1. About these Terms
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Wielo platform — our website, apps and related services (the “Platform”), operated by Wielo Platform (Pty) Ltd. By creating an account, listing a property or experience, making a booking, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.
2. What Wielo is — and is not
Wielo is a management and direct-booking platform. We give hosts the tools to list, price, manage calendars and policies, take payment, and communicate with guests directly. Wielo is not a travel agent or tour operator, and is not a party to the agreement between a host and a guest — that contract is concluded directly between them. Wielo does not own, control or inspect any listing, and is not responsible for the condition, legality, safety or accuracy of any listing. Hosts pay a flat subscription fee; Wielo does not take a per-booking commission.
3. Eligibility and your account
You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter into a binding contract. You are responsible for the accuracy of your information, for keeping your login credentials secure, and for all activity under your account. Some features require a verified email address.
4. Host obligations
As a host you are responsible for the accuracy of your listings; for complying with all applicable laws, licensing, insurance and tax obligations (income tax, and VAT where applicable); for the safety, condition and legality of the property or experience; and for honouring every confirmed booking. Where you process a guest’s personal information you act as the Responsible Party and Wielo acts as your Operator under Schedule A.
5. Guest obligations
As a guest you agree to provide accurate booking information, pay in full and on time, comply with the listing’s house rules and cancellation policy, treat the property with care and be responsible for any damage you cause, and respect the host’s and neighbours’ rights to privacy and quiet enjoyment.
6. Bookings and payments
Wielo facilitates direct bookings between guests and hosts. Payments are processed by Paystack, PayPal or manual EFT, under those providers’ own terms. Amounts are displayed in South African Rand unless stated otherwise, and prices are calculated and confirmed by Wielo at the time of booking.
7. Cancellations and refunds
Each listing displays a cancellation policy chosen by the host, and the version you accept forms part of your agreement with the host. Refunds, where due, are calculated against that policy and processed via the original payment method. Nothing in a host’s policy limits your rights under the Consumer Protection Act. Disputes that cannot be resolved between guest and host may be escalated to Wielo for good-faith review.
8. Subscriptions and billing (hosts)
Host subscriptions auto-renew at the displayed price until cancelled. You may cancel at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. A failed renewal enters a five-day grace period before paid features are restricted. We give reasonable prior notice of any price change, which takes effect at your next renewal.
9. No founding offer and no price-lock
There is no Founding Host offer. The founding programme, founding pricing and the founding price-lock are withdrawn in full, and no enrolment is open. Every host is on a standard plan at the published price. No price-lock is offered to anyone: subscription pricing may change for any host, subject to the reasonable prior notice in clause 8, and a changed price takes effect at the next renewal after that notice.
10. Reviews and user content
Reviews must be honest, first-hand and lawful; you must not post or induce false, incentivised or manipulated reviews. How Wielo collects, verifies and displays reviews is set out in our Review Disclosure. You retain rights in content you upload but grant Wielo a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host and display it for the purpose of operating, promoting and improving the Platform.
11. Acceptable use
You may not use the Platform to publish unlawful, fraudulent, discriminatory or misleading content; to circumvent Wielo’s fee structure or take bookings off-platform to avoid subscription obligations; to scrape or harvest data; to introduce malware or breach security; to impersonate any person; or to harass other users or our staff.
12. Suspension, disclaimers and liability
We may suspend or terminate accounts that breach these Terms, that pose a safety, legal or fraud risk, or where required by law. The Platform is provided “as is”. To the maximum extent permitted by law, and subject to any liability that cannot lawfully be limited, Wielo’s total liability is limited to the fees you have paid to Wielo in the 12 months preceding the claim. Nothing here excludes rights that cannot lawfully be excluded, including under the Consumer Protection Act.
13. Changes, governing law and contact
We may update these Terms; material changes are communicated by email or in-app notice at least 14 days before they take effect, and the version you accept at booking is recorded. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa; disputes will be resolved in the courts of Cape Town unless mandatory consumer-protection law provides otherwise. Questions: legal@wielo.co.za.
Schedule A — Host Data-Processing (Operator) Terms (POPIA §20–21)
Where a host collects a guest’s personal information through the Platform, the host is the Responsible Party and Wielo is the Operator, processing on the host’s documented instructions. Wielo processes guest data only to provide the Platform; keeps authorised persons under confidentiality; maintains reasonable security (POPIA §19) including encryption in transit and of sensitive fields; may engage sub-operators (hosting, payment and email providers) under comparable obligations; processes data in Frankfurt on the §72 basis in the Privacy Policy; notifies the host without undue delay of a security compromise (POPIA §22); assists with data-subject requests; and returns or deletes guest data on termination except where the law requires retention. The host must have a lawful basis to collect the data and must not instruct unlawful processing.