Contact the desk

The one mailbox

The editorial mailbox is editor@mzansipaperza.com, and it is the only address this desk uses. Write to it if a figure on the site looks wrong, if you want to know which broker document a statement came from, or if a sentence is unclear and you think it should be plainer. Plain emails are read in the order they arrive.

We will not promise a response time in hours or days, because we would rather answer properly than quickly. If your message needs a document we do not hold, we will say so. If it points to a real error, it goes onto the corrections page with a dated note, and you do not need to ask for that.

What to put in your message for platform, pricing and risk questions

For a platform question, tell us which FxPro platform you are using — MT4, MT5, cTrader or FxPro Edge — and the exact error text or step where it fails. Include your device and operating system, and whether the issue happens on demo or live. That detail lets us check the specific platform behaviour instead of guessing. We cannot see your account, so the message must carry the technical context. A screenshot of the error or the settings screen helps more than a description. If the problem is with order execution, note the instrument (XAU/USD), the order type and the time in South African Standard Time.

For a pricing question, state the instrument code (XAU/USD), the position size in lots, and whether you are asking about the cost structure rather than a specific number. We can explain what the cost consists of — for gold that is typically the spread and any commission or swap that applies — and what it depends on, such as the account type and market conditions. We cannot quote a spread, commission or swap figure because those are not fixed and we do not publish them. If you have a statement line you do not understand, copy the line and the surrounding context, not the whole statement.

For a risk or margin question, include the leverage you are actually set to (up to 1:200 for retail, or up to 1:500 for eligible professional clients depending on the instrument) and the position size. A worked example: at 1:200, a 0.10-lot gold position needs about $85.50 margin. Tell us whether you want the calculation method or help reading a margin call. We can walk through the formula — position size in ounces times price divided by leverage — but we cannot tell you whether to hold, close or add to a position. That is personal trading advice and falls outside what we answer.

The details that make a message answerable on the first reply

A useful message states the page or topic, the exact question, and the context needed to answer it without a follow-up. For a platform issue, that means the platform name (MT4, MT5, cTrader or FxPro Edge), the error text and your device. For a calculation, it means the instrument (XAU/USD), the position size in lots and the leverage you are set to. For a correction, it means the URL, the sentence and the source. One clear question per message is easier to answer than five mixed together. If you have several unrelated questions, separate messages are better.

Include what you have already tried or read, so we do not repeat it. If you are referencing a specific part of the page, quote the sentence. If you are asking about a rand amount, say whether it is the amount you plan to fund or a cost you have seen, because those are different questions. We cannot see your account, so any detail you leave out is a detail we cannot recover. Screenshots are helpful for platform errors but should not contain your login details, account number or identity documents. Redact anything personal before you send it.

Do not send your password, your card number, your ID number or your account statements in full. We do not need them and cannot use them. A message that contains them will be answered only after you are asked to resend without them, which adds delay. Plain text is best; links are fine if they point to a public page. If your question is about a specific trade, give the instrument, the direction, the size and the time, not your account number. The goal is to give us enough to answer the question while keeping your personal information out of the mailbox.

How long a reply takes and what affects the wait

We aim to reply within three to five business days for most messages. That is a target, not a guarantee, and it depends on the volume of mail and the complexity of the question. A clear, specific message with the details listed on this page is usually answered faster because it does not need a round of clarification. Messages that arrive over a weekend or on a South African public holiday start counting from the next business day. We do not operate a live chat or a phone line, so email is the only channel and the queue is worked in order of priority.

Correction requests are handled ahead of general questions, so a factual error you flag will typically be looked at sooner than a how-to question. Beyond that, we do not promise individual response times for particular topics. If your message needs input from someone else, it may take longer. We would rather send one accurate reply than a fast incomplete one. If you have not heard back within five business days, a single polite follow-up is fine; repeated follow-ups do not move a message up the queue and can slow things down.

We do not send automated acknowledgements that promise a date we cannot keep. If your message is one we cannot answer at all, you will still get a reply explaining why and, where possible, pointing you to the right place. That reply may come faster than a full answer because it does not require research. Response time is measured in business days, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in South Africa. We do not work to deadlines set by marketing promotions or market events, and we do not offer an urgent channel.

What we will and will not help with

We will help with what we published: where a number came from, when it was last checked, and why a broker sits where it does in our order. We will not help with account problems, because we are not your broker and cannot see your account, your positions or your withdrawals. We will not help with fund recovery, and we will not act as an intermediary between you and any firm.

