Risk scorecard
Each area is scored 0 (clean) to 10 (worst). Higher means more risk.
Regulation
5/10 · ModerateGenuine onshore FSCA regulation verified on the register, but only intermediary level - Maono is a representative and depends on third-party ODP RocketX for client money; no tier-1 oversight or CFD compensation.
Identity & transparency
3/10 · LowOpenly discloses all three entities with registration and FSP numbers; entity confirmed on the FSCA register. Mild marks for WhatsApp-first contact and an unverified own registered address.
Withdrawals & conduct
3/10 · LowNo credible fund-integrity pattern. Complaints are generic SEO/recovery boilerplate with no amounts or dates; a Trustpilot reviewer reported working withdrawals.
Reputation
4/10 · ModeratePoor online reputation driven mainly by SEO and recovery-scam pages whose central claim the FSCA register disproves; genuine reviews are thin and mixed.
Website claims
3/10 · LowHonest disclosure of the representative-plus-ODP structure and reg numbers; no fabricated tier-1 licence, fake awards or inflated founding date found.
Operational history
4/10 · ModerateAbout three years old (domain March 2023, company 2023). Established enough to clear the young-broker floor but still a short track record for a leveraged-CFD business.
Who they are
A quick desk file on the company behind the brand.
- Brand: Maono Global Markets
- Legal entity: Maono Global Markets (Pty) Ltd, South African company 2023/599736/07
- Registered: South Africa (operates within the FSCA framework in Cape Town / Gauteng)
- Website: maonoglobalmarkets.com (client portal at secure.maonoglobalmarkets.com)
- Only licence: No licence of its own. It is an authorised representative of Sithundhi Group (Pty) Ltd, FSP 52030 (FSCA Category I, derivative instruments), with RocketX (Pty) Ltd, FSP 52142 / ODP No. 74, as the licensed counterparty holding client funds.
- Offers: Forex, indices, futures and CFDs on MetaTrader 5
- Not accepted: US investors and any jurisdiction where the service would breach local law
- Age claim: No inflated history found; the brand, domain and company all date to 2023 (about three years)
Regulation
Who really oversees this broker, and what each licence is worth to you.
Proof of regulation on an official register: Yes
We confirmed this broker on a genuine regulator’s register.
Licences the broker publishes
FSCA - FSP 52030 (Sithundhi Group (Pty) Ltd)
FSCA - FSP 52142 / ODP No. 74 (RocketX (Pty) Ltd, counterparty)
Why we reached this verdict
How the evidence adds up.
We rate Maono as high risk but unverified, not a scam, because the regulation is real yet limited and the negative reports do not hold up.
- The regulation checks out on the register. We searched the FSCA FAIS register and found Maono Global Markets (Pty) Ltd listed as an authorised juristic representative of Sithundhi Group (FSP 52030) for derivative instruments, with a named key individual. We also confirmed RocketX (FSP 52142) is Authorised and is the FSCA-licensed OTC Derivatives Provider (ODP No. 74) that acts as counterparty and holds client money in segregated accounts.
- The 'scam' claims online are unreliable. The most-repeated accusation is that the FSCA lists no representatives under Sithundhi. The register directly disproves that. Much of the rest is generic recovery-service boilerplate, and some negative reviews steer readers to third-party 'recovery' outfits, which is itself a red flag on the reviews, not on the broker.
- The risk sits in the structure, not in proven misconduct. Maono itself holds only an intermediary authorisation. It does not hold your money or make the market; it depends on a separate licensed ODP. That is a legitimate South African model, but it gives the retail brand less standing and no compensation scheme for trading losses.
- Other caution flags: the operation is only about three years old, it markets aggressive leveraged CFDs, and it onboards via WhatsApp with card and crypto payment rails. None of these is proof of fraud, but together they warrant care.
- We found no FSCA public warning naming Maono, and a Trustpilot reviewer reported working withdrawals, which is why we do not treat it as a likely scam.
Note on operating history: the 3.4-year track record rests on domain registration alone. No company incorporation date could be established, so this is an upper bound rather than a confirmed age.
Evidence ledger
Every finding, with its source and how strongly it points.
E1On the FSCA FAIS register, Maono Global Markets (Pty) Ltd is listed as an authorised juristic representative of Sithundhi Group (FSP 52030) for derivative instruments (Category I, advice and intermediary), with key individual Griffiths Gomotsegang Phiri. This directly disproves the widespread claim that no representatives are listed.
E2FSP 52030, Sithundhi Group (Pty) Ltd, registration 2021/817017/07, is Authorised (date authorised 10 Feb 2022) as a Category I FSP approved for derivative instruments among other products. This is the licence Maono operates under.
E3FSP 52142, RocketX (Pty) Ltd, registration 2020/824856/07, is Authorised (date authorised 11 May 2023) for derivative instruments. RocketX is the FSCA OTC Derivatives Provider (ODP No. 74) named as the CFD counterparty holding client funds in segregated accounts, corroborated by RocketX and multiple white-label client agreements.
E4The domain maonoglobalmarkets.com was registered on 27 March 2023 through GoDaddy, on Cloudflare nameservers. This matches the 2023 company registration, so the brand is about three years old with no inflated history claim.
ModerateVerisign RDAPE5Trustpilot shows only 4 reviews at 3.3/5, split evenly. One first-hand review reports withdrawals working; the negatives carry no amounts, dates or ticket numbers and one steers readers to a third-party 'recovery' service. No verified fund-theft pattern.
ModerateTrustpilotE6Multiple third-party review and recovery sites label Maono a scam, but their central claim that the FSCA lists no representatives under Sithundhi is contradicted by the FSCA register, and several pages are generic recovery-service content. These are unreliable as evidence.
E7A sweep of FSCA press releases and warning lists found no public warning or enforcement notice naming Maono Global Markets or its domain as of this review.
