Doing business across international borders is far more complex than domestic trading and poses many risks and challenges for anyone engaged in global trade, be it as an importer or exporter. Typically the global trader simultaneously has to take into account credit risk, performance risk, political risk, transfer risk, exchange rate risk and commercial risk.

Over the last decade there has been a significant increase in the number of South African companies participating in global trade. While most companies realise that currency volatility is an important component of their business risk, not all realise that the behaviour of the exchange rate can be monitored and managed on a continual basis to maximise returns on their trading investments.