Terms of Service

1. Introduction

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Ziyawa platform ("Platform"), operated by Zande Technologies (Pty) Ltd (Registration No. K2025834311), a company registered in the Republic of South Africa, in partnership with Rath Group (Pty) Ltd ("we", "us", or "Ziyawa").

By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our Refund Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

2. Platform Description

Ziyawa is a multi-sided event marketplace that connects event organizers, performing artists, crew and service vendors, and event attendees ("Groovists") in South Africa. The Platform facilitates event listing, ticket sales, artist and crew bookings, secure payments, and communication between parties.

Ziyawa acts as an intermediary platform, not as an event organizer, employer, or ticket reseller. We do not own, operate, or control any events listed on the Platform. Event organizers are solely responsible for their events.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into binding agreements under South African law to use the Platform. By registering, you confirm that you meet these requirements.

4. Account Registration

You may register using email and password or via Google sign-in. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials. All activity under your account is your responsibility.

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update it as needed. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts with false or misleading information.

5. User Roles

Ziyawa supports multiple roles within a single account:

• Groovist (Attendee): Discover events, purchase tickets, leave reviews.
• Organizer: Create events, sell tickets, book artists and crew. Self-activated via account settings.
• Artist: Create a performer profile, receive booking requests. Self-activated, requires profile setup.
• Crew / Service Provider: List services (sound, lighting, security, catering, etc.), get hired for events. Self-activated, requires profile setup.

You may hold multiple roles simultaneously. Each role carries specific obligations described in these Terms.

6. Events

6.1 Event Listing

Organizers are solely responsible for the accuracy of event information including date, venue, pricing, lineup, and capacity. Events progress through defined states: Draft → Published → Locked → Completed (or Cancelled). Published events cannot be reverted to draft.

6.2 Event Cancellation

If an organizer cancels a published event, refund obligations as set out in our Refund Policy apply. Ziyawa is not liable for event cancellations or changes made by organizers.

6.3 Event Content

Organizers must not list events that are unlawful, fraudulent, discriminatory, or that infringe on any third-party rights. Ziyawa reserves the right to remove events that violate these Terms or applicable law.

7. Ticketing

Tickets are sold by organizers through the Platform. Ziyawa processes the payment and holds funds in escrow on behalf of the organizer. Ticket purchases are subject to availability and the organizer's event terms.

Tickets may support multiple tiers (e.g., General Access, VIP, Early Bird) with different pricing. Organizers set all ticket prices in South African Rand (ZAR). Buyers pay the ticket price plus applicable booking fees as displayed at checkout.

Tickets may be gifted to other users via the Platform's ticket assignment feature. Gifted tickets can be claimed using a unique claim token sent to the recipient.

Ticket resale outside the Platform is not permitted. Ziyawa is not responsible for tickets purchased from unauthorized third parties.

8. Bookings

8.1 Artist Bookings

Organizers may send booking requests to artists via the Platform. Artists may accept or decline at their discretion. Accepted bookings require payment to be confirmed. Confirmed bookings are binding on both parties.

8.2 Crew / Vendor Bookings

Organizers may hire crew and service providers via the Platform. The same booking lifecycle applies: request → acceptance → payment → confirmation → completion.

8.3 Completion and Payout

Booking payouts require dual confirmation — both the organizer and the artist/crew must confirm that the service was delivered. Funds are released from escrow after confirmation plus a holding period (typically 24 hours). Amounts of R5,000 or more may be subject to additional review.

8.4 Disputes

Either party may open a dispute on a confirmed booking. Disputed funds are frozen until resolved by Ziyawa. Our decision on disputes is final and binding. See Section 15 for the full dispute resolution process.

9. Payments and Fees

All payments are processed in South African Rand (ZAR) via Paystack, a PCI-DSS compliant payment gateway. Ziyawa does not store your card details.

9.1 Fee Structure

• Ticket sales: 5% commission + 5% platform fee deducted from the organizer's revenue, plus a booking fee (R5–R10, tiered by ticket price) paid by the buyer.
• Artist bookings: 10%–20% commission (tiered by booking amount), deducted from the booking payment.
• Crew bookings: 5%–10% commission (tiered by booking amount), deducted from the booking payment.
• Wallet deposits: 2.5% + R3 processing fee.
• Wallet withdrawals: R20 flat fee, minimum withdrawal R100.

All fees are displayed before you confirm any transaction. Fees are non-refundable unless otherwise stated in our Refund Policy.

