• African traders invested 925% more through the global trading provider INFINOX last year compared to 2019
• The surge in investor demand came as volumes traded worldwide on INFINOX jumped 28% to hit $553bn in 2020
• African and Latin American investors were among the keenest to capitalise on 2020’s volatile market conditions and potential for big returns

The global trading provider INFINOX recorded a 925% surge in trading volumes among African investors in 2020, a year that saw its worldwide trading figures smash through the half trillion mark for the first time.

Latin American investors traded 15% more through INFINOX in 2020 compared to the year before, and the global platform saw total trading volumes jump by 28% to $553bn.

Headquartered in the City of London but with a presence in 15 countries, INFINOX has offices in South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. Since INFINOX successfully gained regulatory approval in South Africa and Mauritius, African investors have become some of the most active users of its mobile-friendly platform, which enables sophisticated private investors to trade a full range of asset classes, from  Forex  Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest trading market by volume. According to the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) latest survey, the Forex market now turns over in excess of $5 trillion every day, with the most exchanges occurring between the US Dollar and the Euro (EUR/USD), followed by the US Dollar and the Japanese Yen (USD/JPY), then the US Dollar and Pound Sterling (GBP/USD). Ultimately, it is the very exchanging between currencies which causes a country’s currency to fluctuate in value in relation to another currency – this is known as the exchange rate. With regards to freely floating currencies, this is determined by supply and demand, such as imports and exports, and currency traders, such as banks and hedge funds. Emphasis on Retail Trading for ForexTrading the forex market for the purpose of financial gain was once the exclusive realm of financial institutions.But thanks to the invention of the internet and advances in financial technology from the 1990’s, almost anyone can now start trading this huge market. All one needs is a computer, an internet connection, and an account with a forex broker. Of course, before one starts to trade currencies, a certain level of knowledge and practice is essential. Once can gain some practice using demonstration accounts, i.e. place trades using demo money, before moving on to some real trading after attaining confidence. The main two fields of trading are known as technical analysis and fundamental analysis. Technical analysis refers to using mathematical tools and certain patterns to help decide whether to buy or sell a currency pair, and fundamental analysis refers to gauging the national and international events which may potentially affect a country’s currency value. Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest trading market by volume. According to the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) latest survey, the Forex market now turns over in excess of $5 trillion every day, with the most exchanges occurring between the US Dollar and the Euro (EUR/USD), followed by the US Dollar and the Japanese Yen (USD/JPY), then the US Dollar and Pound Sterling (GBP/USD). Ultimately, it is the very exchanging between currencies which causes a country’s currency to fluctuate in value in relation to another currency – this is known as the exchange rate. With regards to freely floating currencies, this is determined by supply and demand, such as imports and exports, and currency traders, such as banks and hedge funds. Emphasis on Retail Trading for ForexTrading the forex market for the purpose of financial gain was once the exclusive realm of financial institutions.But thanks to the invention of the internet and advances in financial technology from the 1990’s, almost anyone can now start trading this huge market. All one needs is a computer, an internet connection, and an account with a forex broker. Of course, before one starts to trade currencies, a certain level of knowledge and practice is essential. Once can gain some practice using demonstration accounts, i.e. place trades using demo money, before moving on to some real trading after attaining confidence. The main two fields of trading are known as technical analysis and fundamental analysis. Technical analysis refers to using mathematical tools and certain patterns to help decide whether to buy or sell a currency pair, and fundamental analysis refers to gauging the national and international events which may potentially affect a country’s currency value. Read this Term to equities and commodities.

The number of active INFINOX accounts held by Africa-based investors rose by 831% in 2020 compared to 2019. The number of active investors in Latin America jumped by 158% during the same period.

The rise in new customers – and the surge in investment – came as global markets went through a prolonged period of volatility.

African investors traded more in October 2020 than in any other month of the year, as October saw the chaotic final weeks of campaigning in the US Presidential election and market sentiment balanced on a knife edge.

