Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions and Interpretation

In these Terms and Conditions the following definitions apply unless the context indicates otherwise:

• "Agreement": means these Terms and Conditions together with the Privacy Policy and any other document incorporated by reference.

• "Guarantee": means the digital rental deposit guarantee issued by ZDA in lieu of a cash deposit, providing the Landlord with cover of up to two times the monthly rent.

• "LAD": means Landlord, Agent, or Developer — the party that creates a Guarantee on the ZDA platform.

• "Mandate": means the DebiCheck authenticated mandate and/or Continuous Payment Authority (CPA) mandate authorised by the Tenant for the collection of monthly fees.

• "Platform": means the ZDA web application, mobile application, and associated API services accessible at www.zerodeposit.africa.

• "Tenant": means the natural or juristic person who accepts a Guarantee in lieu of paying a cash rental deposit.

• "ZDA": means Zero Deposit Africa (Pty) Ltd, a company duly incorporated under the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By registering an account on the Platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

You also confirm that:

• You are at least 18 years of age.

• You have the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements.

• If acting on behalf of a company or trust, you are authorised to do so.

• All information provided during registration is accurate and complete.

3. The ZDA Guarantee Product

ZDA provides a mandate-backed digital rental deposit guarantee as an alternative to a traditional cash deposit. The Guarantee covers the Landlord for losses arising from unpaid rent, property damage, or other lease defaults, subject to the following:

• The Guarantee value is equal to two times the monthly rental amount, subject to a minimum of R1,500 and a maximum of R100,000.

• The monthly administration fee is R45.00 (VAT inclusive) per Tenant.

• The Guarantee becomes effective only upon satisfaction of all activation conditions (payment of the administration fee and confirmation of mandates).

• ZDA is not an insurer. The Guarantee is a contractual undertaking backed by mandate arrangements and not an insurance policy.

4. User Obligations

All users of the Platform agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information at all times.

• Maintain the confidentiality of their account credentials.

• Notify ZDA immediately if they become aware of unauthorised access to their account.

• Not use the Platform for any unlawful, fraudulent, or abusive purpose.

• Comply with all applicable South African legislation, including the Rental Housing Act, the National Credit Act, and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

5. Charges and Dispute Resolution

LADs may register a charge against a Guarantee within 30 business days of the final lease date. The following rules apply:

• Only one open charge (draft or submitted) may exist per Guarantee at any time.

• The Tenant has 7 business days to respond to a submitted charge.

• If the Tenant disputes a charge, an adjudication fee of R800.00 (VAT inclusive) is payable before the dispute is escalated.

• Adjudication is conducted by an independent third party appointed by ZDA.

• Refunds of the adjudication fee are calculated proportionally to the outcome awarded in the Tenant's favour.

6. Payments and Mandates

By accepting a Guarantee, the Tenant authorises ZDA to collect the monthly administration fee via a DebiCheck authenticated mandate and/or a Continuous Payment Authority (CPA) mandate. The following terms apply to payment collection:

• Only South African bank accounts are accepted for mandate purposes.

• Raw bank account numbers are never stored — only tokenised values via our payment service provider (Netcash).

• In the event of a failed debit, ZDA will retry on up to three consecutive business days at 07:00 SAST.

• Two consecutive failed debits will result in a fee delinquency flag on the account and notification to the relevant LAD.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:

• ZDA's total liability to any user shall not exceed the total fees paid by that user in the 12 months preceding the claim.

• ZDA shall not be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential loss or damage arising from use of the Platform.

• ZDA does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

8. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa.

9. Amendments

ZDA reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. Users will be notified of material changes via email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

10. Contact

For any queries relating to these Terms and Conditions, please contact ZDA at support@zerodeposit.africa or visit www.zerodeposit.africa.