Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions and Interpretation

In these Terms and Conditions, the following words and expressions shall bear the meanings assigned to them below:

• “Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our” means StartLine (Pty) Ltd, a private company incorporated in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
• “Platform” means the booking website, mobile application, and all related services operated by the Company, accessible at startlinesa.co.za.
• “User”, “you”, or “your” means any person who accesses, browses, registers on, or otherwise uses the Platform.
• “Service Provider” means any accommodation provider, tour operator, transport company, activity provider, or other third-party supplier whose services are listed or bookable through the Platform.
• “Booking” means any reservation, order, or purchase of services made through the Platform.
• “Booking Confirmation” means the written confirmation issued by the Company or a Service Provider confirming the details of a Booking.
• “Charges” means all fees, rates, taxes, levies, and other amounts payable in connection with a Booking.
• “Consumer Protection Act” means the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, as amended.
• “ECT Act” means the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, as amended.
• “POPIA” means the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, as amended.
• “Working Days” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or South African public holiday.

2. Acceptance of Terms

2.1 These Terms and Conditions constitute a legally binding agreement between you and the Company governing your use of the Platform and any Bookings made through it.

2.2 By accessing the Platform, creating an account, or making a Booking, you confirm that:

• You are at least 18 years of age or, if under 18, have obtained the consent of a parent or legal guardian;
• You have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement;
• You have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions; and
• Where you are acting on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

2.3 These Terms and Conditions are supplemented by our Privacy Policy and any other policies or notices published on the Platform, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

3. Nature of the Platform and Services

3.1 The Company operates an online booking platform that enables Users to search, compare, and book services offered by third-party Service Providers, including but not limited to accommodation, tours, activities, and transport.

3.2 The Company acts as an intermediary or booking agent between Users and Service Providers. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the Company is not the supplier of the services booked through the Platform.

3.3 The Company does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or quality of information provided by Service Providers on the Platform, including descriptions, photographs, pricing, availability, and ratings.

3.4 The Company reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Platform at any time without prior notice.

4. User Registration and Account

4.1 Certain features of the Platform require you to register and create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration;
• Maintain and promptly update your account information;
• Keep your login credentials confidential and not share them with any third party;
• Notify us immediately at hello@startline.co.za of any unauthorised use of your account.

4.2 You are solely responsible for all activities that occur under your account.

4.3 The Company reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time if you are found to have violated these Terms or engaged in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity.

5. Booking Process and Confirmation

5.1 To make a Booking on the Platform, you must follow the steps outlined on the relevant booking page. By submitting a Booking request, you are making an offer to purchase the selected services at the displayed price.

5.2 A Booking is only confirmed once you receive a written Booking Confirmation from the Company or the relevant Service Provider. The Company reserves the right to decline or cancel any Booking at its discretion prior to issuing a Booking Confirmation.

5.3 You are responsible for reviewing the full details of any Booking before submission, including dates, times, number of guests, specific requirements, and cancellation policies.

5.4 It is your responsibility to ensure that all personal information entered during the booking process is accurate and complete.

5.5 Bookings made through the Platform are subject to availability and may be subject to the specific terms and conditions of the relevant Service Provider.

6. Pricing, Fees, and Payment

6.1 Pricing: All prices displayed on the Platform are in South African Rand (ZAR) unless otherwise specified. Prices are inclusive of VAT where applicable and indicated. The Company reserves the right to correct any pricing errors at any time.

6.2 Service Fees: The Company may charge a service or booking fee in addition to the Service Provider's rates. Any applicable fees will be clearly disclosed before you complete your Booking.

6.3 Payment: Payment is required at the time of booking unless otherwise stated. All payments are processed through secure, PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways. The Company does not store your full card details.

6.4 Pricing Errors: In the event of a manifest pricing error on the Platform, the Company reserves the right to cancel the affected Booking and provide a full refund, or to offer you the option to re-book at the correct price.

7. Cancellations, Modifications, and Refunds

7.1 Cancellation policies vary by Service Provider and are displayed on the relevant listing page and in your Booking Confirmation. You are responsible for reading and understanding the applicable cancellation policy before completing your Booking.

7.2 To cancel or modify a Booking, you must submit a written request to hello@startline.co.za or via the cancellation function on the Platform. Verbal cancellations will not be accepted.

7.3 Refunds, where applicable, will be processed. The Company is not responsible for delays caused by banks or payment processors.

7.4 No-shows (failure to arrive on the booked date without prior cancellation) will not be refunded unless expressly permitted by the Service Provider's policy.

7.5 In terms of the Consumer Protection Act, certain cancellation rights may apply. Please contact us if you believe your cancellation is governed by the CPA.