We will not give personal advice, and we will not tell you whether to buy or sell gold, how much to risk, or which account suits you. That is a licensed adviser's job, done with your full circumstances in front of them. If you write to us asking for a trade idea, the honest answer is that we cannot give one.

How we handle a correction request from start to finish

A correction request is logged as a priority item and checked against the source facts before anything else. You need to tell us the page URL, the exact sentence or figure you believe is wrong, and what you think it should say. If you can point to the source of the correct information, include it. We do not accept corrections based on opinion or on a different broker's terms. We check whether the statement matches the facts we are allowed to use. If it does not, we correct it. If it does, we explain why it stays as written.

If the correction is valid, we amend the page and note the change. We do not publish a public changelog, but we do keep a record of what was corrected and when. We will reply to tell you the outcome, whether we changed the page or not. We do not remove content simply because someone disagrees with it, and we do not edit pages to favour a broker or a product. The standard is accuracy against the stated facts, not popularity. A correction that makes the page more precise is always welcome, even if it is small.

We will not make a correction that turns a general explanation into a specific claim we cannot support — for example, adding a spread number we were not given. If your request is really a request to publish a figure, promotion or comparison, it will be declined and you will be told why. Corrections are about fixing errors, not about adding marketing content. We also will not attribute a correction to a named person or publish your details. The page is corrected on its own merits. If the same error appears on several pages, tell us and we will check each one.

What we cannot do, and where account, fund and advice issues actually go

We cannot access your FxPro account, reset your password, verify your identity, release a withdrawal or recover funds. Those actions belong to the broker. For anything account-related, log in to your client portal and use the support channel there, or contact FxPro through the details on their official website. If you are dealing with a suspected scam or a dispute over funds, the correct route is the broker's formal complaints process first, and then the relevant regulator. We are an information site, not a broker, and we do not hold client money or act as an intermediary.

We cannot give personal trading advice, recommend a position size, tell you when to enter or exit, or help you recover losses by suggesting trades. We also cannot act as a mediator between you and FxPro or between you and a third party. If you need regulated financial advice, speak to a licensed financial services provider in South Africa. If your question is about whether a firm is authorised, check the FSCA register and the FCA or CySEC registers, and confirm which entity your own account is opened with, because the FxPro entity serving South Africa is FxPro Markets Direct Costa Rica Latam SRL.

We cannot comment on another broker's spreads, commissions, swaps or minimum deposits, and we cannot compare providers on cost. We also cannot confirm a promotion, bonus or date that is not published on this site. If you ask us to recommend a broker, we will decline. The useful thing we can do is explain what a cost consists of and what it depends on, so you can ask the broker the right question. For anything that requires a decision about your money, the answer has to come from you, a licensed adviser or the broker — not from this mailbox.

No guest posts, no paid placement

We do not accept guest posts, sponsored reviews or paid placement at any price. The broker pages exist to answer a reader's question, and a page written to satisfy a paying firm is not that. If you are a broker or an agency offering to pay for coverage, the answer is no, and it stays no regardless of the amount.

The only commercial relationship on this site is an affiliate link, and it does not buy a rating. You can read how that works on the about page and what we check on the methodology page. For anything else, the mailbox above is the whole of our contact surface.

Questions we can answer and the personal advice we must decline

We can answer questions about how the mechanics work: how margin is calculated on XAU/USD, how a pip is defined for gold (0.01), how leverage caps apply to retail versus eligible professional clients, and how to read a contract specification. We can also explain what a platform feature does, how to interpret a statement line, and what the regulator caveat means for South African clients — that FxPro is licensed by the FCA and CySEC, and an FxPro entity holds an FSCA licence in South Africa, so you should check which entity your own account is opened with. These are factual, educational answers.

We cannot answer questions that require us to know your finances, your risk tolerance or your goals. That includes whether you should trade gold at all, what lot size you should use, whether now is a good time to buy or sell, or how to recover losses. Those are personal trading advice, and we are not authorised to give it. We also cannot predict price direction or confirm a strategy will work. If your question starts with 'should I', it is likely outside our scope. We will say so plainly rather than dress up an opinion as fact.

We also cannot answer account-specific questions that require access to your FxPro account, such as your balance, your open positions, your verification status or why a withdrawal is pending. Those sit with the broker, not with us. For anything tied to your account, you need to contact FxPro directly through the channels in your client portal. We can help you frame the question or understand the general process, but we cannot look up your records. Keeping that boundary clear is part of giving you a useful answer instead of a misleading one.