Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the Connex application ("App"), you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you are under the age of 18, you confirm that you have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to use Connex.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to create an account and use Connex. If you are between 13 and 18 years of age, you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf. We reserve the right to request verification of age at any time and to terminate accounts that do not meet the eligibility requirements.

3. About the Service

Connex is a mobile application that provides the following services:

• Chat: Real-time messaging for one-on-one and group conversations, including the ability to share media, documents, and status updates.
• Community Alerts: Location-aware notifications covering utility outages, safety incidents, traffic updates, water disruptions, weather warnings, and community events. Alerts include both official data from third-party sources and community-generated reports.
• Education: Free access to Department of Basic Education (DBE) matric past examination papers for Grades 10, 11, and 12.
• SOS Emergency: A press-and-hold emergency feature that sends instant notifications and your location to your pre-approved trusted contacts.

Additional features and services may be introduced in the future and will be subject to these Terms unless stated otherwise.

4. Your Account

To use Connex, you must register for an account using your mobile phone number and a password. When creating and using your account, you agree to the following:

• You will provide accurate, current, and complete registration information.
• You will maintain the security and confidentiality of your login credentials.
• You will not share your account credentials with any other person.
• You are responsible for all activity conducted through your account, whether authorised by you or not.
• You will notify us immediately at support@connexsa.co.za if you suspect any unauthorised access to your account.
• You may only maintain one account per person.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that contain false information, are inactive for an extended period, or violate these Terms.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree to use Connex in accordance with all applicable laws and these Terms. You may not use the App to:

• Send unsolicited messages, spam, or promotional content to users who have not consented to receive it.
• Harass, bully, threaten, intimidate, or abuse other users.
• Post, transmit, or share content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, hateful, discriminatory, or otherwise objectionable.
• Infringe upon the intellectual property rights, privacy, or other rights of any third party.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
• Spread false information, particularly through the community alerts feature.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the App, its servers, or any systems connected to the App.
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to derive the source code of the App.
• Scrape, extract, or collect data from the App through automated means without our prior written consent.
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the App or the experience of other users.
• Use the App for any commercial purpose not expressly permitted by Connex.

6. Content

6.1 Your Content

You retain ownership of the content you create, post, or share through Connex, including messages, alert reports, posts, and profile information ("Your Content"). By submitting Your Content, you grant Connex a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable licence to use, reproduce, store, display, and distribute Your Content solely for the purpose of operating, improving, and providing the Connex service.

You are solely responsible for Your Content. Connex does not endorse, verify, or assume liability for any content posted by users.

6.2 Content Moderation

We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to review, monitor, or remove any content that we determine, in our sole discretion, violates these Terms, is harmful, or is otherwise objectionable. Repeated violations may result in temporary or permanent suspension of your account.

7. Community Alerts

The community alerts feature allows users to report and view real-time alerts in their area. By posting a community alert:

• You confirm that the information is truthful and accurate to the best of your knowledge.
• You understand that posting false or misleading alerts is a violation of these Terms and may result in account suspension or termination.
• You grant Connex the right to display, distribute, and moderate your alert content within the App.

Official data, including loadshedding schedules and stage information, is sourced from authorised third-party data providers. This information is provided for informational purposes only. Connex does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of third-party data and shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies.

8. SOS Emergency Feature

The SOS feature is designed to help you alert your pre-approved trusted contacts in emergency situations. It is important that you understand and agree to the following:

• Connex is not an emergency services provider. The SOS feature does not replace local police, emergency medical services, or any other official emergency response service. In an emergency, always contact the appropriate local authorities first.
• SOS contacts must be established through mutual consent. Both you and the other person must accept the SOS contact relationship before it becomes active.
• You may not use the SOS feature frivolously, as a prank, or for any purpose other than genuine personal safety concerns.
• Connex cannot guarantee the delivery of SOS notifications, which depend on network connectivity, device settings, and other factors beyond our control. We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in delivering SOS alerts.

9. Educational Content

The DBE matric past examination papers available through Connex are provided for free personal and educational use. This content is sourced from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and remains the intellectual property of the DBE. Connex does not claim ownership of this material. You may not reproduce, distribute, or commercially exploit this educational content outside of the App without the express permission of the DBE.

10. Intellectual Property

All rights, title, and interest in and to the Connex application, including its name, logos, trademarks, visual design, user interface, underlying code, and all original content published by Connex, are the exclusive property of Connex Digital (Pty) Ltd and are protected by applicable laws and international intellectual property treaties.

You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, or create derivative works based on any part of the Connex application without our prior written consent.

11. Termination

11.1 By You

You may stop using Connex at any time. You may delete your account through the App settings. Upon deletion, your personal data will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

11.2 By Connex

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to Connex, with or without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms or our acceptable use policies.
• Conduct that we determine, in our sole discretion, is harmful to other users, to Connex, or to third parties.
• Extended periods of inactivity.
• Requests by law enforcement or other government agencies.

12. Disclaimers

The Connex application is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Connex disclaims all warranties, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

• The App will be available at all times or free from interruption.
• The App will be error-free, secure, or free from viruses or other harmful components.
• Any information obtained through the App, including community alerts and third-party data, will be accurate, reliable, or complete.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Connex Digital (Pty) Ltd, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of revenue, personal injury, or property damage, arising out of or in connection with your use of or inability to use the App.

In no event shall our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising from or relating to the use of the App exceed the amount, if any, paid by you to Connex in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Connex Digital (Pty) Ltd, its directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to your use of the App, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another person or entity.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable law in the jurisdiction where Connex operates, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be submitted to the competent courts of that jurisdiction.

Before initiating formal legal proceedings, you agree to attempt to resolve any dispute informally by contacting us at hello@connexsa.co.za. We will endeavour to resolve the dispute within thirty (30) days of receiving your notice.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may revise and update these Terms from time to time at our sole discretion. All changes are effective immediately when we post them. We will notify you of material changes through the App, by email, or by other reasonable means. Your continued use of the App following the posting of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree with the updated Terms, you must stop using the App and delete your account.

17. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

18. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Connex Digital (Pty) Ltd regarding your use of the App. They supersede all prior agreements, understandings, and communications, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter herein.

19. Contact

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us:

Connex Digital (Pty) Ltd

Email: hello@connexsa.co.za
Support: support@connexsa.co.za
Website: connexsa.co.za