Airtel Money
A widely used mobile-money payment solution in Central Africa. An accepted deposit method with our partner broker to fund your trading account.
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Forex glossary
The essential terms for understanding trading, explained simply.
A
B
Broker
An online brokerage that gives access to the financial markets. A required intermediary to trade Forex, it provides the platform and executes your orders.
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Candlestick
A graphical representation of one trading period. Each candle holds 4 pieces of information: open, close, high and low.
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The alignment of several technical signals in the same direction (e.g. MA + RSI + MACD). The basis of a solid trade: never a single indicator.
Learn more in the lessonCurrency pair
A pairing of two currencies traded against each other (e.g. EUR/USD). The first is the base currency, the second the quote currency.
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Demo account
A trading account loaded with virtual money to practice risk-free. Practice for at least 2 weeks before using any real money.
Learn more in the lessonDivergence
A mismatch between the direction of price and that of an indicator (often the RSI). A powerful signal of a potential reversal.
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A candle with a very short body and long wicks, where the open is nearly equal to the close. A signal of market indecision.
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A series of lower highs and lower lows. The price is falling overall. You look for selling opportunities, never buying.
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Economic calendar
A list of upcoming economic releases (rates, employment, inflation) with their estimated impact. An essential tool for avoiding extreme volatility.
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Exponential Moving Average: a variant of the MA that weights recent prices more heavily. The basis of the MACD calculation (EMA12, EMA26, EMA9).
Learn more in the lessonEUR/USD
The price of the euro expressed in US dollars. The most traded pair in the world and the global reference for learning the technical basics.
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Forex
Short for Foreign Exchange Market: the global currency-trading market. Over 7.5 trillion USD traded per day, open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.
Learn more in the lessonFundamental analysis
The study of the economic, political and social factors that drive currency values (rates, inflation, crises). It answers the ’why’ behind price moves.
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Hammer
A candle with a short body at the top and a long lower wick. A signal of a possible bullish reversal at the bottom of a downtrend.
Learn more in the lessonHedging
Using Forex to protect against currency fluctuations. A common practice among importing/exporting companies.
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Inflation (CPI)
A general rise in prices measured by the CPI index. A strong influence on central-bank rate decisions and on gold (a safe haven).
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KYC
Know Your Customer: the mandatory identity-verification process at any regulated broker. ID + proof of address, validated within 24-48 hours.
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Leverage
A multiplier provided by the broker that lets you trade a position larger than your capital (e.g. 1:100 = 100 USD controls 10,000 USD). It amplifies gains AND losses.
Liquidity
The trading volume on a pair. The more liquid a pair (EUR/USD, XAU/USD), the tighter the spread and the faster the execution.
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The unit of position size in Forex. 1 standard lot = 100,000 units of the base currency. Beginner traders use micro-lots (0.01).
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MACD
Moving Average Convergence Divergence. A momentum indicator based on two EMAs. A bullish crossover (MACD above the Signal line) suggests a buy.
Learn more in the lessonMetaTrader (MT4/MT5)
The most widely used trading platforms in the world, available on mobile and desktop. Offered by our partner broker to execute your trades.
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A position size of 0.01 lot. Ideal for starting with small capital: losses stay minimal during the learning phase.
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The average price over N periods (MA20, MA50, MA200). It smooths fluctuations and reveals the trend. The MA50 is the most widely used reference.
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NFP
Non-Farm Payrolls: the monthly US employment report, released on the first Friday of the month. It can trigger moves of 50 to 200 pips within seconds.
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Overbought
The state of a market when the RSI exceeds 70. The price has risen a lot: a bearish reversal is possible, to be confirmed with other signals.
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The state of a market when the RSI drops below 30. The price has fallen a lot: a bullish bounce is possible, to be confirmed with other signals.
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Paper Trading
TradingView’s simulator mode that lets you trade on real charts with virtual money. To be used before any live account.
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The smallest price change of a Forex pair (usually the 4th decimal place). The unit for measuring price movement.
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A temporary counter-trend move in price before it resumes the main direction. An ideal entry zone for trading with the trend.
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Range
A phase where price moves between two horizontal levels with no clear direction. A consolidation: to be avoided for trend strategies.
Learn more in the lessonResistance
A price level where sellers historically return, slowing or reversing a rise. Often used to place take profits or spot reversals.
Revenge trading
Opening an impulsive trade, often with increased risk, to ’win back’ a recent loss. One of the most destructive mistakes. Rule: a 2-hour break after any loss.
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The ratio between what you risk and what you aim to gain. An R:R of 1:2 lets you be profitable even when winning only 40% of your trades.
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Relative Strength Index: an oscillator between 0 and 100 that measures the strength of a move. Above 70 = overbought, below 30 = oversold.
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Safe haven
An asset investors flee to in times of crisis (war, high inflation). Gold is the ultimate safe haven.
Learn more in the lessonShooting Star
A candle with a short body at the bottom and a long upper wick. A signal of a possible bearish reversal at the top of an uptrend.
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The difference between the buy price (Ask) and the sell price (Bid). The hidden cost of a trade paid to the broker: the more liquid the pair, the tighter the spread.
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An automatic order that closes your position at a predefined loss level. Mandatory before any entry: never move it in the direction of the loss.
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A price level where buyers historically return, causing the price to bounce. A classic entry zone in uptrends.
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A trading style where positions stay open from a few days to a few weeks. Recommended for beginners and for those with little time.
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Take Profit (TP)
An automatic order that closes your position when your profit target is reached. As important as the stop loss for locking in gains.
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The study of charts and indicators (candlesticks, MA, RSI, MACD) to anticipate price moves. It answers ’where to enter and exit.’
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The duration represented by each candle on a chart (M1, M15, H4, Daily…). H4 and Daily are recommended for beginners: more clarity, less noise.
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A record where you log every analysis and every trade (date, pair, entry, SL, TP, result, how you felt). The #1 tool for making objective progress.
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A written document that defines your rules: objective, pair, timeframe, entry/exit conditions, risk management, emotional rules. Without a plan, you improvise.
Learn more in the lessonTrading sessions
Forex rotates through 4 major sessions: Sydney, Tokyo, London (8 a.m.–5 p.m. GMT) and New York (1 p.m.–10 p.m. GMT). London and New York concentrate the volume. An ideal evening window in African time zones.
Learn more in the lessonTradingView
The leading free online charting platform, accessible via browser or mobile. It includes a Paper Trading mode to practice.
Learn more in the lessonTrailing Stop
A stop loss that moves automatically in the direction of profit to lock in gains as the price evolves favorably.
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Uptrend
A series of higher highs and higher lows. The price is rising overall. You look for buying opportunities, never selling.
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Volatility
The magnitude of price movements over a given period. Too low = little profit; too high = stressful and risky for a beginner.
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XAU/USD
The price of an ounce of gold expressed in US dollars. A pair that’s very popular in Africa for its readable trends and strong cultural resonance.
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