Startershive strives to make every user interaction a pleasure by ensuring that we fulfil our duties and obligations to every single one of our valued users. In order to do so, we would like to take this opportunity to share with you our Terms and Conditions of Use and Service (“Terms”), where all users of Startershive can see the exact details of how we value professional transparency and devotion in all of our operations.
Please see our distinct sections on Privacy, Intellectual Property, and Disclaimers & Indemnities.
Please read these terms carefully before accessing or using the Website and/or Services.
A. These Terms govern the access and/or use by you, an individual, from within the Republic of South Africa (“South Africa”) of websites, content, products, and services (“Services”) made available by Startershive (Pty) Ltd (registration number: [PLACEHOLDER — to be updated on registration]) (“Startershive”).
B. The terms “user”, “you” and “your” are used interchangeably in these Terms and refer to all persons accessing the Services for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, the terms “us”, “our” or “we” are used to refer to Startershive or its possession.
C. Not all terms are necessarily defined in order.
D. These terms were last updated on 1 May 2026.
1.1. Your access and use of the Website and/or Services constitutes your agreement to be bound by these Terms, which establishes a contractual relationship between you and Startershive. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Services.
1.2. These Terms expressly supersede prior agreements or arrangements with you. Startershive may immediately terminate these Terms or any Services with respect to you, or generally cease offering or deny you access to the Services or any portion thereof, at any time, for any reason.
1.3. Supplemental terms may apply to certain Services, such as policies for a particular event, activity or promotion, and such supplemental terms will be disclosed to you in connection with the applicable Services. Supplemental terms are in addition to and shall be deemed incorporated into the Terms for the purposes of the Services.
1.4. Startershive may amend the Terms related to the Services from time to time. Amendments will be effective upon Startershive’s posting of such updated Terms at this location or the amended policies or supplemental terms on the applicable Service. Your continued access or use of the Services after such posting constitutes your consent to be bound by the Terms, as amended.
1.5. Our collection and use of personal information in connection with the Services is as provided in Startershive’s Privacy Policy provisions. Startershive may provide to a third-party any necessary information (including your contact information) to render aspects of the Services, or if there is a complaint, dispute or conflict which requires the information.
2.1. Startershive is a technology platform that connects people with complementary skills for hardware, maker, and technical projects. Users may create skill profiles, post project listings, and make contact with other users. The platform facilitates discovery and connection between individuals; it does not employ users, broker transactions, or manage any financial exchange between parties.
2.2. Unless otherwise agreed by Startershive in a separate written agreement with you, the Services are made available solely for your personal, non-commercial use.
3.1. All interactions between users of the Services are performed between private individuals. Startershive is not a party to any agreement, collaboration, or transaction entered into between users who connect through the platform.
3.2. By making use of the Services, you do so entirely at your own risk and via direct engagement with other registered users of the Services. Startershive is in no way responsible for the conduct, output, or agreements of its users.
3.3. Subject to adherence to the Terms, Startershive grants to you a personal, non-exclusive, non-assignable and non-transferable licence to use and display all content and information contained on the Website on any machine which you are the primary user. However, nothing contained on the Website should be construed as granting any licence or right to use any intellectual property without the prior written permission of Startershive.
3.4. The Services may be made available or accessed in connection with third-party services and content that Startershive does not control. You acknowledge that different terms of use and privacy policies may apply to your use of such third-party services and content. Startershive does not endorse such third-party services and content and in no event shall Startershive be responsible or liable for any products or services of such third-party providers.
4.1. In order to use most aspects of the Services, a user must register for and maintain an active personal user Services account (“Account”).
4.2. You must be at least 18 (eighteen) years of age to obtain and use an Account.
4.3. Account registration requires you to submit to Startershive certain personal information, such as your name and email address.
4.4. You agree to maintain accurate, complete, and up-to-date information on your Account.
4.5. Your failure to maintain accurate, complete, and up-to-date Account information may result in your inability to access and use the Services or Startershive’s termination of these Terms with you.
4.6. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your Account, and you agree to maintain the security and secrecy of your Account credentials at all times.
4.7. Unless otherwise permitted by Startershive in writing, you may only register one Account in your name.
4.8. You may not authorise third-parties to use your Account and you may not assign or otherwise transfer your Account to any other person or entity.
4.9. You agree to comply with all applicable laws when using the Services and you may only use the Services for lawful purposes.
4.10. You are responsible for obtaining the data network access necessary to use the Services. Startershive does not guarantee that the Services, or any portion thereof, will function on any particular hardware or device.
