Terms of Service

Last updated: 07 April 2026

These terms govern your use of the Art and Artists of South Africa website at artandartists.co.za ("the platform"). By accessing or using the platform, you agree to these terms.

1. About the Platform

Art and Artists of South Africa is an online directory and portfolio platform for South African visual artists. We provide a space for artists to showcase their work, biography, and exhibition history. The platform is not an online store or marketplace — we do not facilitate, process, or take commission on any sale of artworks.

2. Accounts and Registration

  • You must provide accurate and complete information when registering or claiming a profile.
  • You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
  • You must be at least 18 years old to create an account.
  • We reserve the right to refuse, suspend, or remove any account or profile at our discretion.

3. Artist Profiles and Content

Ownership

You retain full copyright and ownership of all content you upload, including artworks, photographs, biographical text, and any other materials. Nothing in these terms transfers ownership of your intellectual property to us.

Licence to display

By uploading content to the platform, you grant Art and Artists of South Africa a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display, reproduce (as thumbnails and web-optimised images), and distribute your content solely for the purpose of operating the platform. This includes displaying your profile and artworks on the website, in search engine results, and in promotional materials for the platform.

Your responsibilities

  • You must only upload content that you own or have permission to use.
  • You must not upload content that is defamatory, obscene, illegal, or infringes on the rights of any third party.
  • You must not include links, URLs, or web addresses in your biography or artwork descriptions. Dedicated fields are provided for your website and social media profiles.
  • Artwork prices displayed on the platform are set by you and are for informational purposes only. Any sale is a private transaction between you and the buyer — the platform is not a party to any such transaction.

Artistic nudity

We recognise that the nude form is a longstanding and legitimate subject in the visual arts. Artworks depicting nudity are permitted on the platform provided they are presented in an artistic context. However, the following are strictly prohibited:

  • Pornographic, sexually explicit, or exploitative content
  • Any depiction of minors in a state of undress or in a sexualised context

The administrators of the platform reserve the sole and final right to determine whether any uploaded content crosses the boundary from artistic expression into prohibited material. Content deemed to be in violation will be removed without notice, and the account may be suspended or permanently banned.

Profile review

All new and updated profiles are subject to review by our administrators before being published. We reserve the right to request changes to or decline publication of any profile that does not meet our editorial standards.

4. Legacy Profiles

The platform contains profiles of South African artists compiled over more than a decade from publicly available sources, exhibition catalogues, and historical records. These profiles serve as an archival reference for South African art history. If you are an artist (or representative of a deceased artist's estate) and wish to claim, update, or remove a legacy profile, please contact us.

5. Premium Subscriptions

  • Premium is a paid subscription that provides additional features, including featured placement on the platform and public display of contact details.
  • Subscriptions are billed annually via PayFast. By subscribing, you agree to recurring annual charges until you cancel.
  • You may cancel your subscription at any time through PayFast. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period.
  • We do not offer refunds for partial billing periods.
  • We reserve the right to change subscription pricing with reasonable notice. Existing subscribers will be notified before any price change takes effect.

6. Contact Form and Communications

The platform provides a contact form on artist profiles to facilitate enquiries from visitors. Messages are forwarded to the artist's registered email address. We are not responsible for the content of messages sent between visitors and artists, nor for any transactions or arrangements that may result from such communications.

7. Community Forum

The platform includes a community discussion forum where registered users may create topics, post replies, and upload images. By participating in the forum, you agree to the following:

  • You are solely responsible for the content you post. All posts must be respectful, lawful, and relevant to the discussion.
  • You must not post content that is defamatory, abusive, hateful, obscene, or that infringes on any third party's rights.
  • You must not use the forum for spam, advertising, self-promotion unrelated to South African art, or solicitation.
  • New users' first posts are subject to moderation and must be approved by an administrator before they become publicly visible.
  • We reserve the right to remove, edit, or decline any forum content at our sole discretion and without prior notice.
  • We reserve the right to suspend or ban any user who repeatedly violates these guidelines.

While we make reasonable efforts to moderate forum content, we do not review every post in advance and cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or quality of any user-generated content. The views expressed in the forum are those of the individual authors and do not represent the views of Art and Artists of South Africa. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we accept no responsibility or liability for any content posted by users, or for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on such content.

If you encounter content that violates these terms, please report it using the report button or contact us.

8. Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

  • Use the platform for any unlawful purpose
  • Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the platform or other users' accounts
  • Scrape, harvest, or bulk-download content from the platform
  • Use the contact forms to send spam, unsolicited advertising, or abusive messages
  • Misrepresent your identity or impersonate another artist
  • Upload malware, viruses, or any harmful code

9. Limitation of Liability

The platform is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied. To the maximum extent permitted by South African law:

  • We do not guarantee that the platform will be available at all times or free from errors.
  • We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of the platform, including loss of data, revenue, or business opportunities.
  • We are not responsible for the accuracy of information on artist profiles, artwork availability, or prices.
  • We are not a party to any transaction between artists and buyers. Any disputes regarding artwork sales are between the relevant parties.

10. Account Deletion

You may request deletion of your account at any time by contacting us. Upon deletion:

  • Your profile, artworks, and all associated personal data will be permanently removed.
  • Any active Premium subscription will be cancelled.
  • This action cannot be undone.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

12. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of the platform will be subject to the jurisdiction of the South African courts.

13. Contact

For any questions about these terms, please contact us at info@artandartists.co.za.