Terms of Service

Effective date: 16 July 2026

These Terms govern your use of SkillConnect. By registering, requesting a worker, or otherwise using the platform, you agree to these Terms.Please read them carefully — in particular the sections on SkillConnect's role as an introducer, payment, and limitation of liability.

1. Who we are

SkillConnect("SkillConnect", "we", "us") operates a locality-first labour marketplace across KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, connecting skilled workers ("Workers") with people who need work done ("Clients"). Contact: skillconnectsa@outlook.com.

2. Our role — an introducer, not a party to the job

SkillConnect is an introducer / intermediary. We help Clients and Workers find each other. We are not a party to any agreement, quote, job, or payment between a Client and a Worker, and we do not perform, supervise, guarantee, or take responsibility for the work itself.

SkillConnect is not the employer of any Worker. Workers are independent service providers responsible for their own work, conduct, tax affairs, tools, and compliance with the law. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment, partnership, or agency relationship between SkillConnect and any Worker or Client.

3. Eligibility

  • You must be at least 18 years old to register as a Worker.
  • You must provide true, accurate and current information, and keep it up to date.
  • You must be legally entitled to work in and provide services within South Africa.

4. Worker responsibilities

As a Worker, you agree to:

  • Provide truthful details, real photos of your own work, and honest representations of your skills and experience.
  • Deal honestly and professionally with every Client, and complete work to a reasonable standard.
  • Be solely responsible for your own income tax, and for any licences, permits or qualifications your trade requires by law.
  • Comply with all applicable laws, and be liable for any loss, damage or injury arising from your work.

5. Client responsibilities & hiring safely

As a Client, you acknowledge that:

  • You engage a Worker at your own discretion and risk. You should agree the scope and price upfront, and satisfy yourself as to a Worker's suitability before work begins.
  • You should not pay large amounts in advance — pay on completion, or in stages as work is finished.
  • Payment is arranged and made directly between you and the Worker. SkillConnect does not collect, hold, process, or guarantee any payment.
  • You are responsible for the safety and supervision of any Worker you invite onto your property.

6. Verification — what we do, and its limits

We take reasonable steps to verify Workers: we validate the format of the South African ID number, require an uploaded ID document and a profile photo, and manually review each profile before it appears. This is intended to build trust — but it is not a guarantee. Verification confirms that information was provided and reviewed; it does notcertify a Worker's skill, honesty, criminal record, or the genuineness of their identity. Full identity and criminal-record verification (e.g. Home Affairs / accredited KYC checks) is planned for a later stage. You should exercise your own judgement.

7. Payment

The platform is currently free to use for Workers and Clients. All payment for work is made directly between the Client and the Worker, off the platform. SkillConnect does not hold funds, does not process payments, and provides no payment protection, escrow, refund, or guarantee. Should paid features or a service commission be introduced in future, they will be governed by updated terms communicated in advance.

8. Reviews and content

Clients may leave reviews. You agree that any content you submit is truthful, based on genuine experience, and not defamatory, misleading, offensive, or unlawful. You grant SkillConnect a licence to display content you submit on the platform. We may moderate, edit for length, or remove content, and may remove reviews we reasonably believe are false or abusive.

9. Reporting & disputes

Clients and Workers can report a problem or a Worker via the platform. We may, at our discretion, investigate, suspend or remove a Worker, and assist the parties — but as an introducer we are not responsible for resolving disputesabout the work, payment, or conduct between a Client and a Worker, and are not liable for their outcome. Serious matters (fraud, crime) should be reported to the South African Police Service. We may share a Worker's details with the relevant authorities where fraud or misconduct is reasonably suspected.

10. Acceptable use

You may not:

  • Provide false information, impersonate another person, or use another person's ID.
  • Use the platform for any unlawful, fraudulent, harmful or abusive purpose.
  • Attempt to disrupt, misuse, scrape, reverse-engineer, or gain unauthorised access to the platform.
  • Harass, threaten, or discriminate against other users.

11. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, SkillConnect is not liable for any loss, damage, injury, cost or claim arising from: the work performed (or not performed) by a Worker; the quality, safety, timeliness or legality of any job; any payment, or failure or dispute relating to payment; the conduct, acts or omissions of any Worker or Client; or reliance on any profile, review, verification status, or information on the platform. The platform is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including under the Consumer Protection Act, 2008.

12. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold SkillConnect harmless against any claim, loss or damage (including reasonable legal costs) arising from your use of the platform, your work or engagement of a Worker, your content, or your breach of these Terms or of any law.

13. Privacy

Your personal information is handled in line with our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

14. Suspension & termination

We may suspend, remove, or decline to approve any profile or account, and block re-registration, at our discretion — including where we reasonably suspect false information, fraud, misconduct, or a breach of these Terms. You may stop using the platform at any time and request removal of your profile by contacting us.

15. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by an updated effective date, and your continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, and any dispute is subject to the jurisdiction of its courts.

17. Contact

Questions about these Terms: skillconnectsa@outlook.com.