Gold (XAUUSD) trades at SuperFin from Monday 01:05 to Friday 23:55 South African time, with a one-hour break every night from 23:59 to 01:01. That is the schedule in winter, and it also applies in Zambia, which uses the same UTC+2 clock. In Kenya and Tanzania, add one hour.
This guide gives the opening and closing times, the daily break, the hours when gold usually moves most, how the schedule shifts when the United States changes its clocks, and what to check before you trade.
SuperFin gold trading hours in South African time
The SuperFin MT5 server runs on UTC+2. South Africa uses South African Standard Time (SAST), which is also UTC+2 all year, so server time and South African time are the same clock at the moment. Zambia uses Central Africa Time (CAT), also UTC+2.
XAUUSD hours on the SuperFin MT5 specification, checked on 6 November 2026:
Monday (Quotes: 01:00 to 24:00; Trading (SAST / CAT, UTC+2): 01:05 to 23:59)
Tuesday to Thursday (Quotes: 01:00 to 24:00; Trading (SAST / CAT, UTC+2): 01:01 to 23:59)
Friday (Quotes: 01:00 to 23:55; Trading (SAST / CAT, UTC+2): 01:01 to 23:55)
Saturday and Sunday (Quotes: Closed; Trading (SAST / CAT, UTC+2): Closed)
In practice, the market opens on Monday at 01:05 and stops taking trades on Friday at 23:55. From Monday to Thursday there is a break between 23:59 and 01:01 each night. You cannot open or close trades in that window, and quotes pause.
Gold trading hours in Kenya and Tanzania
Kenya and Tanzania use East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+3), one hour ahead of South Africa. Add one hour to every time above:
Monday (Trading (EAT, UTC+3): 02:05 to 00:59 (Tuesday))
Tuesday to Thursday (Trading (EAT, UTC+3): 02:01 to 00:59 (next day))
Friday (Trading (EAT, UTC+3): 02:01 to 00:55 (Saturday morning))
The daily break falls between 00:59 and 02:01 EAT. The week ends at 00:55 on Saturday morning in Kenya, not on Friday night.
Why the break is at midnight server time
The daily pause lines up with the break in US gold futures trading at CME Group, which stops for an hour each weekday in the New York afternoon. While the United States is on standard time, 17:00 in New York is midnight on the SuperFin server. This is our reading of the schedule rather than a stated rule, so rely on the Specification window of your platform for the exact times.
Spreads are often wider around the daily break and just after the weekly open, because fewer orders are waiting in the market. Many traders avoid opening new positions in those minutes.
When does gold move most? Sessions in South African time
Gold trades on weekdays nearly around the clock, but activity is uneven. The table shows approximate session windows in SAST while the United States is on standard time (early November to mid-March). Sources define session hours a little differently, so treat these as guides.
01:00 to about 10:00 (What is happening: Asian session; What to expect: Often calmer, with smaller moves)
About 10:00 to 15:00 (What is happening: London open, Europe trading; What to expect: Liquidity builds and direction can become clearer)
15:00 to about 18:30 (What is happening: London and New York both open; What to expect: Liquidity is usually highest here)
15:30 (What is happening: Most major US data (8:30 New York time); What to expect: Sharp moves are common within minutes)
21:00 (What is happening: Fed rate decisions (14:00 New York time); What to expect: Fast moves, slippage possible)
Gold reacts to US data and to the US dollar, so the afternoon and evening in South Africa tend to be the busiest part of the day. A quiet session carries a different risk: thin liquidity can still produce sudden jumps on unexpected news.
Key release times in SAST
US jobs report (NFP) and most US data (New York time: 8:30; SAST while US is on standard time: 15:30; SAST while US is on daylight saving: 14:30)
Fed rate decision (FOMC statement) (New York time: 14:00; SAST while US is on standard time: 21:00; SAST while US is on daylight saving: 20:00)
For the exact date and time of each release, use the SuperFin economic calendar. The schedule for the jobs report is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (source: BLS release schedule). A full explanation for South African and Kenyan time is in NFP release time in South Africa and Kenya.
