ZAforexHow to use the economic calendar
Each event shows the time (in SAST), the importance, the previous value, the market forecast (consensus) and the actual figure when it is released. Prices move on the surprise: the gap between actual and forecast. A strong US jobs number that was fully expected may barely move EUR/USD; a big miss can move it 100 pips in minutes.
High-impact events every forex trader watches
| Event | Usually released | Time (SAST) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) | First Friday of the month (usually) | 14:30 (15:30 US winter) | Biggest monthly mover for USD, gold and indices |
| US CPI inflation | Mid-month | 14:30 (15:30) | Drives Fed rate expectations |
| FOMC rate decision | 8 times a year | 20:00 (21:00) | Sets US interest rates |
| ECB rate decision | 8 times a year | 14:15 (15:15) | Moves EUR pairs |
| Bank of England decision | 8 times a year | 13:00 (14:00) | Moves GBP pairs |
| SARB MPC decision | 6 times a year | About 15:00 | Moves USD/ZAR and SA bonds |
| SA CPI (Stats SA) | Monthly, usually a Wednesday | 10:00 | Drives SARB expectations |
| US GDP, retail sales, PMI | Monthly/quarterly | 14:30 / 15:45 / 16:00 | Growth signals |
Trading the news safely
- Spreads widen sharply in the minutes around big releases, and slippage on stop orders is common.
- Many traders close or reduce positions before NFP, CPI and FOMC.
- If you trade the release, use a smaller position and a pre-defined stop; work it out with the lot size calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is a forex economic calendar?
A schedule of economic data releases and central-bank events, with forecasts and results, used by traders to anticipate volatility.
Is this like the Forex Factory or Investing.com calendar?
It covers the same scheduled events, shown in South African time, using TradingView's free calendar data.
What is high-impact news in forex?
Releases that usually move markets strongly, such as NFP, CPI, central-bank rate decisions and GDP.