1. Definitions and interpretation
“Account” means a registered TryBookAfrica account used to access account features, bookings, saved information or supplier functionality.
“Booking” means a reservation, purchase request or confirmed transaction for a Product made through the Platform or through a booking route presented by the Platform.
“Booking Confirmation” means the electronic confirmation issued by TryBookAfrica, the Supplier or an authorised booking system after a booking has been accepted and, where required, paid or otherwise secured.
“Platform” means TryBookAfrica.com, associated websites, mobile applications, supplier portals, traveller accounts, booking interfaces, APIs and related digital services operated or authorised by TryBookAfrica.
“Product” means any accommodation, safari, tour, activity, attraction, restaurant experience, transport service, transfer, vehicle rental, travel service or other tourism-related offering displayed or bookable through the Platform.
“Supplier” means an independent tourism business, operator, establishment, service provider or other third party that lists or provides a Product through or in connection with the Platform.
“Traveller” or “you” means the person who accesses the Platform or makes, manages or is included in a Booking.
“TryBookAfrica”, “we”, “us” or “our” means the South African legal entity that owns and/or operates the Platform, together with authorised affiliates and service providers where applicable.
“Local Mandatory Law” means any law, regulation, consumer right, privacy rule, licensing requirement, tax rule, payment rule, tourism rule or court/authority requirement that applies to the relevant user, transaction, Product or jurisdiction and cannot lawfully be excluded by contract.
Unless the context requires otherwise, singular includes plural; headings are for convenience; references to legislation include amendments and replacements; and “including” does not limit the scope of the preceding words.
2. Acceptance and electronic contracting
By accessing, browsing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms to the extent permitted by applicable law. When you make a Booking, you additionally accept the booking-specific terms displayed before completion, the Supplier’s applicable terms, the cancellation and refund rules shown at checkout, and the Booking Confirmation.
Where you make a Booking for other Travellers, you represent that you have authority to provide their information and accept these Terms on their behalf to the extent permitted by law.
Electronic communications, electronic records, click-wrap acceptance, account actions, confirmations and other electronic records may form part of the contractual record where legally effective in the relevant jurisdiction.
If any electronic contracting step is legally required to contain prescribed disclosures, consent wording, cooling-off information or other notices in a particular jurisdiction, the applicable local process will prevail.
3. About TryBookAfrica and our role
TryBookAfrica is intended to operate as an African travel technology and tourism booking platform. It provides a digital marketplace through which travellers can discover, compare and, where available, book Products supplied by independent Suppliers.
TryBookAfrica may act, depending on the Product and transaction structure, as a digital marketplace, technology provider, booking facilitator, payment facilitator, agent/intermediary or another disclosed service provider. The applicable role will be stated where relevant in the booking flow, Supplier agreement or Booking Confirmation.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, TryBookAfrica does not itself own, operate or manage every hotel, lodge, safari, tour, restaurant, attraction or transport service displayed on the Platform. The Supplier remains responsible for delivering the relevant Product, subject to applicable law and the booking-specific terms.
TryBookAfrica may also provide destination information, maps, search functions, recommendations, ratings, reviews, content and other decision-support tools. Such functionality is intended to assist the Traveller and is not, by itself, a guarantee or endorsement of a Supplier or Product.
4. Eligibility and authority
Unless a Product or Local Mandatory Law requires otherwise, the Platform may only be used to make a Booking by persons who are legally capable of entering into the relevant transaction. Where a minimum age is required, the applicable minimum age will be displayed.
You must not use the Platform if doing so is prohibited by the law applicable to you or your location. You are responsible for ensuring that the Product selected is legally available to you and suitable for the intended travellers.
5. Accounts and security
Certain functionality, including booking management and supplier tools, may require an Account. You agree to provide accurate, complete and current information and to update it when necessary.
You are responsible for safeguarding login credentials, verification codes and devices used to access your Account. You must promptly notify us if you suspect unauthorised access, fraud or compromise.
We may rely on instructions received through the verified contact details or Account associated with a Booking, subject to reasonable security procedures and Local Mandatory Law.
We may suspend or secure an Account where reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, protect the Platform or users, comply with law, investigate suspicious activity or address a breach of these Terms.
6. The TryBookAfrica platform
The Platform is designed around a simple traveller journey: explore, search, discover, compare, choose, book, sign in/create an account when required, pay, receive confirmation, manage the Booking and travel. Users may browse before creating an Account, subject to functionality available at the time.
The Platform may evolve. We may add, remove, modify or test functionality, categories, destinations, booking methods, payment options, search features and supplier tools, provided we respect any contractual rights and Local Mandatory Law.