Last year also saw INFINOX, which was founded in 2009, evolve its offering. In 2020 the group launched IX Social, a community trading app that puts the world’s financial markets at users’ fingertips while also enabling them to share their knowledge – and the fun – of real-time trading with an international community of investors.

The brand’s international growth strategy has seen it ramp up its global headcount by more than a third (38%) and diversify into providing vital trading infrastructure to some of the world’s leading exchanges.

It has secured a major first in South America, where it has been selected by the Brasil Bolsa Balcão – the world’s third largest derivatives exchange, known as the B3 – to provide ‘market maker’ infrastructure enabling Brazilian investors to trade FX futures and S&P 500 Micro futures in their home market for the first time.

Robert Berkeley, CEO of INFINOX, said:

“African investors have quickly become a key part of INFINOX’s global growth story. Our combination of a seamless user experience, access to a full range of asset classes and the reassurance that comes from knowing we’re authorised by trusted regulators including South Africa’s FSCA, have made us the broker of choice for ambitious African traders.

“All of our platforms are intuitive and mobile-friendly, and the launch of our community trading app IX Social is now bringing the excitement and power of real-time trading to a whole new audience, both in Africa and beyond.”

About INFINOX

INFINOX Capital Ltd is a global,  Online Trading  Online Trading Online trading represents the trading of fiat currencies, digital currencies, commodities, stocks and indices, where traders and investors intend to make a profit, via the purchase or sale of the aforementioned products. This is done through an electronic network, made accessible by brokers in the form of an online trading platform or hub.Online trading continues to see a rapid growth year on year, due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the number of brokers offering their services, with more money being spent on advertisements and sponsorships to attract potential traders. Secondly, more traders are aware of the ease in applying for online accounts; the low barrier to entry now means a trader only needs to deposit virtually as little as one wants in order to places trades. Thirdly, the improvement of financial technology, better performing hardware and software, leading to quick and consistent execution, which in turn is helped by higher liquidity, and reduced trading costs such spreads and commissions, have fueled the retail trading industry immensely. How to Trade Online?Before the emergence of the Internet, traders would have to place trades over the phone, which could be rather cumbersome, especially if one wanted to place multiple trades in a short space of time. Indeed, online trading has opened a new field of trading in the form of foreign exchange scalping, whether manually, or by way of automated trading robots. An example of online trading is the trading the foreign exchange market with a forex broker, using a platform which the broker will provide. The trader installs the platform on their computer, and they are given the information and tools needed to start trading. The most common online retail platform for forex trading is known as MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Online trading represents the trading of fiat currencies, digital currencies, commodities, stocks and indices, where traders and investors intend to make a profit, via the purchase or sale of the aforementioned products. This is done through an electronic network, made accessible by brokers in the form of an online trading platform or hub.Online trading continues to see a rapid growth year on year, due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the number of brokers offering their services, with more money being spent on advertisements and sponsorships to attract potential traders. Secondly, more traders are aware of the ease in applying for online accounts; the low barrier to entry now means a trader only needs to deposit virtually as little as one wants in order to places trades. Thirdly, the improvement of financial technology, better performing hardware and software, leading to quick and consistent execution, which in turn is helped by higher liquidity, and reduced trading costs such spreads and commissions, have fueled the retail trading industry immensely. How to Trade Online?Before the emergence of the Internet, traders would have to place trades over the phone, which could be rather cumbersome, especially if one wanted to place multiple trades in a short space of time. Indeed, online trading has opened a new field of trading in the form of foreign exchange scalping, whether manually, or by way of automated trading robots. An example of online trading is the trading the foreign exchange market with a forex broker, using a platform which the broker will provide. The trader installs the platform on their computer, and they are given the information and tools needed to start trading. The most common online retail platform for forex trading is known as MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Read this Term provider based in the City of London. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, it enables clients across the UK, EU and beyond to trade a full range of asset classes, from forex to equities and commodities.

Its business is built on integrity and trust, and it offers customers access to a range of market intelligence tools as well as dynamic products, competitive trading parameters and premium, one-on-one customer service.

www.infinox.co.uk