8. User Conduct and Prohibited Activities

8.1 By using the Platform, you agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful, fraudulent, or unauthorised purpose;
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity;
• Make speculative, false, or fraudulent Bookings;
• Use any automated system, robot, or scraping tool to access or extract data from the Platform without our prior written consent;
• Transmit any viruses, malware, or other harmful code through the Platform;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Platform, its servers, or any systems connected to the Platform;
• Post, upload, or transmit any content that is defamatory, offensive, obscene, discriminatory, or that infringes the intellectual property rights of any third party;
• Use the Platform in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair its infrastructure.

8.2 The Company reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate legal action against any User who violates this clause.

9. Intellectual Property

9.1 All content on the Platform is the property of the Company or its content suppliers and is protected by applicable South African and international intellectual property laws.

9.2 You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Platform for personal, non-commercial purposes only. This licence does not include the right to copy, reproduce, modify, scrape, or frame any part of the Platform without our prior written consent.

9.3 Any content you submit to the Platform (including reviews, photos, or comments) grants the Company a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual licence to use, reproduce, and display such content in connection with the operation of the Platform.

10. Reviews, Ratings, and User-Generated Content

10.1 Users may submit reviews, ratings, and other content relating to their experience with Service Providers. By submitting such content, you confirm that it is accurate, based on genuine personal experience, and does not violate any applicable law or third-party rights.

10.2 The Company reserves the right to moderate, edit, or remove any user-generated content that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be false, defamatory, inappropriate, or in violation of these Terms.

10.3 The Company does not endorse any reviews or user-generated content and accepts no liability for the accuracy or reliability of such content.

11. Third-Party Service Providers and Links

11.1 The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources. These links are provided for convenience only and do not constitute an endorsement by the Company.

11.2 Your interactions with Service Providers found through our Platform are governed by the Service Provider's own terms and conditions.

11.3 In the event of a dispute between you and a Service Provider, the Company may, at its discretion, assist in facilitating a resolution, but has no obligation to do so and accepts no liability for the outcome.

12. Limitation of Liability and Disclaimer

The following clauses contain important limitations on the Company's liability. Please read them carefully.

12.1 The Platform and all content thereon are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the Platform.

12.2 The Company does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted or error-free, that information on the Platform is accurate or complete, or that any defects in the Platform will be corrected.

12.3 To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Company shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with your use of the Platform or any Booking.

12.4 Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes the Company's liability for death or personal injury caused by the Company's negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot be excluded under the Consumer Protection Act or other applicable South African law.

12.5 The Company's maximum aggregate liability to you shall not exceed the total amount paid by you in connection with the relevant Booking.

13. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to:

• Your use of the Platform or any Booking;
• Your breach of these Terms and Conditions;
• Your violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party;
• Any content you submit to the Platform.

14. Consumer Protection Act Compliance

14.1 These Terms are subject to the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (“CPA”) to the extent applicable. Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit or exclude any rights you may have as a consumer under the CPA.

14.2 In terms of the CPA, you have the right to cancel a fixed-term agreement with 20 Business Days' written notice (subject to a reasonable cancellation penalty), return goods or cancel services that are defective or unsafe, and receive fair, honest dealing.

14.3 If you believe your consumer rights have been infringed, you may contact the National Consumer Commission at www.thencc.org.za or call 012 428 7000.

15. Force Majeure

15.1 The Company shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms to the extent that such failure or delay is caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, pandemic, war, terrorism, government action, strike, power failure, or interruption of internet services.

15.2 In such circumstances, the Company will notify you as soon as reasonably practicable and will take reasonable steps to minimise the impact on your Booking.

16. Dispute Resolution

16.1 In the event of a dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or any Booking, the parties agree to first attempt to resolve the dispute amicably through good-faith negotiation.

16.2 If a dispute cannot be resolved through negotiation within 20 Working Days of written notification of the dispute, either party may refer the dispute to mediation under the auspices of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (“AFSA”) or such other mediator as the parties may agree.

16.3 If mediation fails, the dispute shall be finally resolved by arbitration in accordance with the AFSA rules, by a single arbitrator appointed by agreement between the parties or, failing agreement, by AFSA. The seat of arbitration shall be Johannesburg, South Africa.

16.4 Notwithstanding the above, the Company reserves the right to seek urgent relief from any court of competent jurisdiction.

17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

17.1 These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

17.2 You agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of South Africa in respect of any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms.

18. Amendments to These Terms

18.1 The Company reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. Amendments will take effect upon publication on the Platform with the updated “Last Updated” date.

18.2 Where amendments are material, the Company will notify registered Users by email before the changes take effect.

18.3 Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any amendments constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

19. General Provisions

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Waiver: The Company's failure to enforce any provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision.

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies published on the Platform, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company.

Assignment: You may not assign or transfer any rights or obligations under these Terms without the prior written consent of the Company.

20. Contact Information

For any queries, complaints, or notices relating to these Terms and Conditions, please contact us:

Company Name: StartLine (Pty) Ltd

Email: hello@startline.co.za

Website: startlinesa.co.za

We endeavour to respond to all queries within 2 Working Days.