We use reasonable operational and technical measures to maintain service quality. We do not promise that the Platform will always be uninterrupted, available, secure or error-free.
7. Supplier listings and independent suppliers
Suppliers are independent third parties. Each Supplier is responsible for the accuracy, legality, availability, quality, safety, licensing and fulfilment of its Product, except to the extent TryBookAfrica has expressly assumed a responsibility in writing or applicable law imposes one upon us.
Suppliers must complete the category-specific onboarding process prescribed by TryBookAfrica and provide the information, documents and declarations required for their Supplier category and jurisdiction. A Supplier may not decide unilaterally that other information is sufficient where TryBookAfrica requires specific mandatory fields or documents.
TryBookAfrica may conduct verification and quality-control checks, including verification of business registration, tourism registration, operating licences, tax information, official profiles or other credible supporting information. Verification is not an unconditional guarantee of ongoing Supplier performance.
TryBookAfrica may correct, restrict, suspend or remove listings that are materially inaccurate, misleading, unlawful, unsafe, unavailable, fraudulent or otherwise non-compliant.
8. Bookings and contracts with suppliers
Unless the booking flow expressly states otherwise, the underlying tourism service contract is between the Traveller and the Supplier. TryBookAfrica provides the Platform and the booking/payment services described at the relevant stage.
A Booking is not complete merely because an availability screen has been viewed or a request has been submitted. The Booking becomes binding when the applicable confirmation condition has occurred, such as Supplier acceptance, instant-booking confirmation, payment confirmation or another condition displayed at checkout.
For Request to Book or Contact Supplier products, additional communication or acceptance may be required before a contract is formed. For External Website products, the Traveller may enter into the booking directly with the external provider subject to that provider’s terms.
Before completing a Booking, you should review the Product description, price, taxes and charges, cancellation/no-show rules, payment schedule, Supplier rules, age or occupancy rules, check-in/check-out requirements, experience requirements, transport conditions and other booking-specific terms.
9. Product-specific terms
Because different tourism products have materially different legal and operational characteristics, the booking page may contain additional terms. If a Product-specific term conflicts with a general term in this document, the Product-specific term will apply to the extent of the conflict, subject to Local Mandatory Law.
Additional terms may apply to accommodation, safaris and wildlife, tours and activities, attractions, restaurants, transport and transfers, car rental, flights or other travel services where offered. Travel insurance, visa assistance, payment services and third-party financial products may also be subject to their own policy or service terms.
10. Prices, taxes, charges and currency
Prices displayed on the Platform are intended to show the amount payable for the selected Product and may include or exclude certain taxes, service charges or mandatory fees depending on the jurisdiction and Supplier. The checkout flow will identify material additional amounts known to us at the time.
Prices may be displayed in different currencies for convenience. Currency conversion may be based on rates or mechanisms disclosed at checkout. Banks, card schemes and payment providers may apply additional foreign-exchange or cross-border fees not controlled by TryBookAfrica.
If an obvious pricing or technical error occurs, we may correct it. Where legally permissible, a materially erroneous price may result in cancellation and a refund of amounts actually received for the affected Booking, rather than enforcement of an obviously unintended price.
11. Payment processing and settlement
Payment arrangements depend on the Product and payment architecture. A Supplier may require upfront payment, partial payment, payment on arrival, a deposit, pre-authorisation or another payment structure. The applicable method will be displayed before completion where practicable.
Payments may be processed by regulated or approved third-party payment providers. TryBookAfrica may not store full payment-card credentials where the payment provider is responsible for processing them. The payment provider’s operational rules, card-network rules and applicable law also govern the payment transaction.
Where TryBookAfrica collects funds on behalf of or in connection with a Supplier, the commercial relationship, timing of Supplier settlement, commissions, fees, chargebacks and reserves will be governed by the applicable Supplier agreement and payment terms.
For cross-border transactions, additional banking, exchange-control, tax or remittance rules may apply. TryBookAfrica may withhold or deduct amounts required by law or agreed commercially.
12. Cancellation, amendment, no-show and refunds
Cancellation rights and fees are determined by the booking-specific cancellation policy shown before completion, together with any rights that Local Mandatory Law grants you. Some Bookings may be fully refundable, partially refundable, non-refundable or subject to a deadline or tiered cancellation charge.
If no cancellation policy is displayed, the Traveller should contact TryBookAfrica before assuming that a refund is available. We will apply the policy recorded for the Booking and any overriding legal rights.
Refunds will generally be processed to the original payment method or another lawful method. The timing can depend on the Supplier, payment provider, card issuer, bank and applicable law. We will not represent that a refund is complete until the applicable process has occurred.
