What Time The Forex Trading Sessions Open in South Africa

The global forex market operates 24 hours a day, five days a week, but still, there are trading times where there is more volatility than others throughout the 24 hours. As a Trader knowing the exact times when different forex trading sessions open is very important.

This article covers everything you need to know about forex trading sessions, their opening and closing times in South African time (SAST), and how to use this information in your trading strategy.

Market timing helps you determine when the highest trading volumes occur, leading to increased liquidity and tighter spreads.

Understanding these timings allows traders to:

• Identify optimal trading hours.
• Avoid periods of low liquidity.
• Align their strategies with market conditions.

Forex trading is a global market where currencies are bought and sold, enabling international trade and investment. The forex market operates in different time zones, which means the market is always open somewhere in the world.

For South African traders, understanding when these sessions open and close can help them take advantage of market trends and volatility.

There are four major forex trading sessions, the New York Session, the London Session, the Tokyo Session, and the Sydney Session. Each session is named after an important financial center and reflects the market activities of its region

The Sydney session represents the start of the global trading day and focuses on the Australian and Pacific markets. This session is important for trading currencies like the Australian dollar (AUD) and New Zealand dollar (NZD).

Sydney Key Characteristics

• The Sydney session is less volatile compared to others, making it a good starting point for beginners.
• Price movements tend to be steady rather than dramatic.
• Trading volumes are lower, leading to wider spreads.

Sydney Session Local Open and Close Times

• Opens: 7:00 AM local time in Sydney, Australia.
• Closes: 4:00 PM local time in Sydney, Australia.

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The Tokyo session represents the Asian markets, with a particular emphasis on the Japanese yen (JPY). It’s also a time when major Asian economies like China, Singapore, and Hong Kong contribute to trading activity.

Tokyo Key Characteristics

• The Tokyo session is more volatile than the Sydney session, especially for yen-related pairs.
• Best for Yen Pairs like USD/JPY and EUR/JPY are actively traded due to Japan’s significant economic influence.
• Economic news from Asia can drive market movements during this session.

Tokyo Session Local Open and Close Times

• Opens: 9:00 AM local time in Tokyo, Japan.
• Closes: 6:00 PM local time in Tokyo, Japan.

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The London session is the most active forex trading period, representing the European markets. It includes trading centers like London, Frankfurt, and Zurich, and it significantly overlaps with other sessions.

London Key Characteristics:

• The London session has the highest liquidity due to the presence of large financial institutions.
• This session sees significant market movements, especially in pairs like EUR/USD and GBP/USD.
• The overlap with the New York session creates the most volatile trading hours.

London Session Local Open and Close Times:

• Opens: 8:00 AM local time in London, UK.
• Closes: 5:00 PM local time in London, UK.

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The New York session represents the North American markets. It is one of the most volatile sessions in all 4 sessions, especially during its overlap with the London session.

New York Key Characteristics:

• News releases and economic data from the United States drive most market movements.
• The US dollar (USD) is the most traded currency globally, making this session very important.
• The overlap with the London session creates the busiest trading hours.

New York Local Open and Close Times:

• Opens: 8:00 AM local time in New York, USA.
• Closes: 5:00 PM local time in New York, USA.

South African Time (SAST) aligns with GMT+2 and they don’t experience daytime saving, that’s why it becomes confusing to understand what time the New York Session and the London Session open in South African time.

In summer the time will be different and in winter the time will be different this is due to daytime saving.

Here’s when each session opens and closes:

	Timing🕒	Local Time (New York)🌏	SAST – Summer (Apr-Sep)🌞	SAST – Winter (Apr-Sep)❄️
	Opens	8:00 AM	3:00 PM	2:00 PM
	Closes	5:00 PM	12:00 AM	11:00 PM

	Timing🕒	Local Time (New York)🌏	SAST – Summer (Apr-Sep)🌞	SAST – Winter (Apr-Sep)❄️
	Opens	8:00 AM	10:00 AM	9:00 AM
	Closes	5:00 PM	7:00 PM	6:00 PM

	Timing🕒	Local Time (New York)🌏	SAST – Summer (Apr-Sep)🌞	SAST – Winter (Apr-Sep)❄️
	Opens	7:00 AM	11:00 PM	10:00 PM
	Closes	4:00 PM	8:00 AM	7:00 AM

	Timing🕒	Local Time (New York)🌏	SAST – Summer (Apr-Sep)🌞	SAST – Winter (Apr-Sep)❄️
	Opens	9:00 AM	2:00 AM	2:00 AM
	Closes	6:00 PM	11:00 AM	11:00 AM

Tokyo does not observe daylight saving time, so its session timings in South African Standard Time (SAST) should remain consistent throughout the year

Session overlaps like Londo and New York are the best times to trade because they offer the highest liquidity and volatility.

Here are the two main overlaps to focus on:

London and New York Overlap:

• Timing: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Winter) or 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM SAST (Summer)
• Why It’s Important:
  This overlap occurs when the two largest trading sessions are active at the same time. The combined liquidity of the London and New York sessions leads to fast-moving markets and significant price movements.
• Best Pairs to Trade:
  Major pairs like EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY are particularly active during this time, offering tight spreads and plenty of trading opportunities.

Since South Africa does not observe daylight saving time, when comparing time with other regions, like Australia, Europe, and the United States, the time will always change depending on the current season.

To avoid confusion you have to use a Forex sessions time converter that will automatically adjust for these changes, ensuring you always know the right time, when sessions open and close.

Here are the top 2 simple Forex Time Converter Tools:

1. Best Forex Time Converter
2. Alternative Forex Time Converter

By aligning your strategies with session timings, you can take advantage of market volatility, liquidity, and trading conditions. Use deguru Forex Session Time Convert to easily determine your local time for a particular session opening.

Although Session Timing is important, you still need to Backtest and see which session is the best for your strategy. Using tools like FxReply will help you with backtesting to find your high-performing trading Session