Trading responsibly

Contracts for difference are not shares. When you trade them, you post a margin and gain exposure to a much larger notional position. That leverage cuts both ways: it can amplify gains, but it magnifies losses just as quickly, and a fast move against you may cost more than the cash you set aside. Your obligation can exceed your deposit, so never commit funds you need for anything else.

Know the downside before the upside

Every CFD position carries the risk of losing the entire margin and, in adverse conditions, a sum beyond it. Treat that possibility as normal rather than remote, and size each trade so that such an outcome would not disrupt your finances.

Two companion pages: How to buy stocks on the JSE, step by step and JSE trading hours and market holidays.

Controls that keep risk visible

• Decide in advance the most you are willing to lose on a position, and close it at that point.
• Use stop orders and, where offered, guaranteed stops, and check how they behave during gaps.
• Keep margin comfortably above the minimum so a brief spike does not force a close.
• Review open exposure regularly rather than leaving positions unwatched.

No outcome is promised here, and nothing on this page suggests that trading will be profitable. Shares listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange are ownership stakes; they are not CFDs, and this site simply organises index and code information about them. If CFD trading is affecting you, the financial regulator's consumer service can direct you to appropriate support, and the broker you use should also publish its own risk disclosures and complaint channels.