5.1. Startershive may suspend the Services in any of the following cases without prior notice for any period it determines in its discretion (each a “Suspension Event”) if it considers it necessary or desirable to do so:
5.1.1. as a result of any prohibited use which is in contravention of any laws or these Terms;
5.1.2. to comply with law, whether or not following a change in applicable law or regulator guidance.
5.2. If a Suspension Event occurs, Startershive can suspend one or more Services to one or more (or all) users for so long as Startershive determines, in good faith, as is required or prudent in view of the interests of Startershive and its users.
5.3. Startershive will not be liable to any user or other person for any loss (including any loss of profit), liability or inconvenience arising as a result of any Suspension Event.
6.1. By using the Website and/or the Services, you warrant that:
6.1.1. you have read and agreed to these Terms and will use the Website in accordance with them;
6.1.2. YOU WILL NOT USE THE SERVICES AND/OR THE WEBSITE TO PERFORM ANY ILLEGAL ACT OR UNLAWFUL TRANSACTION AS PER THE LAWS OF SOUTH AFRICA AND/OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
6.1.2.1. conducting or engaging in any illegal activity;
6.1.2.2. infringing our proprietary intellectual property, or the proprietary intellectual property of any other person;
6.1.2.3. engaging in any deceptive, fraudulent or malicious activity, including by launching malware or viruses, or seeking to hack into accounts of any other user;
6.1.2.4. reverse-engineering, decompiling, disabling, or disassembling any software running on the Website;
6.1.2.5. harming Startershive, any person associated with Startershive, or any third party;
6.1.3. the information provided by you is correct and lawfully yours to supply to Startershive;
6.1.4. you have not made any misrepresentations and the information provided in the registration process is true, accurate and complete;
6.1.5. you will not post, upload, replicate or transmit any abusive content on the Website that is or could reasonably be considered threatening, harassing, defamatory, abusive, racist, sexist, discriminatory, in breach of confidence, in breach of privacy or restrict any user in any way from properly using the Services;
6.1.6. you will not send any unsolicited electronic messages or use any software, routine or device to interfere or attempt to interfere electronically or manually with the operation or functionality of the Website;
6.1.7. you will not infringe any third-party or the Website’s intellectual property or other rights or transmit content that you do not own or do not have the right to publish or distribute;
6.1.8. you will not facilitate or assist any third-party to breach any of the Terms or law in general.
7.1. Data messages, including email messages, sent by you to Startershive will be considered to be received only when acknowledged or responded to.
7.2. Data messages sent by Startershive to you will be regarded as received when the complete data message enters an information system designated or used for that purpose by the recipient and is capable of being retrieved and processed by the recipient.
7.3. Startershive reserves the right not to respond to any email or other data message which contains obscene, threatening, defamatory or otherwise illegal, unlawful or inappropriate content, and to take appropriate action against the sender where necessary.
7.4. Messages sent over the internet cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure as they can be intercepted, lost or corrupted. Startershive is therefore not responsible for the accuracy of any message sent by email or the Website over the internet.
8.1. The Website may include links to other internet websites. Startershive does not own or endorse those sites and is not responsible for the information, material, products or services contained on or accessible through them.
8.2. Startershive does not purport to own content on other sites which may be referenced on the Website. Should the owner of any content want it removed, please write to [email protected] and Startershive will engage you on the removal of the content.
9.1. All material, information, data, software, icons, text, graphics, layouts, images, sound clips, video clips, trade names, logos, trademarks, designs, copyright and/or service marks (as well as the organisation and layout of the Website) together with the underlying software code (“intellectual property”) are owned (or co-owned or licensed, as the case may be) by Startershive, its members, associates and/or partners, whether directly or indirectly, and as such, are protected from infringement by domestic and international legislation and treaties.
9.2. Subject to the rights afforded to you in these Terms, all other rights to all intellectual property on the Website and related to the Services are expressly reserved. You may not copy, download, print, modify, alter, publish, broadcast, distribute, sell or transfer any intellectual property, editorial content, graphics or other material on the Website or the underlying software code whether in whole or in part, without the written consent of Startershive first being granted.
9.3. Startershive reserves the right to make improvements or changes to the intellectual property, information, layout, graphics and other materials on the Website, or to suspend or terminate the Website and/or Services, at any time without notice.
9.4. Any enquiries regarding intellectual property must be directed to [email protected].
10.1. We respect your privacy and your personal information, and will take reasonable measures to protect it, as more fully detailed below.
10.2. Should you decide to register with or function as a user on the Website or for the Services, Startershive may collect, collate, process, and use the following types of information about you:
10.2.1. Information provided by the user: Startershive collects personal information such as your name, email address, location, and other information you choose to provide in your profile or listings. When you send a contact message to another user via the platform, your email address is included in that message so the recipient can reply to you directly.
10.2.2. Information that is collected automatically: Startershive receives and stores information which is transmitted automatically from your device when you browse the Website. This includes information from cookies, your IP address, browser type, and other commonly used information-gathering tools.
10.3. Should your personal information change, please inform us and provide updates as soon as reasonably possible to enable us to update it.
10.4. You warrant that the personal information disclosed to Startershive is directly from you as the user of the Website.
10.5. Any processing of your personal information will be reserved for our legitimate business purposes and as a necessary function of your engagement with the Website and/or the Services, and you have hereby expressly consented to this, but we will not, without your express consent:
10.5.1. use your personal information for any purpose other than:
10.5.1.1. to contact you regarding current or new features or Services offered by us;
10.5.1.2. to inform you of new features or updates on the platform; or
10.5.1.3. to improve our Services and your experience on the Website.
10.5.2. disclose your personal information to any third-party other than:
10.5.2.1. to our employees and/or affiliates who assist us to interact with you and thus need to know your personal information in order to communicate with you properly;
10.5.2.2. to law enforcement, government officials, or other third-parties when we believe in good faith that the disclosure of personal information is necessary to prevent physical harm, report suspected illegal activity, or investigate violations of these Terms; and
10.5.2.3. to our service providers (under contract with us) who help with parts of our business operations. These service providers may only use your information in connection with the services they perform for us, not for their own benefit.
10.6. We are entitled to use or disclose your personal information if such use or disclosure is required in order to comply with any applicable law, subpoena, order of court or legal process served on us, or to protect and defend our rights or property.
10.7. We will ensure that all of our employees, affiliates and partners having access to your personal information are bound by appropriate and legally binding confidentiality obligations.
10.8. We will:
10.8.1. treat your personal information as strictly confidential, save where we are entitled to share it as set out in this policy;
10.8.2. take appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure that your personal information is kept secure and is protected against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage, alteration, disclosure or access;
10.8.3. provide you with reasonable access to your personal information to view and/or update personal details;
10.8.4. promptly notify you if we become aware of any unauthorised use, disclosure or processing of your personal information;
10.8.5. upon your request, promptly correct, return or destroy any and all of your personal information in our possession or control, save for that which we are legally obliged or entitled to retain.
10.9. We will not retain your personal information longer than the period for which it was originally needed, unless we are required by law to do so, or you consent to us retaining such information for a longer period.
10.10. Startershive undertakes never to sell or make your personal information available to any third-party other than as provided for in these Terms.
10.11. Whilst we will do all things reasonably necessary to protect your rights of privacy, we cannot guarantee or accept any liability whatsoever for unauthorised or unlawful disclosures of your personal information whilst in our possession, made by third-parties who are not subject to our control, unless such disclosure is as a result of our gross negligence.
10.12. This Website may make use of “cookies” to automatically collect information and data through the standard operation of internet servers. Cookies are small text files a website can use to recognise repeat users and facilitate ongoing access. If you do not want information collected through cookies, most browsers allow you to deny or accept this feature. If you do not disable cookies, you are deemed to consent to our use of any personal information collected using those cookies.
10.13. You are entitled to request access to any of your relevant personal data held by Startershive where such access is necessary for you to exercise and/or protect any of your rights. Contact us at [email protected].
11.1. The Website, including any intellectual property appearing therein, is provided “as is” and “as available”. Startershive makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties as to the accuracy, correctness or suitability of either the Website or the information contained in it.
11.2. All information or opinions of users or third-parties made available on the Website are those of the authors and not Startershive. While Startershive makes every reasonable effort to present such information accurately, Startershive does not endorse, approve or certify such information, nor guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
11.3. STARTERSHIVE, ITS MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES AND PARTNERS, ACCEPT NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY LOSS, WHETHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ARISING FROM ANY USE OF THE WEBSITE AND/OR SERVICES OR FOR INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
11.4. STARTERSHIVE, ITS MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, PARTNERS AND AFFILIATES, ACCEPT NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY COSTS, EXPENSES, FINES OR DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DIRECT OR INDIRECT LOSS OR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY ECONOMIC LOSS, CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS, LOSS OF PROFITS OR ANY FORM OF PUNITIVE DAMAGES, RESULTING FROM THE OFFERING OF THE SERVICES AND ACCESS TO, OR USE OF, THE WEBSITE IN ANY MANNER.
