Terms of Service

1.1 Marketplace Intermediary: MzansiEats operates solely as a digital SaaS platform connecting independent local kitchens, bakers, and artisans ("Merchants") with consumers ("Customers"). MzansiEats does not prepare, bake, cook, store, package, or inspect any food or physical product listed on the storefronts.

1.2 Limitation of Liability: MzansiEats accepts no legal or financial liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from transactions between Merchants and Customers. This includes, but is not limited to, late order deliveries, order cancellations, quality dissatisfaction, food safety issues, or payment disputes.

2.1 Merchant Responsibility: Merchants warrant that all food prepared and fulfilled through MzansiEats strictly complies with applicable South African food hygiene standards, municipal health bylaws, and Certificate of Acceptability regulations.

2.2 Dietary Claims & Halaal Standards: Merchants declaring specific diet standards (e.g., "Strictly Halaal", "Vegan", "Gluten-Free") are solely responsible for verifying their ingredient supply chains and prep environments. MzansiEats is not liable for cross-contamination or false dietary claims made by individual Merchants.

2.3 Customer Allergen Warning: Customers with severe food allergies must contact the Merchant directly via WhatsApp or Phone prior to placing an order. Meals are prepared in independent kitchens where common allergens (nuts, dairy, gluten, shellfish) may be present.

3.1 Monthly SaaS Subscription: Merchants pay a flat monthly subscription fee to list their kitchen, access realtime kitchen management tools, and generate customer checkout links. Subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring monthly cycle.

3.2 Grace Periods & Account Deactivation: Subscriptions carry a 5-day grace period for failed payments. If payment is not settled within the grace period, the Merchant's storefront status will automatically revert to `is_subscribed: false`, hiding the store from the live customer feed until reactivated.

3.3 Cancellation: Merchants may cancel their monthly subscription at any time via the Merchant Dashboard. No partial refunds are issued for unused days remaining in an active monthly billing period.

4.1 Order Acceptance & Timelines: Placing an order submits a request to the kitchen. The contract of sale is finalized once the Merchant updates the order status to "Confirmed" with an estimated prep timeline.

4.2 Zero Platform Refund Liability: MzansiEats does not collect food revenues or manage refund disbursements. All food preparation, fulfillment, pricing, and refund disputes are strictly the responsibility of the individual Merchant.

4.3 Direct Settlement: MzansiEats is not liable for issuing cash, digital refunds, or credits for incorrect, missing, cold, late, or unfulfilled orders. Any request for a refund, replacement, or compensation must be negotiated directly with the Merchant at the time of pickup or delivery.