Terms of Use

1. Company Information

2. Definitions

For purposes of these Terms:

• Platform: means the Sandton Index website, applications, systems, services, databases, communication tools, and marketplace.
• User: means any person who accesses or uses the Platform.
• Verified User: means a user whose identity has been verified through the Sandton Index verification process.
• Member: means a verified user holding an active Sandton Index membership.
• Project Owner: means a member who submits a project, opportunity, contract, venture, development, business initiative, or funding request to the Platform.
• Capital Partner: means a member seeking investment, partnership, funding, strategic participation, equity opportunities, or project participation opportunities.
• Project: means any opportunity, contract, development, business venture, transaction, proposal, concession, tender, asset, or undertaking submitted to the Platform.
• Introduction: means a connection facilitated by Sandton Index between users.
• Success Fee: means a fee payable in connection with a successful introduction, transaction, partnership, funding arrangement, investment, or other commercial outcome.

3. Nature of the Platform

Sandton Index operates as a project verification, networking, and capital introduction platform. The Platform facilitates introductions between verified project owners and verified capital partners.

Sandton Index does not:

• Provide banking services.
• Lend money.
• Accept deposits.
• Provide financial advice.
• Provide investment advice.
• Provide legal advice.
• Provide tax advice.
• Provide accounting advice.
• Guarantee investments.
• Guarantee funding.
• Guarantee project success.
• Act as a trustee or fiduciary.
• Act as an investment manager.

Users remain solely responsible for all business, investment, legal, commercial, and financial decisions.

4. Eligibility

To use the Platform, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Have legal capacity to enter into binding agreements.
• Provide accurate and complete information.
• Successfully complete any required verification processes.
• Comply with applicable laws.

Sandton Index may reject or terminate access where eligibility requirements are not met.

5. User Registration

Users must create an account before accessing protected platform features.

You agree that all information supplied during registration is:

• Accurate
• Current
• Complete
• Truthful

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities occurring under your account.

6. Identity Verification

Sandton Index may require identity verification before granting access to certain features. Verification may include:

• Identity document verification
• Passport verification
• Contact verification
• Address verification
• Selfie verification
• Business-related verification
• Additional supporting documentation

Verification confirms only that information supplied has been reviewed against available records and documentation. Verification does not constitute a guarantee of character, reputation, solvency, integrity, competence, financial standing, investment suitability, or future conduct.

7. Membership

Access to the Sandton Index Marketplace requires an active membership.

• Membership benefits, pricing, duration, and access rights may be updated from time to time.
• Membership remains active only for the purchased membership period.
• Users are responsible for renewing memberships before expiry.
• Sandton Index reserves the right to modify membership benefits, features, and pricing.

8. Founders Promotional Package

Sandton Index may offer a limited Founders Promotional Package with dual participation options (Annual or Lifetime).

• The Founders Promotional Package is available only to qualifying users and strictly within the allocated promotional limit.
• The Platform maintains a limited allocation of Founder memberships. Each qualifying selection (whether annual or lifetime) counts towards this total allocation.
• Once the Founder allocation has been exhausted, the promotional package is automatically closed.
• Founder status is personal to the qualifying member and may not be transferred, assigned, sold, or exchanged.
• Sandton Index reserves the right to establish, modify, or discontinue promotional programmes in accordance with platform policies.

9. Marketplace Access

Only users with active memberships may access Marketplace functionality. Inactive, expired, suspended, or cancelled members may have restricted access.

Sandton Index may restrict Marketplace access at its discretion where necessary for compliance, security, legal, operational, or risk management purposes.

10. Project Submission & Commercial Mandate Verification

Project Owners may submit projects supported by legitimate commercial documentation for compliance review and verification. Submission of a project does not guarantee approval, publication, introductions, or funding outcomes.

Sandton Index verifies:

• Official tender award letters and appointment letters
• Purchase orders and supply contracts
• Commercial contracts and joint venture agreements
• Project mandates and licenses
• Supporting technical and financial documentation
• Corporate and business credentials

Sandton Index does NOT verify:

• Future ideas or unproven concepts
• Unawarded tenders or bid submissions
• Unsubstantiated business plans
• Funding requests without supporting commercial contracts or mandates

All submitted documentation must be lawful, authentic, and authorized. Sandton Index reserves the right to request certified copies or independent third-party confirmation.