11.5. Startershive does not guarantee that the Website, or any portion thereof, will function on any particular hardware or device.
11.6. Startershive takes reasonable security measures to ensure the safety and integrity of the Website. However, Startershive does not warrant that your access to the Website will be uninterrupted or error free or that any material accessible through the Website will be free of bugs, viruses, or other harmful components. Your access to and use of the Website remains solely at your own risk.
12.1. YOU INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS STARTERSHIVE, ITS MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, AND PARTNERS FROM ANY DEMAND, ACTION OR PROCEEDINGS, INCLUDING FOR ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND RELATED COSTS, MADE BY ANY THIRD-PARTY AND ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR SERVICES IN ANY WAY.
12.2. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold Startershive harmless from any direct or indirect liability, loss, claim and expense (including reasonable legal fees) related to your breach of these Terms.
12.3. This clause will survive termination of this agreement.
13.1. Website owner: Startershive (Pty) Ltd
13.2. Legal status: Private company
13.3. Registration number: [PLACEHOLDER — to be updated on registration]
13.4. Director/s: Hendrik M. Botha
13.5. Description of primary business: Online platform connecting people with complementary skills for hardware, maker, and technical projects
13.6. Email address: [email protected]
13.7. Domain registration location: South Africa
13.8. Physical address: Cape Town, South Africa
14.1. Your access and/or use of the Website, any material downloaded from it and the operation of these Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of South Africa only.
14.2. Should any dispute, disagreement or claim arise between the parties concerning use of the Website or the Services, the parties shall endeavour to resolve the dispute amicably, by negotiation, and with the best interests of both parties in mind.
14.3. Should the parties fail to resolve such dispute in the aforesaid manner, the parties will approach an independent industry expert who shall mediate the discussion on their behalf.
14.4. Notwithstanding the above, both parties consent to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court of South Africa. Either party may also use the dispute resolution services of any applicable legislative tribunal or ombudsman, as provided for in applicable legislation.
14.5. The parties both agree that in no circumstance will either party publicise the dispute on any social media or other public platform.
15.1. Startershive reserves the right to terminate and cancel your Account or your use of the Website and/or the Services if you breach any of the Terms, or for any other reason.
15.2. If you wish to terminate your agreement with Startershive, you may do so by deregistering your Account and discontinuing use of the Services.
15.3. The obligations and liabilities of the parties incurred prior to the termination date shall survive the termination of this agreement for all purposes.
15.4. In the event of cancellation, Startershive will de-register your Account and remove you from the Website.
16.1. Each of the parties chooses their service address for the purposes of the giving of any notice, the serving of any process and for any other purposes arising from these Terms as being:
16.1.1. in the case of Startershive, at [email protected]; or
16.1.2. in the case of the user, at the email address provided by the user to Startershive in the registration process.
16.2. The term “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in South Africa.
17.1. This document contains the entire agreement between the parties in relation to the subject matter hereof. No alteration, cancellation, variation of, or addition hereto will be of any force or effect unless reduced to writing and signed by all the parties or their duly authorised representatives.
17.2. No indulgence, leniency or extension of time granted by Startershive shall constitute a waiver of any of Startershive’s rights under these Terms.
17.3. Words importing the singular will include the plural and vice versa. Words importing one gender will include the other genders, and words importing persons will include partnerships, trusts and bodies corporate, and vice versa.
17.4. The headings to the paragraphs of the Terms are inserted for reference purposes only and will not affect the interpretation of any of the provisions to which they relate.
17.5. Should you have any complaints or queries, kindly address an email to [email protected].
17.6. Each sentence, paragraph, term, clause and provision of these Terms and any portion thereof shall be considered severable and if, for any reason, any such sentence, paragraph, term, clause or provision is held to be invalid, contrary to, or in conflict with any applicable present or future law or regulation or in terms of a final, binding judgment issued by any court, it shall to that extent be deemed not to form part hereof and shall not impair the operation of, or have any effect upon such other sentence, paragraph, term, clause or provision hereof as may otherwise remain valid or intelligible, which shall continue to be given full force and effect and bind the parties hereto.
17.7. No term or condition of these Terms is intended to breach any peremptory provisions of any consumer protection legislation and any regulations thereto.
(End of Terms and Conditions)