Where a refund is owed by a Supplier and TryBookAfrica has not yet received funds necessary to effect that refund, we may assist in recovering the amount, without limiting any right the Traveller may have directly against the Supplier under applicable law.
Changes to dates, guest numbers, rooms, seats or Product details may be subject to availability, price differences, administrative charges or Supplier terms.
13. Supplier cancellation, failure and substitution
If a Supplier cannot honour a confirmed Booking, TryBookAfrica may, where reasonably practicable, assist with an alternative Product or a refund in accordance with the applicable booking terms and Local Mandatory Law.
TryBookAfrica does not guarantee that an alternative will always be available or comparable. Where an alternative is offered, additional payment or a refund of the price difference may apply according to the circumstances and applicable rights.
If the failure is caused by a Supplier’s breach, the Supplier may remain directly responsible to the Traveller. TryBookAfrica may assist with communication, evidence gathering, recovery or other support within the scope of our role.
14. Traveller responsibilities
You are responsible for selecting Products that meet your needs and for checking the booking details before confirmation. You are also responsible for providing correct names, dates, passenger information, contact details and other information requested for the booking.
You must comply with reasonable Supplier rules, safety instructions, property rules, age requirements, occupancy limits, damage rules and applicable local laws. The person making a group Booking is responsible for ensuring that other travellers know the applicable terms and, where appropriate, for obtaining the necessary authority to provide their information.
You must not make fake, speculative, duplicate, fraudulent or abusive Bookings; misuse promotional pricing; circumvent platform controls; impersonate another person; or interfere with the operation of the Platform.
15. Travel documents, visas, health and insurance
Unless a specific service expressly includes these arrangements, each Traveller is responsible for obtaining valid passports, visas, permits, entry approvals, vaccination or health documentation, licences and other travel documents required for the journey.
TryBookAfrica may provide general destination information or links to official resources, but such information is not a substitute for confirmation from the relevant embassy, immigration authority, health authority, carrier or other competent authority.
Travel involves risks including illness, injury, cancellation, delay, loss, theft, weather, political events and other disruptions. Travellers are responsible for deciding whether suitable travel insurance is appropriate and for complying with the policy terms where insurance is purchased.
16. Safety, accessibility and special requirements
Suppliers are responsible for providing safe Products in compliance with the laws applicable to them. Because individual facilities and activities differ, Travellers should communicate accessibility, dietary, medical, mobility, age, pregnancy or other special requirements before booking where relevant.
TryBookAfrica will communicate requests to the Supplier where our systems and the booking permit, but we cannot guarantee that every request will be available unless it is expressly confirmed in writing.
17. Complaints and service recovery
We encourage Travellers to report material problems as soon as possible, preferably while the issue is still capable of being resolved. A complaint should include the Booking reference, relevant details, evidence where available, and the outcome requested.
Where a complaint concerns the delivery of a third-party Product, TryBookAfrica may refer the matter to the Supplier while assisting through our support process. Where the law requires TryBookAfrica to provide a remedy, that legal obligation will apply.
We may attempt to facilitate goodwill solutions, credits, alternative arrangements or partial refunds, but such assistance will not automatically create a precedent or waive legal rights unless expressly agreed.
18. Reviews, ratings and user content
Where enabled, reviews and ratings should reflect genuine experience and must be accurate, lawful and relevant. Users must not post false reviews, review their own business, manipulate ratings, threaten Suppliers for favourable reviews, or submit content that infringes rights or contains malicious code.
By submitting content that you are legally entitled to provide, you grant TryBookAfrica a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, reproduce, display, adapt for formatting and distribute that content for Platform, customer-service, safety, quality-control and marketing purposes, subject to applicable privacy and intellectual-property law.
We may remove or restrict content where reasonably necessary for legal compliance, safety, relevance, privacy, authenticity or Platform integrity.
19. Acceptable use and prohibited conduct
Use the Platform only for lawful tourism-related purposes and in accordance with these Terms.
Do not scrape, crawl, harvest, reproduce or systematically extract Platform data except where expressly authorised in writing or permitted by law.
Do not use bots, automated booking tools or AI agents to place Bookings or materially burden Platform systems unless expressly authorised.
Do not introduce malware, viruses, code or other mechanisms designed to compromise the Platform or another user.
Do not use the Platform to facilitate fraud, money laundering, sanctions evasion, trafficking, exploitation, harassment, discrimination, violence or other unlawful conduct.
Do not circumvent commissions, booking controls, security measures or Supplier restrictions through deceptive or abusive methods.