The LBMA Gold Price, a reference price used widely in the gold market, is set twice each London business day, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time (source: LBMA). In SAST that is 12:30 and 17:00 while London is on GMT, and one hour earlier while London is on British Summer Time.
What changes when clocks change in the US and UK
South Africa, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania do not use daylight saving time. The United States and the United Kingdom do, so the gap between your clock and the markets moves twice a year.
US daylight saving ends on 1 November 2026 and starts again on 14 March 2027. While the US is on daylight saving, US data and the New York session happen one hour earlier on your clock.
The UK changes its clocks on different dates from the US, so for a couple of weeks in March and again in autumn the London and New York offsets do not move together. Check the calendar in those weeks.
The SuperFin server clock. SuperFin's server runs on UTC+2 in winter. If it follows the usual pattern for MT5 servers and moves to UTC+3 in the northern summer, the market hours above would shift one hour earlier on South African clocks (the Monday open would fall at 00:05 SAST and the daily break at 23:59 to 01:01 server time would move to 22:59 to 00:01 SAST). SuperFin has not confirmed this, so we will recheck the schedule when the US clocks change in March 2027. Until then, read the hours from the Specification window.
Public holidays and shortened hours
Hours can be shortened or changed around US and UK public holidays, for example Thanksgiving (26 November 2026) and Christmas. South African public holidays do not change gold hours, because the market follows international trading centres. Check the platform specification and the SuperFin announcements before a holiday week.
Checklist before you trade gold in South Africa or Zambia
Check the clock. Compare the time on MT5 (server time) with your phone. In winter they should show the same time in South Africa and Zambia, and one hour apart for Kenya and Tanzania.
Read the Specification. Right-click XAUUSD in Market Watch and choose Specification to see the current trading sessions.
Look at the calendar. Note any US data or Fed decision in your trading window on the economic calendar.
Know the leverage rule. From 3 minutes before to 3 minutes after major news, SuperFin limits leverage to 1:200 on the affected products. See the applicable leverage policy. Margin per trade goes up when that cap applies.
Plan the exit. Set a stop loss, and remember it can fill at a worse price after a gap or around news.
New to gold? Start with What is XAUUSD? for lot size, margin and how to calculate profit and loss.
Frequently asked questions
Is the gold market open on Saturday and Sunday?
No. At SuperFin, XAUUSD is closed on both days. It opens on Monday at 01:05 SAST.
What time does gold open in South Africa?
At 01:05 SAST on Monday, and at 01:01 SAST from Tuesday to Friday after the daily break.
What time does gold close on Friday?
At 23:55 SAST. Kenya and Tanzania see the close at 00:55 on Saturday morning.
Is there a gold trading break every day?
Yes. From Monday to Thursday, trading pauses between 23:59 and 01:01 SAST.
Do the hours change in summer?
They may. South Africa has no daylight saving, but the market follows US and UK clocks. SuperFin has not confirmed whether the server will move to UTC+3, so check the Specification after the US clocks change on 14 March 2027.
Is the best time to trade gold the London and New York overlap?
That window usually has the most liquidity, which tends to mean tighter spreads. It also includes major US data, so price can move fast in both directions. No time of day is risk free.
Summary
At SuperFin, XAUUSD trades from Monday 01:05 to Friday 23:55 SAST, with a daily break from 23:59 to 01:01. Zambia shares these times, and Kenya and Tanzania add one hour.
Gold is usually busiest from about 15:00 to 18:30 SAST, with US data at 15:30 in winter.
The US and UK change clocks, South Africa does not, so event times on your clock move by an hour twice a year.
Confirm the hours in the MT5 Specification window before you trade, especially around holidays and clock changes.
Risk warning: Trading gold CFDs (XAUUSD) involves leverage and a high level of risk, and you can lose all the money you deposit. Times in this article are for general information and can change. This article is for education only and is not investment advice. Legal information about SuperFin: see About us.
Author: Thabo Nkosi · Reviewer: James Ptaszek · Updated 11 November 2026. Trading hours checked on SuperFin MT5 on 6 November 2026.
