Terms of Use

Welcome to the TORCH Collective platform ("Platform"), operated by Business Direct Media ("TORCH", "we", "our"). By accessing or using our Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. Please read them carefully.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By registering for or using the TORCH Platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, you may not access or use the Platform.

2. Eligibility

The TORCH Platform is available to:

• Registered South African tour operators and travel agencies
• Hotels, lodges, and accommodation providers operating in Africa
• Any entity approved by TORCH Collective administration

You must be at least 18 years old and authorised to enter into binding agreements on behalf of your organisation.

3. Account Registration

To use the Platform, you must complete a membership application and be approved by TORCH. You are responsible for:

• Providing accurate and complete registration information
• Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying TORCH immediately of any unauthorised account use

4. Platform Usage

You agree to use the TORCH Platform solely for legitimate business purposes related to tourism bookings and rate management. You may not:

• Share TORCH-negotiated rates with non-members
• Submit false or fraudulent booking information
• Attempt to circumvent or manipulate the tier calculation system
• Use the Platform to harm, harass, or defraud other members
• Reverse engineer, copy, or reproduce any part of the Platform

5. Rate Charts & Bookings

Rate charts published on the Platform are confidential and exclusively for TORCH members. All bookings submitted must reflect genuine reservations. TORCH reserves the right to audit booking submissions and remove members found to be submitting fraudulent data.

6. Intellectual Property

The TORCH Platform, including all software, design, content, and rate data, is the intellectual property of Business Direct Media. Members retain ownership of their own operational data submitted to the Platform.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Platform for your business operations during your active membership period.

7. Membership Fees

Tour operator members are subject to a monthly membership fee as communicated upon approval. Failure to maintain payment may result in account suspension. Hotel and lodge partners are not subject to membership fees under the current model.

8. Termination

TORCH may suspend or terminate your account at any time for:

• Breach of these Terms of Use
• Non-payment of membership fees
• Fraudulent or misleading conduct
• Any activity deemed harmful to the TORCH Collective

You may terminate your membership at any time with 30 days written notice to TORCH.

9. Limitation of Liability

TORCH provides the Platform on an "as is" basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law, TORCH shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Platform.

10. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved, disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of South Africa.

11. Changes to Terms

TORCH reserves the right to update these Terms of Use at any time. Members will be notified of material changes via the Platform's notification system.

12. Governing Law

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, including the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA) and the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) where applicable.

13. Contact

For questions regarding these Terms of Use, please contact us at support@torchcollective.co.za or visit our contact page.