Do not use contact details or other Platform information for unsolicited commercial communications contrary to applicable law.
20. Intellectual property
The Platform, including its software, databases, design, branding, logos, trademarks, text, graphics, interfaces, compilation and other original content, is owned by TryBookAfrica or its licensors and is protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.
Users receive a limited, revocable, non-transferable right to access the Platform for its intended purpose. No ownership is transferred to a user. Except as permitted by law, you may not copy, adapt, reverse engineer, reproduce, publish, frame, distribute or commercially exploit the Platform or its protected content without permission.
Suppliers remain responsible for having the rights required for business names, images, descriptions, videos, logos and other materials supplied to TryBookAfrica. The Supplier grants TryBookAfrica the permissions necessary to display, market and operate those materials for the agreed Platform services.
21. Personal information and privacy
Personal information will be processed in accordance with TryBookAfrica’s Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law. In South Africa, the privacy framework includes POPIA and related requirements; in other countries, applicable local data-protection law may impose additional or different obligations.
Information may be shared with Suppliers, payment providers, technology providers, customer-support partners, fraud-prevention services, regulators or other parties where reasonably necessary for the Booking, Platform operation, legal compliance or another lawful purpose, subject to applicable law.
TryBookAfrica will use appropriate technical and organisational measures proportionate to the nature of the information and risks. Cross-border transfers will be handled in accordance with applicable law and contractual safeguards where required.
Where automated tools, ranking, recommendations or other AI-assisted processing are used, TryBookAfrica will operate them subject to applicable law and appropriate human oversight, review and security controls.
22. Marketing and electronic communications
We may send service communications necessary to operate an Account or Booking, such as confirmations, amendments, security notices and important service messages.
Promotional communications will be sent subject to applicable marketing and electronic-communications law and the consent, opt-out or other legal basis required in the relevant jurisdiction.
You may be able to manage marketing preferences through the Platform or unsubscribe using the mechanism provided in the communication, except where the message is necessary for the delivery or security of a service.
23. Fraud, sanctions, AML and verification
TryBookAfrica may perform identity, business, payment, fraud, sanctions, anti-money-laundering or other verification checks where reasonably necessary for safety, risk management, legal compliance or payment processing.
A Supplier or Traveller may be asked to provide evidence reasonably required by the applicable compliance process. Failure to provide required evidence may delay, restrict or prevent a Booking or Supplier activation where legally permitted.
We may refuse or suspend transactions where we reasonably suspect fraud, sanctions exposure, abuse, unlawful conduct or a material security risk, subject to applicable law.
24. Availability, outages and cybersecurity
The Platform may be affected by maintenance, telecommunications failures, third-party service outages, cyber incidents, force majeure events and other matters beyond our reasonable control. We will take reasonable steps to restore affected services and protect information.
Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded for negligent or unlawful conduct, security failures or other matters for which Local Mandatory Law imposes responsibility.
25. Third-party services and external links
The Platform may link to external websites or integrate third-party services. Those services may have separate terms and privacy notices. TryBookAfrica is not responsible for third-party websites or services to the extent the law permits, but remains responsible for obligations imposed directly upon TryBookAfrica by Local Mandatory Law.
Where an External Website booking route is used, the external provider may be the party contracting with the Traveller and may apply its own booking and cancellation terms.
26. Disclaimers
TryBookAfrica takes reasonable steps to maintain useful, current and reliable Platform information, but some information originates from Suppliers or other third parties. We do not guarantee that every listing, price, availability status, destination statement, review or other item of information is complete, current or error-free at all times.
The Platform is not a substitute for official government, immigration, health, safety, transport or regulatory advice. Travellers must verify matters material to their journey with the competent authority or Supplier.
Nothing in this clause limits any statutory warranty, consumer right or other protection that Local Mandatory Law makes incapable of exclusion.
27. Liability
TryBookAfrica will be responsible for losses to the extent directly caused by our breach of these Terms, negligence, wilful misconduct or other conduct for which we are legally responsible. The scope of liability will be determined subject to Local Mandatory Law.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, TryBookAfrica is not liable for losses arising solely from a Supplier’s failure to deliver a Product, incorrect Supplier information, a Traveller’s own acts or omissions, events outside reasonable control, or third-party services that TryBookAfrica does not operate.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, TryBookAfrica will not be liable for indirect, special or consequential losses or loss of profit, revenue, opportunity or reputation arising from the use of the Platform or a third-party Product, except where such limitation is prohibited by law.
Any liability cap must be applied only to the extent legally permissible. For South African consumers, any exclusion, limitation or indemnity is subject to the Consumer Protection Act, other applicable law, and any requirement for clear and conspicuous disclosure.
