Every prop firm on PropFirms.co.za is rated with the same method, so you can compare firms fairly. This page explains what we look at, how much each factor counts, and how we keep ratings current.
What we check first
Before a firm can appear in our rankings, it must accept South African residents, name its legal company, publish full terms, and show evidence of paying traders. Firms that close or stop paying are removed.
Scoring criteria
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Payout reliability | 25% | Our own withdrawals, payout speed, fees, and complaint patterns |
| Trading rules | 20% | Drawdown type, daily loss calculation, consistency rules, banned strategies |
| Cost and value | 15% | Fees per $10K of capital, add-ons, withdrawal commissions, refunds |
| Track record and transparency | 15% | Years operating, legal entity, rule-change history, communication |
| Profit split and scaling | 10% | Base split, how higher splits are unlocked, scaling plans |
| Platforms and markets | 10% | MT4/MT5, cTrader, TradingView, futures platforms, instruments |
| Support and education | 5% | Response times, quality of answers, learning resources |
[EDITOR: Adjust the weights to match how you actually score firms, then keep them consistent.]
How we test
- We buy evaluations with our own money, not free accounts provided by firms.
- We trade them under normal conditions and record whether we pass or fail and why.
- We request payouts and record the amount, method, fees and time taken.
- We contact support with the same set of questions for every firm.
- We re-check each firm’s official rules when we update a review.
[EDITOR: Only keep statements that describe what your team really does.]
How often we update
Prop firm rules change often. We review our top-ranked firms monthly and every review at least every six months, or immediately when a firm announces major changes. Each review shows the date it was last updated.
Affiliate links and independence
We earn commissions when readers buy through some of our links. Commissions never decide a firm’s rating or rank; firms can’t pay to be listed or to change a score. Read our editorial policy for details.