Terms of Service

These terms govern your use of The Farmer, at thefarmer.co.za and in the The Farmer mobile app. By creating an account you agree to them. They are governed by South African law.

What The Farmer is

The Farmer is a marketplace that connects South African farmers directly with buyers. We provide the platform, the listings, the messaging and the payment rails. We are not the seller. The contract of sale for any produce is between the buyer and the farmer.

Your account

You must be 18 or older to use The Farmer. Keep your login details to yourself — you are responsible for what happens under your account. Give us accurate information and keep it current, particularly your contact and delivery details. We may suspend an account that is used fraudulently, that misrepresents who is behind it, or that breaks these terms.

Selling on The Farmer

If you list produce, you agree that:

• you have the right to sell what you list, and it is described honestly;
• your produce is fit for human consumption and handled hygienically;
• you will complete verification before receiving payment, as FICA requires;
• you will honour accepted orders, or cancel promptly and tell the buyer why; and
• you comply with the agricultural, health and tax rules that apply to your farm.

Buying on The Farmer

Prices are set by the farmer and shown in South African Rand. Placing an order is an offer to buy; the order is binding once the farmer accepts it. Availability, quality and delivery are the farmer's responsibility. If produce arrives spoiled, short, or materially different from its description, raise it with the farmer through the app first — most problems are settled that way. If it cannot be settled, contact us and we will help mediate.

Payments

Payments are processed by Paystack. The Farmer does not store your card details. Funds for an accepted order are paid out to the farmer's verified bank account. Refunds, where due, follow the same route back and can take several working days depending on your bank.

Content you post

You keep ownership of the photos, descriptions, stories and reviews you upload. By posting them you give The Farmer a licence to display and promote them on the platform and in our marketing. Do not post anything unlawful, misleading, abusive, or that infringes someone else's rights. We may remove content that does.

Reviews

Reviews must reflect a real transaction and your honest experience. We remove reviews that are fabricated, traded for compensation, or used to harass a farmer or a buyer.

What we are responsible for

We work to keep The Farmer available and accurate, but we provide the platform "as is". We are not liable for the quality, safety or legality of produce sold through it, for a farmer's or buyer's conduct, or for indirect losses such as lost profit. Nothing here limits liability that South African law does not allow us to limit — including your rights under the Consumer Protection Act.

Ending your use

You can close your account at any time from your profile. We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms. Closing an account does not cancel orders already placed, or erase records we are legally required to keep — see the Privacy Policy.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. We will change the date above and, for material changes, tell you in the app before they take effect. Continuing to use The Farmer after that means you accept the new terms.

Contact

Questions about these terms: support@thefarmer.co.za.