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Gold market: live price, trading hours and what moves XAU/USD

The gold price is set by global dollar demand, real yields and central-bank buying, and it trades almost around the clock. Here is how the quote works, when liquidity is deepest for South Africa, and which drivers actually move the metal.

xau/usd · one bar, one hourTARGETENTRYSTOP
What the market page tracks: one bar an hour, and the levels a plan is built from.

Live gold price (XAU/USD)

The live gold price shows what one troy ounce costs in US dollars right now, refreshed as the market moves. Use it as a planning reference; your broker's executable price will differ by the spread.

Gold trading hours for South African traders

Gold trades 24 hours a day, five days a week, from the Monday Asia open to the Friday New York close. The hours that matter most for a South African are the overlap of London and New York, which falls in the local afternoon and evening.

What moves the gold price (XAU/USD)

Gold is driven by the US dollar, real interest rates, inflation expectations, central-bank buying and safe-haven demand. These forces interact, and a South African trader needs to watch all of them through the lens of USD/ZAR as well.

Ready to trade XAU/USD

Plan the gold trade before you place it

FxPro gives South African traders MT4, MT5, cTrader and FxPro Edge for gold, with funding by local card, bank transfer in ZAR or e-wallet. Use the calculators first, then trade the plan rather than the price.

Trade gold with FxPro →
FAQ

Common questions

What actually moves the XAU/USD price from day to day?

Gold responds mainly to the US dollar, real interest rates and demand for defensive assets. A stronger dollar usually presses the price down; falling real yields and risk aversion tend to support it. Central-bank buying and physical demand add a slower backdrop. None of these is a signal on its own, and gold can move against the obvious story.

Why is gold quoted in dollars when I am trading from South Africa?

XAU/USD is the global benchmark, priced in US dollars per ounce, so the quote is the same everywhere. Your rand result depends on two things: the dollar price and the USD/ZAR rate. A flat gold price can still produce a rand profit or loss if the rand moves while your position is open.

How much is one pip worth on a standard lot of gold?

One pip in XAU/USD is 0.01, and one standard lot is 100 oz, so a single pip is worth $1.00 per standard lot. Scale that by your size: 0.10 lots gives $0.10 per pip. In rand, multiply by the USD/ZAR rate at the time. The pip value calculator does this for any lot size.

Is gold trading suitable for a small South African account?

It can be, if the position is sized to the account rather than to the leverage cap. Gold's price swings are large in dollar terms, so a small account with an oversized lot can lose a large share of its balance quickly. Use the position size and margin calculators before entering, and accept that losses are part of the process.

Where can I see the current gold price on this site?

The live price page carries the XAU/USD reference quote, with the current figure around 4275.0 as our reference point. It is there for context and calculation, not as a tradeable quote. Your broker's own bid and ask will differ slightly, and that difference matters when you place an order.