11. Project Review and Approval

Sandton Index reserves the right to approve projects, reject projects, suspend projects, remove projects, and request additional information.

Approval indicates only that a project has satisfied internal platform requirements. Approval does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, validation, certification, investment approval, or guarantee.

12. Capital Partner Participation

Capital Partners are solely responsible for evaluating opportunities presented on the Platform. Users must conduct their own:

• Financial assessments
• Commercial assessments
• Legal assessments
• Tax assessments
• Technical assessments
• Risk assessments

No user should rely solely on information provided through the Platform.

13. Introductions

Sandton Index may facilitate introductions between users. Sandton Index does not guarantee responses from users, transaction completion, investment commitments, funding outcomes, or partnership outcomes. Users remain responsible for negotiating and concluding any agreements.

14. Communications

The Platform may provide messaging and communication features. Users must not use communications to harass others, defraud others, misrepresent facts, circumvent platform rules, distribute unlawful content, or engage in prohibited conduct.

Sandton Index may monitor, review, retain, or investigate communications where required for compliance, security, dispute resolution, or legal purposes.

15. Fees and Charges

Users may be charged fees for verification, membership, project submissions, introductions, success fees, premium services, administrative services, and future services introduced by Sandton Index.

All applicable fees will be disclosed before payment is required. Fees may be revised from time to time.

16. Future Services

Sandton Index may introduce additional services, including meeting facilitation, virtual meeting hosting, boardroom services, negotiation support, corporate services, administrative services, shareholding administration assistance, CIPC-related assistance, transaction coordination, project support services, data room services, and professional service referrals. Additional terms may apply to such services.

17. Intellectual Property

All Platform content, branding, systems, software, databases, trademarks, logos, designs, graphics, interfaces, and materials remain the property of Sandton Index or its licensors. No rights are granted except those expressly provided under these Terms. Users may not copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, reverse engineer, or exploit Platform content without prior written consent.

18. User Content

Users retain ownership of content they submit. By submitting content, users grant Sandton Index a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, store, display, process, and distribute content for purposes related to operating the Platform. Users warrant that they possess all necessary rights to submit such content.

19. Prohibited Conduct

Users may not: provide false information, impersonate others, engage in fraud, submit misleading projects, manipulate platform activity, interfere with platform operations, attempt unauthorized access, upload malicious software, violate laws, or abuse other users. Sandton Index may suspend or terminate accounts for violations.

20. Suspension and Termination

Sandton Index may suspend, restrict, or terminate access without prior notice where Terms are breached, fraud is suspected, security risks exist, legal obligations require action, or platform integrity is threatened. Termination does not remove obligations incurred before termination.

21. Third-Party Services

The Platform may integrate with third-party services. Sandton Index is not responsible for third-party systems, content, websites, failures, or policies. Users engage with third parties at their own risk.

22. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Sandton Index shall not be liable for financial losses, business losses, investment losses, lost opportunities, lost profits, indirect damages, consequential damages, special damages, reputation damage, or data loss. Use of the Platform is entirely at the user's own risk.

23. Indemnity

Users agree to indemnify and hold harmless Sandton Index, its directors, officers, employees, contractors, affiliates, and representatives from any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, expenses, or losses arising from user conduct, user submissions, breach of these Terms, violation of laws, or transactions between users.

24. Force Majeure

Sandton Index shall not be liable for delays or failures resulting from events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, power failures, telecommunications failures, cyber incidents, government actions, civil unrest, labour disputes, and public emergencies.

25. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts of South Africa.

26. Amendments

Sandton Index may amend these Terms from time to time. Updated Terms become effective upon publication on the Platform. Continued use of the Platform after publication constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

27. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

28. Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between Sandton Index and the user regarding use of the Platform and supersede any prior agreements or understandings relating to the subject matter.

29. Contact Information

For legal enquiries regarding these Terms: