Terms and conditions

Using the website

You may browse the site without creating an account. Website access and form submissions are currently free; the site does not take payments or sell tickets. Use the site lawfully and provide accurate information when contacting us. If you act for an organisation, you must have authority to make any commitments on its behalf.

Do not impersonate others, submit unlawful material, introduce malicious software, bypass security controls, harvest personal information, or disrupt the website or community. If you are under 18, ask a parent or guardian to contact us before submitting a form. Age restrictions and supervision requirements for individual events will be stated in their listings.

A welcoming community

Treat people with respect, make room for different experience levels, and keep discussions constructive. Harassment, discrimination, threats, unwanted sexual attention, doxxing, and repeated unwanted contact are not acceptable. Do not use the group for spam or unsolicited sales messages, or collect members’ contact details for marketing.

Respect confidentiality and ask permission before sharing someone else’s private messages, personal details, or work outside the setting in which they shared it. Follow reasonable organiser instructions and venue rules.

Report concerns to an organiser or the contact above. We may remove content, restrict access, or exclude someone where reasonably necessary to address a breach or protect participants. We may act immediately when safety requires it. You can contact us to explain your perspective or request reconsideration; we will consider this fairly while protecting others’ privacy.

Events and bookings

Use the official event listing for the current date, venue, format, accessibility information, capacity, and registration requirements. An archive entry describes a past event and is not a current offer. Joining WhatsApp or submitting a website form does not reserve an event place.

RSVPs are handled on Meetup unless a listing says otherwise. Attendance is subject to the disclosed booking conditions and available capacity. Events, speakers, and venues may change; organisers will communicate material changes through the listing and relevant event channels as soon as reasonably practicable.

If an event has a charge, its price, organiser, payment, cancellation, and refund terms must be disclosed before booking. Any cancellation or refund is subject to those terms and applicable consumer law. Nothing here removes a refund or other remedy you are entitled to by law.

Proposing and giving a talk

A proposal is an invitation for organisers to consider your idea. Submission or an automated acknowledgement does not confirm a speaking slot. Selection depends on the programme, audience, practical arrangements, and available dates. Any fee, travel reimbursement, equipment, or other commitment must be agreed separately in writing.

You keep ownership of your original material. By submitting a proposal, you allow organisers and providers acting for us to store, copy, and review it only as needed to consider and administer it. This does not transfer copyright or grant a general commercial licence.

Only submit material you are entitled to share, and identify any restrictions. Avoid trade secrets and other confidential information. If a proposal is accepted, we will agree the promotional description, public profile details, and permissions for slides, photography, recording, or publication before using them. A proposal alone is not permission to record your talk or publish your full submission.

Partnering with AIZA

A partnership enquiry starts a conversation. It does not commit either party to funding, services, exclusivity, promotion, or an event. Contributions, benefits, deadlines, permitted brand use, and cancellation arrangements must be confirmed in a separate written agreement by authorised representatives before either party relies on them.

Partnership does not include access to private member or submission lists. Describing an organisation as a partner does not by itself create a legal partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship, or authorise either party to bind the other.

Content, credit, and recordings

AIZA’s original website material, branding, and designs belong to their respective rights holders. You may link to public pages and make reasonable personal, non-commercial use of AIZA’s own material with credit. Third-party talks, logos, photographs, and linked resources remain subject to their owners’ rights and any stated licences. Ask for permission before reproducing material beyond what its licence or the law allows.

Do not use the AIZA name or logo to suggest an endorsement or affiliation without permission. Speakers’ views and demonstrations are their own; a listing or partner logo is not a guarantee or endorsement of every statement, service, or product.

Attendance alone is not blanket consent to photography, filming, or promotional use of your likeness. Organisers will explain any recording arrangements and obtain permission where required. Speak to us about preferences or concerns. Do not record or publish identifiable participants or their presentations without the permissions needed.

Privacy and external platforms

Our Privacy policy explains information we collect, why we use it, and your rights. Participating in AIZA does not provide blanket consent to unrelated marketing or waive your privacy rights.

WhatsApp, Meetup, and other linked services have their own terms and privacy practices. You choose whether to use them. Joining the WhatsApp group exposes your phone number to other group members, who may retain what you share. We cannot control independent platforms or other members’ copies, but you can report misuse to us and to the relevant platform.

Information and responsibility

AIZA provides community learning and discussion. Talks, demos, and website content are general information, not professional legal, medical, financial, or other advice. Evaluate information, software, and AI outputs for your own circumstances, obtain qualified advice where needed, and test tools appropriately before relying on them.

We aim to keep the website accurate and available, but cannot promise that every archived detail remains current or that access will be uninterrupted. We may correct content or temporarily suspend a service for maintenance, security, or other reasonable operational needs.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or gross negligence, or removes your mandatory consumer rights. Responsibility for any claim remains subject to applicable law and the circumstances.

Disputes and updates

South African law governs these terms, subject to any mandatory protections that apply to you. Contact us using the details above to try to resolve a concern. This does not prevent you from approaching a competent court, the Information Regulator, or another relevant authority, and does not require private arbitration.

We may update these terms as the community or website changes. The date above identifies this version. We will provide reasonable notice of material changes affecting ongoing participation. Changes do not retrospectively remove accrued rights or amend a separate agreement without the agreement required for that change.

If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining terms continue to apply to the extent lawful. A separate written agreement takes precedence for the specific arrangements it covers, subject always to applicable law.