Trading from Botswana: what is different
The pula is managed against a basket made up of the South African rand and the IMF's Special Drawing Rights, which include the dollar and the euro. A USD account still moves in pula terms with that basket.
Botswana's economy is built on diamonds, which are not traded as CFDs; gold, silver and copper are.
Botswana keeps Central Africa Time (UTC+2) all year. London opens at 10:00 in winter and 09:00 from April to October.
Forex market hours in Botswana
The forex market is open 24 hours a day from Monday to Friday, passing from Asia to Europe to North America. These are the main sessions converted to local time in Botswana.
| Session | Local time, Nov–Mar | Local time, Apr–Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo session | 02:00–11:00 | 02:00–11:00 |
| London session | 10:00–19:00 | 09:00–18:00 |
| New York session | 15:00–00:00 | 14:00–23:00 |
| London–New York overlap | 15:00–19:00 | 14:00–18:00 |
| Weekly open | Monday 00:00 | Sunday 23:00 |
| Weekly close | Saturday 00:00 | Friday 23:00 |
The busiest hours for the major pairs and gold are usually the London–New York overlap. Spreads tend to be widest around the daily rollover and in the first hour after the weekly open.
Markets to watch from Botswana
- XAU/USD (gold) — the most traded metal.
- EUR/USD — the euro is part of the basket behind the pula.
- Germany 40 (DE30) and France 40 (FR40) — trade through your working day.
- Dow Jones (US30) — from 16:30 Gaborone time in winter.
Accounts and funding
| Account | Minimum deposit | EUR/USD spread | Commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Cent | $10 (balance in USC) | From 1.4 pips | None |
| Standard | $100 | From 1.0 pips | None |
| Pro | $1,000 | From 0.6 pips | None |
| Raw ECN | $5,000 | From 0.0 pips | $7 per lot |
Accounts are held in US dollars and funded in USDT on BNB Smart Chain (BEP20) or Tron (TRC20). There is no Botswana pula conversion inside your account; any conversion happens wherever you buy or sell USDT. Identity verification is completed once, before your first withdrawal.
Regulation and your responsibility
AlphaFX Pro is an international broker and is not licensed by the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA). Our registration in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in progress. We do not provide investment advice or a local office in Botswana.
Before opening an account, make sure the law in Botswana allows you to trade CFDs with a broker based outside the country, and check any rules on moving money abroad. If you are not sure, ask us before you deposit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I trade the pula?
No BWP pairs are offered. Accounts are held in US dollars and funded in USDT.
What is the minimum deposit?
The Standard Cent account opens from $10, and Standard from $100.
What is the minimum deposit from Botswana?
The Standard Cent account opens from $10, funded in USDT, with the balance held in US cents ($10 = 1,000 USC). Standard opens from $100, Pro from $1,000 and Raw ECN from $5,000.
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. This page is general information, not investment advice. Read the Risk Disclosure.