AvaTrade review
AvaTrade is heavily regulated and has a Johannesburg office and ZAR accounts, which makes it a safe pick for South Africans. The $100 minimum, no local bank deposits and inactivity fees count against it.
#6 of 10
Score breakdown
Calculated automatically from the facts on this page. How we score.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Seven regulators incl. Ireland and Australia
- Johannesburg office, Afrikaans support
- ZAR accounts
- Options trading
Watch out for
- $100 minimum
- No local bank transfers
- Inactivity fees after 3 months
Licences — verify them yourself
| Regulator | Entity | Licence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSCA South Africa | Ava Capital Markets (Pty) Ltd | FSP 45984 | Verify on register ↗ |
| Central Bank Ireland | AVA Trade EU Ltd | See register | Verify on register ↗ |
| ASIC Australia | Ava Capital Markets Australia | See register | Verify on register ↗ |
Search the entity name or licence number on the regulator's own site. If they don't match exactly, don't deposit.
Accounts and costs
| Account | Min deposit | EUR/USD spread | Commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | $100 | From 0.9 pips | None |
| Islamic | $100 | From 0.9 pips | None |
| Professional | Eligibility test | Tighter | None |
Spread-only accounts on MT4, MT5 and AvaTradeGO, vanilla options on AvaOptions, copy trading through partners, and AvaAcademy.
Deposits and withdrawals
- Payment methods
- Visa / Mastercard · Skrill · Neteller · International wire
- Withdrawals
- 1–5 business days · no AvaTrade fees
- Deposit currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, ZAR
- African-currency accounts
- ZAR
Platforms and markets
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, WebTrader
- Execution
- Market maker
- Instruments
- 1,250+ — FX, stocks, indices, commodities, options, crypto
- Currency pairs
- 50+ currency pairs
- Copy trading
- Yes
- Islamic accounts
- Yes
Support
24/5 · chat, WhatsApp, phone · English & Afrikaans · Office in Johannesburg.
FAQ
Is AvaTrade regulated in South Africa?
Yes. Ava Capital Markets (Pty) Ltd is authorised by the FSCA (FSP 45984). Check the number yourself on the FSCA register.
Is AvaTrade regulated in Kenya?
No. AvaTrade is not on the CMA's list of licensed online forex brokers.
Is AvaTrade regulated in Nigeria?
No broker is licensed for online forex by SEC Nigeria yet. The SEC published draft rules in September 2026; until they take effect, Nigerians trade with offshore entities.
What is the minimum deposit at AvaTrade?
$100. Payment methods can set their own minimums.
Can I deposit with M-Pesa?
Not that we could confirm. Supported methods: Visa / Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, International wire.
Which platforms does AvaTrade offer?
MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, WebTrader.
How is the 7.0/10 score calculated?
From five weighted factors — regulation 30%, costs 20%, funding in Africa 20%, platforms 15%, support 15% — applied to the facts on this page. See "How we score" on our About page.
Sources: SA Shares ↗ · Last checked Oct 2026