthetic markets.

Synthetic Indices (SyntX) offered by Weltrade

Weltrade’s synthetic markets operate under the brand name SyntX. These instruments simulate different market behaviors using algorithmic price movement. Some of the major SyntX categories include:

1. FX Vol

Synthetic markets that simulate forex-style volatility with fixed volatility conditions.

2. SFX Vol

Markets designed to mimic the high-volatility spikes seen during major news events.

3. PainX & GainX

These are synthetic markets where prices move smoothly but with occasional sharp upward or downward jumps.

4. FlipX

A “50/50 probability” synthetic instrument where each tick has an equal chance of going up or down, available in different step sizes.

5. SwitchX

A market that alternates between PainX and GainX behavior depending on previous price behavior.

6. BreakX

A synthetic index that focuses on breakout-style movements after key levels are breached.

7. TrendX

A volatility-based synthetic market that attempts to follow trend behavior based on recent price jumps.

These SyntX instruments give South African traders a variety of synthetic markets to choose from, each with its own style of volatility and movement.

Trading Platforms & Account Types on Weltrade

Weltrade supports versatile trading platforms and account options suitable for beginners and advanced traders:

Supported Trading Platforms

• MetaTrader 5 (MT5)—including a dedicated SyntX account for synthetic indices

• MetaTrader 4 (MT4)—available for forex and other traditional markets

Available Account Types

• Micro Account

• Premium Account

• Pro Account

• SyntX Account (for synthetic indices trading)

The SyntX Account is the most popular among synthetic-indices traders because it is optimized for fast execution and low minimum capital.

Minimum Deposit, Leverage & Trading Conditions on Weltrade

Minimum Deposit

• The minimum deposit for a SyntX account is $1, making it one of the lowest in the industry.

Leverage

• Traders can use leverage of up to 1:10,000, depending on account type and instrument.

Spreads & Execution

• Floating spreads on synthetic indices

• Zero commissions on SyntX accounts

• Fast execution with minimal slippage

• Minimum trade size starting at 0.01 lot

Payment Methods Available on Weltrade

Weltrade supports a wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods commonly used in South Africa, including:

• Local bank transfers

• Debit/Credit cards

• E-wallets (Skrill, Neteller, Perfect Money, etc.)

• Mobile money options

• Cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals

Transactions are typically processed quickly, and withdrawals are known to be reliable.

What is the Best Synthetic Indices Broker in South Africa?

Deriv is widely regarded as the best synthetic indices broker in South Africa. The broker stands out for its flexible payment options, allowing South African traders to deposit and withdraw funds easily using local payment methods.

Deriv also offers low minimum deposits and tight spreads, making it accessible even to traders with small trading capital. With over 25 years of industry experience, Deriv is a well-regulated and trusted broker that provides South Africans access to trade synthetic indices and forex pairs as CFDs on both the MT5 and Deriv X platforms.

Which Broker Offers Synthetic Indices in South Africa?

There are two major brokers that offer synthetic indices to clients in South Africa; they include Deriv and Weltrade. Among the two, Deriv is the most popular choice. Deriv will allow you to trade synthetic indices instruments like volatility indices, step indices, boom and crash, and range break indices.