WEBSITE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR HOWZIT PORTAL

Last Updated: September 2026

Website: https://www.howzitportal.co.za

Operator: Hashtag Creativa (Pty) Ltd, trading as Howzit Portal

1. ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS

These Website Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Howzit Portal (the "Platform"), South Africa's Business Exposure Platform, operated by Hashtag Creativa (Pty) Ltd ("we", "us", or "our"), a company registered and conducting business in the Republic of South Africa.

By accessing, browsing, or otherwise using the Platform — whether as a visitor, an inquirer, a listed business, school, advertiser, or account holder — you agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, our Cookie Policy, and our Website Disclaimer. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must stop using the Platform immediately.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, including the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, No. 25 of 2002 (ECT Act), the Consumer Protection Act, No. 68 of 2008 (CPA), the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA), and the Promotion of Access to Information Act, No. 2 of 2000 (PAIA).

2. THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE

Howzit Portal is an online directory and exposure platform that:

• Lists South African businesses, service providers, and schools across all nine provinces so consumers can search, discover, and contact them.
• Displays picture advertisements ("adverts") placed by advertisers in various positions and sizes on the Platform.
• Enables visitors to submit their contact details through enquiry and quote-request forms, which are forwarded to our administrative team and to relevant listed providers so they can respond directly.
• Offers account-based business tools to listed businesses and schools that have been registered by our team.

3. ACCOUNTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGISTRATION

There is no public self-registration on the Platform. Client accounts are created manually by our administrative team as follows:

1. You submit your details through a form on the Platform (for example a listing request, enquiry, or quote request).
2. Your details are sent to our administrative team by email for review.
3. If your submission is approved, we register your account manually and share your login details with you directly.
4. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at help@howzitportal.co.za if you suspect unauthorised use.

3.1 Account holder obligations

Account holders agree to keep their listing and profile information accurate and current, to use the Platform only for lawful purposes, and not to impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent an affiliation with any business or school.

4. DIRECTORY LISTINGS AND SCHOOLS DIRECTORY

Listings (businesses, service providers, and schools) are compiled from information supplied by the listed entity, information that is publicly available, and information gathered by our research team. We do not endorse any listed business or school, and the appearance of a listing does not constitute a recommendation, warranty, or representation about the quality, legality, or fitness of any listed entity. Please review our Website Disclaimer for important information about the accuracy of listing data.

Where a listing contains information that you believe is inaccurate, or where you are the owner or authorised representative of a listed entity, you may request correction or removal through the "Claim this Listing" or "Report/Remove this Listing" facilities on the Platform or by emailing help@howzitportal.co.za.

5. PICTURE ADVERTISEMENTS

Advertisers purchase placement of picture adverts on the Platform in the sizes and positions we make available from time to time. By placing an advert:

• The advertiser confirms that they own or are licensed to use all artwork, trademarks, and content in the advert, and that the advert does not infringe any third-party rights or breach any law, including the CPA's prohibition on misleading advertising.
• Adverts are displayed "as is" and we may re-size, crop, or compress images for technical reasons without altering their core message.
• We do not pre-approve every third-party advert for accuracy; the advertiser is solely responsible for the content and claims made in their advert.
• We may decline or remove, at our discretion and without refund where there is a material breach, any advert that is unlawful, misleading, offensive, or that breaches these Terms.

6. ENQUIRIES, LEADS, AND QUOTE REQUESTS

When you submit an enquiry or quote request through the Platform:

• Your details (name, contact number, email address, and the details of your request) are transmitted to our administrative team by email and, where relevant, to the selected or matched listed providers so that they can respond to you directly.
• Submitting an enquiry does not create a contract between you and Howzit Portal. Any contract for goods or services arises solely between you and the provider you subsequently engage.
• We do not vet, warrant, or guarantee the pricing, quality, availability, or conduct of providers. You remain responsible for your own due diligence before engaging any provider found through the Platform.
• The Platform uses an automated assistant ("chatbot") and search tools to help route enquiries; automated assistance is provided for convenience and is not a substitute for professional advice.

7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The Platform, including its software, design, text, graphics, logos, and compilation of listings, is protected by South African and international intellectual property law. All rights are reserved. You may not copy, scrape, harvest, republish, or systematically extract data from the Platform for commercial purposes without our prior written consent.

8. ACCEPTABLE USE

You agree not to: use the Platform for any unlawful purpose; submit false, misleading, or deceptive information; transmit malware or attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems; scrape or data-mine the Platform; interfere with other users' use of the Platform; or use the Platform to send unsolicited commercial communications (spam) in breach of the ECT Act and Regulation 2 of the CPA.

9. FEES AND PAYMENTS

Where premium features (such as featured listings, membership plans, or advert placements) are offered for a fee, prices are displayed on the Platform before purchase. Payments are processed through secure third-party payment gateways (such as PayFast, Peach Payments, or Yoco). We do not store your raw card credentials. Fee-based services are governed by the consumer rights in the CPA, including the right of cancellation in certain circumstances as set out in the CPA.

9.1 Advert and listing placement fees

Advert placement and any premium listing fees are payable in advance unless otherwise agreed in writing. Placement periods, renewal, and expiry are governed by the placement order or plan description applicable to the advert or listing. Expiry of an advert is automated — expired adverts cease to be displayed on the Platform.

9.2 Reversal of unauthorised transactions

In accordance with the ECT Act, where a transaction was concluded with an unauthorised person using your payment credentials, you may demand reversal within a reasonable period by notifying us through your bank and us at help@howzitportal.co.za.

10. THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND CONTENT

The Platform links to third-party websites (including school and business websites). We do not control and are not responsible for third-party content, privacy practices, or availability. Links do not imply endorsement.

11. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, and subject to the statutory consumer rights in the CPA:

• The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose.
• We shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, or for any loss of profit, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of the Platform, your reliance on listing information, or your dealings with listed providers, advertisers, or schools.
• Our aggregate liability arising from or connected to the Platform shall not exceed the greater of the fees you paid to us in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or R1,000 (one thousand Rand).
• Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under the CPA or other applicable law.

12. TERMINATION AND SUSPENSION

We may suspend or terminate your account, listing, or advert if you breach these Terms, if a listing becomes defamatory or unlawful, or where required by law. You may request closure of your account at any time by emailing help@howzitportal.co.za. Sections that should survive termination (including intellectual property, limitation of liability, and governing law) survive.

13. CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

We may amend these Terms from time to time by publishing the updated version on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the amended Terms. Material changes affecting account holders will, where practicable, be notified to affected account holders by email.

14. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Subject to any mandatory consumer protection rights allowing disputes to be brought where you reside or work, the courts of South Africa have jurisdiction over any dispute arising from these Terms.

15. HOW TO CONTACT US

• Email: help@howzitportal.co.za
• Phone / WhatsApp: 065 941 5624
• Address: Cape Town, South Africa

Questions about these Terms can be directed to the above channels, marked for the attention of the Information Officer.