9.2 Wallet and Escrow

The Platform uses a three-bucket wallet system: available balance (withdrawable), held balance (escrowed funds awaiting conditions), and pending payout balance (withdrawal in progress). Event ticket revenue is held for 48 hours after event completion before release. Booking payouts are held for 24 hours after dual confirmation.

9.3 Withdrawals

To withdraw funds, you must complete identity verification (see Section 11). Withdrawals are processed via bank transfer through Paystack. Processing times depend on your bank but are typically 1–3 business days.

10. Communication

The Platform provides in-app messaging between organizers, artists, and crew. Messaging is booking-gated: you may only message another user after an active booking or working relationship exists between you. This protects users from unsolicited contact and keeps transactions on-platform.

Groovists (attendees) may contact organizers via a contact form on the event page, which requires proof of ticket ownership.

You agree not to use messaging to share personal contact information for the purpose of circumventing Platform fees or protections, send spam, harass or threaten other users, or conduct transactions outside the Platform.

11. Identity Verification

Users who wish to withdraw funds must complete identity verification. We offer two verification paths:

• Individual: Valid South African ID or passport.
• Business: CIPC company registration certificate plus representative ID.

Verification documents are stored securely in private storage and reviewed by authorized Ziyawa administrators. Verification may be approved or rejected at our discretion. Submitting fraudulent documents will result in immediate account termination and may be reported to authorities.

12. Reviews and Content

Users who attended an event may leave a review after the event has ended. Reviews must be honest, based on genuine experience, and not defamatory, discriminatory, or otherwise unlawful. Ziyawa reserves the right to moderate, edit, or remove reviews that violate these Terms.

By posting content (including reviews, profile information, images, and media) on the Platform, you grant Ziyawa a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, display, and distribute such content on the Platform. You retain ownership of your content.

13. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or to promote unlawful activities.
• Create fake accounts, events, reviews, or transactions.
• Circumvent Platform fees by arranging off-platform payments.
• Interfere with the Platform's security, integrity, or operation.
• Scrape, harvest, or extract data from the Platform without permission.
• Impersonate any person or entity.
• Upload malicious content, viruses, or harmful code.

Violation of these rules may result in account suspension or termination without notice.

14. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (TLS), row-level security on all database tables, secure payment processing via PCI-DSS compliant providers, and optional two-factor authentication (TOTP) for user accounts. Two-factor authentication is mandatory for administrator accounts.

Despite these measures, no system is completely secure. You are responsible for safeguarding your account credentials and enabling available security features.

15. Disputes and Resolution

If a dispute arises between users (e.g., between an organizer and an artist regarding a booking), either party may open a dispute through the Platform. Disputed funds are frozen until resolution.

Ziyawa will review disputes and may request additional information from both parties. We will make a determination based on the evidence available. Outcomes may include releasing funds to the service provider, returning funds to the organizer's wallet, or a partial resolution. Our decision is final.

For disputes between you and Ziyawa (the company), South African law applies. You agree to first attempt to resolve any dispute informally by contacting us at support@zande.io. If informal resolution fails, disputes shall be submitted to arbitration under the Arbitration Act 42 of 1965, or you may approach the relevant consumer tribunal or court.

16. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, including the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008:

• Ziyawa is not liable for the quality, safety, or legality of any event listed on the Platform.
• Ziyawa is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of the Platform, except where such liability cannot be excluded by law.
• Our total liability for any claim shall not exceed the fees you have paid to Ziyawa in the 12 months preceding the claim.
• Ziyawa is not responsible for the actions or omissions of other Platform users.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Zande Technologies (Pty) Ltd, its directors, employees, and agents from any claims, losses, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the Platform, violation of these Terms, or infringement of any third-party rights.

18. Intellectual Property

The Ziyawa name, logo, software, and Platform design are the intellectual property of Zande Technologies (Pty) Ltd. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our intellectual property without written permission.

19. Termination

You may close your account at any time by contacting support@zande.io. Any pending transactions or held funds will be processed before closure where possible.

We may suspend or terminate your account at any time for violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, or any other reason at our discretion. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you, except where immediate action is required to protect the Platform or other users.

20. Amendments

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or an in-app notification at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

21. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA), the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA), and the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) apply to these Terms and your use of the Platform.

22. Contact

For questions about these Terms:

• Zande Technologies (Pty) Ltd
• Registration No. K2025834311
• Email: support@zande.io
• Information Regulator Ref: 2025-066656
• South Africa