1. Agreement to these Terms
These Terms of Use (“Terms”) form a binding agreement between you and SA Verified News (“we”, “us”, “our”) governing your access to and use of the website at https://saverifiednews.co.za, related subdomains, applications, feeds, embeds, and interactive features we make available (collectively, the “Service”).
By accessing or using the Service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and by the policies referenced in them, including our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Copyright & IP Policy, and Disclaimer. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service.
2. Who we are
SA Verified News is an independent digital news publication focused on editorially verified journalism concerning South Africa and related public interest matters. The Service is operated by SA Verified News under the laws of Republic of South Africa.
For legal notices: legal@saverifiednews.co.za. Postal contact: Electronic service is accepted at legal@saverifiednews.co.za. A physical service address may be requested through that channel..
3. Eligibility and accounts
The public Service is generally available to readers without registration. Certain features (including authenticated editorial tools on our office systems) are restricted to authorised personnel and are governed by additional employment, contractor, or access agreements.
You must be able to form a binding contract under applicable law. If you use the Service on behalf of an organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.
4. Licence to use the Service
Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service for your personal, non-commercial information purposes, and for ordinary online reading, linking, and sharing consistent with our Copyright & IP Policy.
You may not, without our prior written permission:
- scrape, harvest, bulk-download, or systematically extract content, metadata, or user submissions beyond ordinary browser use or permitted indexing by bona fide public search engines;
- use automated means (including bots, spiders, or scrapers) that impose an unreasonable load on our infrastructure or evade rate limits;
- reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive source code from the Service except to the extent such restriction is prohibited by law;
- frame, mirror, or commercially redistribute our content in a manner that suggests endorsement or obscures our branding and attribution;
- interfere with security, access controls, analytics integrity, or the rights of other users; or
- use the Service for unlawful purposes, including fraud, harassment, defamation, or infringement of intellectual property or privacy rights.
5. Our content
Articles, multimedia (including Watch & Listen video and audio), graphics, logos, software, and the selection and arrangement of materials on the Service are protected by copyright, trade mark, and other laws. Except for rights we expressly grant, all rights are reserved.
News content is provided for general information. It is not professional advice (legal, financial, medical, or otherwise). See our Disclaimer and Editorial Standards.
6. User submissions (including tips)
If you send us information through forms, email, the anonymous tip line, or other channels (“Submissions”), you represent that you have the right to provide that information and that providing it does not violate law or third-party rights.
You grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, and distribute Submissions as needed to evaluate newsworthiness, investigate, verify, report, defend legal claims, and operate the Service, subject to our Tip Line Policy and Privacy Policy. We do not promise to publish any Submission, keep any source confidential beyond what we expressly undertake in the Tip Line Policy, or return materials you send.
Anonymous mode does not collect identity or contact fields. Confidential and on-record modes require identity and contact details for verification. On-record selection permits follow-up but does not itself authorise us to publish your name, image, or quotation; attribution is confirmed separately. You must be at least 18 to submit a tip through the form.
By uploading a file, you confirm that you may lawfully provide it and that it does not contain malware, unlawfully intercepted material, non-consensual intimate imagery, sexual material involving a child, or content whose submission is otherwise unlawful. See our Source & Evidence Policy.
7. Watch & Listen and third-party media
Video and audio on the Service may stream from our infrastructure or authorised partners. You may not download, rebroadcast, or commercially exploit multimedia except as allowed by law (for example fair dealing) or written licence. Embedded third-party players are subject to those third parties’ terms.
8. Availability and changes
We aim for reliable availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service, including archives, feeds, or interactive features, with or without notice, subject to mandatory law.
We may update these Terms from time to time. The “Last updated” date will change when we do. Material changes will be indicated on this page. Continued use after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms, except where mandatory law requires a different process.
9. Prohibited conduct
Without limiting other provisions, you must not:
- attempt to gain unauthorised access to accounts, systems, or non-public data (including editorial systems);
- probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Service except with our written authorisation under a coordinated disclosure arrangement;
- introduce malware or conduct denial-of-service attacks;
- impersonate SA Verified News, our journalists, or others in a deceptive manner; or
- use the Service to process personal information of others unlawfully.
10. Enforcement
We may investigate suspected violations and may suspend or block access, remove content, preserve evidence, and cooperate with law enforcement or regulators where required or permitted by law. We may refuse service where reasonably necessary to protect users, sources, staff, or the integrity of our journalism.
11. Indemnity
To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless SA Verified News and its officers, employees, contractors, and agents from claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your misuse of the Service, your Submissions, or your breach of these Terms or applicable law.
12. Limitation of liability
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under South African law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence where such exclusion is prohibited, or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
Subject to the preceding sentence, and to the maximum extent permitted by law: (a) the Service and all content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis; (b) we disclaim implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement; and (c) we are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or loss of profits, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, whether in contract, delict (including negligence), or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
Where liability cannot be excluded but can be limited, our aggregate liability arising out of or relating to the Service in any twelve-month period is limited to ZAR 1 000 (one thousand South African rand) or the amount you paid us for the Service in that period (if any), whichever is greater, except where mandatory law requires otherwise.
13. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to conflict of law principles that would require application of another jurisdiction’s laws. Subject to mandatory consumer protections and any right to approach a competent regulator or ombud, the courts of South Africa have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising from these Terms or the Service.
14. General
If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them in connection with a reorganisation, merger, or transfer of assets. These Terms, together with the policies linked from the Legal hub, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service, superseding prior understandings on that subject (except separate written agreements for commercial licensing or employment).
15. Contact
Legal notices: legal@saverifiednews.co.za
General enquiries: newsroom@saverifiednews.co.za