28. Indemnity
To the extent permitted by law, a Supplier or other commercial user agrees to indemnify TryBookAfrica against third-party claims, losses, fines, penalties, costs and expenses arising from that party’s unlawful conduct, infringement of third-party rights, materially false information, failure to provide a Product, breach of its Supplier obligations, or breach of these Terms.
Traveller indemnities, if applicable, will be limited to losses arising from the Traveller’s unlawful conduct, fraud, deliberate misuse of the Platform or infringement of third-party rights. No indemnity applies to the extent prohibited by Local Mandatory Law.
29. Suspension and termination
You may stop using the Platform at any time. Account closure does not automatically cancel or remove existing Booking obligations unless the booking is separately cancelled in accordance with the applicable cancellation terms.
TryBookAfrica may suspend or terminate access where reasonably necessary for legal compliance, security, fraud prevention, abuse, non-payment, material breach or protection of the Platform and its users.
Termination does not affect rights or obligations that accrued before termination, including payment obligations, valid cancellation charges, refunds, confidentiality, intellectual-property rights, dispute provisions and other clauses intended to survive termination.
30. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms to reflect legal, operational, technical or commercial changes. Material changes will be communicated or made effective in a manner required by applicable law.
Changes will not retroactively alter a Booking already confirmed unless the change is required by law, agreed with the Traveller, or reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, protect security or address an error and is legally permissible.
The effective date displayed at the top of the current Terms indicates the version applicable to future use and Bookings.
31. Governing law, local mandatory law and jurisdiction
Subject to the protections and mandatory rules that apply to a Traveller or transaction, the relationship between TryBookAfrica and the user concerning the Platform is intended to be governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
However, a choice of South African law does not exclude Local Mandatory Law that applies to a consumer, Supplier, Product or transaction and cannot lawfully be waived. Where a local consumer, data-protection, tourism, electronic-commerce, payment, employment, safety or other law gives the user a non-waivable protection, that protection remains available.
For commercial disputes between TryBookAfrica and a Supplier, the Supplier Agreement may specify a South African forum or another forum agreed in writing, subject to applicable law. Consumer disputes may be brought before any court, tribunal, ombud, regulator or other forum that Local Mandatory Law gives the consumer a right to use.
32. Cross-border and country-specific compliance
TryBookAfrica is intended for expansion across African markets. No single contract can lawfully replace the country-specific requirements that may apply to tourism, consumer protection, data protection, tax, payment services, foreign exchange, insurance, transport, licensing, advertising or dispute resolution in each country.
Accordingly, the Master Terms are to be read together with any country supplement, product-specific rules, Supplier Agreement, Privacy Notice and other mandatory disclosures applicable to the relevant transaction.
TryBookAfrica will maintain a compliance process under which launch in a country is subject to country-specific legal review proportionate to the Products and payment flows offered there.
33. Dispute resolution and escalation
We prefer complaints to be resolved quickly through customer support. A complaint should first be submitted through the official support channel and, where appropriate, the Supplier should also be given a fair opportunity to respond.
Where a dispute remains unresolved, the parties may use an applicable ombud, regulator, accredited alternative dispute-resolution service, mediation or other statutory mechanism where available or required.
Nothing in these Terms prevents a consumer from exercising a statutory right to approach a competent court, regulator, tribunal or other forum, or from relying on mandatory consumer-protection procedures.
34. General legal provisions
Entire agreement: These Terms, the booking-specific terms, applicable Supplier terms, the Privacy Policy and any other expressly incorporated terms form the contractual framework for use of the Platform and the relevant Booking.
Severability: If any provision is unlawful or unenforceable in a jurisdiction, it will be modified or severed only to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions continue to apply.
No waiver: A failure to enforce a right immediately is not a waiver of that right.
Assignment: TryBookAfrica may assign or transfer its rights and obligations as part of a restructuring, financing, sale or transfer of the Platform, subject to applicable law. A user may not assign a consumer Booking without the required consent.
No partnership: These Terms do not create a partnership, employment, joint venture or fiduciary relationship unless expressly agreed.
Language: English is the master drafting language for the Platform, subject to Local Mandatory Law and any mandatory language requirement in a jurisdiction.
Notices: Legal notices may be provided electronically where lawful. Statutory notices will be given in the manner required by the applicable law.
35. Contact and legal notices
TryBookAfrica [Pty] Ltd Registration No.: 2021/652846/07 Website: TryBookAfrica.com Legal email: legal@trybookafrica.com Registered office: 320 Slate Crescent Stoneridge Centurion Effective date: 01 November 2026