ModerateFSCA news / warning sweepE8The broker's own site discloses the structure it operates under: Maono as representative of Sithundhi (FSP 52030), RocketX (FSP 52142) as the ODP counterparty, MetaTrader 5, card and crypto payment rails, and a WhatsApp contact line. It excludes US investors.
ModerateMaono Global Markets website
The other side
The strongest case in this broker’s favour.
Here is the honest case that Maono is a legitimate, ordinary South African CFD white-label.
- It is transparent about its structure. The site names all three entities and their registration and FSP numbers, rather than hiding behind a vague 'regulated' badge.
- Its representative status is verifiable on the FSCA's own register, and the counterparty, RocketX, is a genuine licensed ODP that segregates client funds and white-labels to several other South African brands.
- There is no regulator warning, no register mismatch, no clone domain and no fabricated history.
- The one first-hand Trustpilot review that addresses payouts says withdrawals worked, and no complaint we found carried specific amounts, dates or ticket numbers.
- Many of the harshest write-ups are SEO and recovery-scam pages that repeat an error the FSCA register contradicts.
What would change this
What we would need to see to revise the verdict.
Our view would move in either direction on this evidence.
- Toward lower risk: a longer clean track record, a direct FSCA confirmation that the intermediary-plus-ODP structure fully covers the retail CFD offering, and a body of specific, verified reviews reporting smooth deposits and withdrawals.
- Toward scam: an FSCA public warning or enforcement notice naming Maono or its domain; a change in the register showing the representative status withdrawn or suspended; or credible, specific first-person reports of blocked withdrawals or demands for extra 'fees', 'tax' or 'unlock' payments before releasing funds.
- A move of the counterparty away from a licensed ODP, or the appearance of client-money handling by an unlicensed entity, would also change the picture.
Check it yourself
Official registers and warning lists. Verify every claim first-hand.
FSCA FAIS register (search FSP number)
Enter 52030 (Sithundhi) or 52142 (RocketX) to confirm status and Maono's representative listing
RocketX - ODP counterparty
The FSCA-licensed OTC Derivatives Provider (ODP No. 74) that holds client funds
Maono Global Markets website
The broker's own site and regulatory disclosures
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about this broker’s safety.
Is Maono Global Markets a scam?
We did not find evidence that it is a scam. It is a genuinely FSCA-registered South African CFD brand operating as an authorised representative, with a licensed derivatives counterparty. We rate it high risk rather than fraudulent because the regulation is limited, the firm is young, and we could not verify the negative claims made against it.
Is Maono Global Markets regulated?
Yes, at intermediary level. Maono Global Markets (Pty) Ltd is listed on the FSCA register as an authorised representative of Sithundhi Group (FSP 52030) for derivative instruments. It does not hold its own trading licence.
Who actually holds my money?
The counterparty and client-money holder is RocketX (Pty) Ltd, FSP 52142, an FSCA-authorised OTC Derivatives Provider (ODP No. 74). RocketX states it keeps client funds in segregated accounts, separate from its own money.
What is FSP 52030 and does it belong to Maono?
FSP 52030 is the FSCA licence of Sithundhi Group (Pty) Ltd, a Category I financial services provider. It is not Maono's own licence. Maono operates under it as an authorised representative, which the FSCA register confirms.
Can I withdraw my money from Maono?
At least one Trustpilot reviewer reported successful withdrawals, and we found no verified pattern of blocked payouts. That said, keep records, start small, and never pay any fee or 'tax' to release your own funds.
Why do some websites call Maono a scam?
Several review and recovery sites claim the FSCA lists no representatives under Sithundhi. That is incorrect: the FSCA register shows Maono Global Markets (Pty) Ltd as a listed representative. Much of the negative coverage is unverified or comes from recovery-scam pages.
How old is Maono Global Markets?
The brand, its domain (registered March 2023) and the company (registered 2023) all date to about three years ago. It is a relatively young operation, which is one reason we treat it with caution.
Is it a clone of another broker?
No. The website, legal entity and FSP numbers all tie together consistently, and there is no evidence of it impersonating another firm.
What kind of licence is a FAIS Category I authorisation worth?
It is genuine onshore South African conduct regulation, but it is an advice and intermediary authorisation, not a market-maker or client-money dealing licence. There is no compensation scheme covering CFD trading losses.
What should I check before depositing?
Confirm on the FSCA FAIS register that FSP 52030 and FSP 52142 are both Authorised and that Maono is still a listed representative. Understand you are trading leveraged CFDs against RocketX, keep all records, and refuse any upfront 'unlock' or 'recovery' fees.
Has the FSCA issued a warning about Maono?
We found no FSCA public warning or enforcement notice naming Maono Global Markets or its domain as of this review.
What we recommend
The practical takeaway from everything above.
Proceed only with caution and small amounts you can afford to lose.
- Before depositing, verify the licences yourself: search FSP 52030 and FSP 52142 on the FSCA FAIS register and confirm both are still Authorised and that Maono is still a listed representative.
- Understand that you are trading high-risk leveraged CFDs against RocketX as counterparty, that your protection depends on that ODP's segregation of funds, and that there is no compensation scheme for trading losses.
- Keep records of every deposit and withdrawal, and never pay any 'fee', 'tax' or 'verification' charge to release your own funds. No legitimate broker requires that.
- Be wary of anyone in the reviews or by message offering to 'recover' funds for an upfront payment; those are a separate scam.
This is an independent assessment of risk, not a legal ruling. Scores and verdicts follow the Wikilix broker-safety methodology and can change as new evidence appears. Review scores are treated with caution when a broker’s reviews look manipulated. Last reviewed August 30, 2026. If any detail here is out of date or incorrect, or you represent this broker, please contact us.