Our Terms & Conditions

1. Introduction to terms and conditions, effective 1 January 2024

2. Our Company

3. The Travel Café services

4. Bookings

5. Payments

6. The Travel Café Wallet

7. Changes and Cancellations

8. General conditions of use

9. General conditions of use of the website

10. The Travel Café Privacy Policy

11. Our Customer Promise

1. Introduction to terms and conditions

a. Please review our terms. Use of any of the services offered by The Travel Café Cape Town will be subject to the latest version of our terms available on this web site.

b. Our terms contain specific provisions to limit our liability, allocate risk or liability to you or constitute an acknowledgement of certain facts by you.

c. If you are not yet 18, you must obtain your parents' or legal guardians' advance authorisation, permission and consent to be bound by our terms of use.

d. We may change our terms of use from time to time. Such changes will take effect as and when published.

2. Our company

The Travel Café (Pty) Ltd 

Registration Number: 2017/353253/07

VAT registration Number: 4370284996 

SATSA membership Number: 2531

We are a registered South African company and we commit to complying with all current and future South African Acts and Laws to ensure we maintain business practices that are ethical, honest and transparent.

3. The Travel Café Services

We are an Inbound Travel Agency providing itineraries and services to facilitate your visit in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and any Indian Ocean Islands.

4. Bookings

a. Each booking is subject to these terms of use as well as the applicable Supplier’s Booking Terms.

b. We act as an agent for the suppliers and as such we accept bookings on behalf of such suppliers and collect payment from you on behalf of such suppliers. Each booking for a service component to be rendered by a supplier will constitute a direct agreement between you and the relevant supplier.

c. Your booking request will constitute an offer on the terms and conditions contained in these terms of use and the relevant booking terms.

d. Please note that while we will try to send to you a confirmation notice for every valid booking request we receive from you, we cannot guarantee that such confirmation notice will be received by you, nor that, if they are received by you.

e. If you do not receive a confirmation notice after submitting your payment information, or if you experience an error message or service interruption after submitting your payment information, you should confirm by contacting us. We will not be liable for any losses you may suffer in this regard.

f. The information you have submitted with your Booking request will be processed as you have provided it. If you realise that an error has been made or that you need to make a change to such information, you should advise us immediately.

g. A complete record of your booking will be sent or given to you. You should retain such record.

h. The Travel Café Cape Town is not responsible for the service quality provided by any of our supplier

i. The costs associated with travel arrangements are not always stable, and currency movements can change. When you book a Service Coponent, we reserve the right to pass on any surcharges to you. Surcharges may be imposed to cover increases in transportation costs, including the costs of fuel and security charges.

j. All prices indicated as applying to Service Components will be inclusive of VAT but exclusive of any other taxes and duties, which, unless otherwise indicated, will be charged separately if applicable.

5. Payment

a. Detailed description of services:

The Travel Café PTY LTD is a Destination Management Company (DMC) in the Travel industry that creates holiday packages in Southern Africa.

b. Delivery policy:

Subject to availability and receipt of payment, booking confirmations will be processed within 5 days by emails.

c. Return and Refunds policy:

The provision of services by The Travel Café PTY LTD is subject to availability. In cases of unavailability, The Travel Caféfe PTY LTD will refund the client in full within 30 days. Cancellation of orders by the client will attract an administration fee which will be written in the booking confirmation. More information about cancellation below.

d. Customer Privacy policy:

The Travel Café PTY LTD shall take all reasonable steps to protect the personal information of users. For the purpose of this clause, "personal information" shall be defined as detailed in the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA). The PAIA may be downloaded from: http://www.polity.org.za/attachment.php?aa_id=3569.

e. Payment options accepted:

Payment may be made via Visa, MasterCard, Diners or American Express Cards or by bank transfer into the The Travel Café PTY LTD bank account, the details of which will be provided on request.

f. Card acquiring and security:

Card transactions will be acquired for The Travel Café PTY LTD via PayGate (Pty) Ltd who are the approved payment gateway for all South African Acquiring Banks. DPO PayGate uses the strictest form of encryption, namely Secure Socket Layer 3 (SSL3) and no Card details are stored on the website. Users may go to www.paygate.co.za to view their security certificate and security policy.

g. Customer details separate from card details:

Customer details will be stored by The Travel Café PTY LTD separately from card details which are entered by the client on DPO PayGate’s secure site. For more detail on DPO PayGate refer to www.paygate.co.za.

h. Merchant Outlet country and transaction currency:

The merchant outlet country at the time of presenting payment options to the cardholder is South Africa. Transaction currency is South African Rand (ZAR).

i. Responsibility:

The Travel Café PTY LTD takes responsibility for all aspects relating to the transaction including sale of goods and services sold on this website, customer service and support, dispute resolution and delivery of goods.

j. Country of domicile:

This website is governed by the laws of South Africa and The Travel Café PTY LTD chooses as its domicilium citandi et executandi for all purposes under this agreement, whether in respect of court process, notice, or other documents or communication of whatsoever nature.

k. Variation:

The Travel Café PTY LTD may, in its sole discretion, change this agreement or any part thereof at any time without notice.

l. Company information:

This website is run by a private company based in South Africa trading as The Travel Café PTY LTD and with registration number 2017/353253/07 and François Lebrun / JD Van Zyl are the directors.

m. The Travel Café PTY LTD contact details :

Company Physical Address: at Starry Starry Night, Rietrivier Road, Montagu, 6720

Email: carpediem@thetravelcafe.co.za

Telephone: +27 799775995

6. The Travel Café Wallet

a. Instalments: Travel Café guests who wish to pay for their holidays in instalments, are able to conveniently top up their "Travel Cafe Wallet”. Simply make a monthly payment over 6 months (maximum 6 payments). Final payment must be no later than 30 days before travel. Please just discuss your requirements with The Travel Café team beforehand to create your payment plan.

b. Dates of Travel: Travel Café guests can either agree on the dates for the vacation from the beginning of the payment plan or keep “open" travel dates which can be determined at a later stage. 

c. Payment: Once the full payment has been received, The Travel Café will look at availability for the agreed dates of travel and discuss alternatives dates if the exact providers are full or more expensive than quoted. In the event of a price difference, due to seasonality or no availability for flights, accommodation, transfers, car rental or activities, the difference in price will be payable by guests or discuss alternative options to keep within the budget. Rest assured that The Travel Café we will do their best to find alternatives dates to fit your preliminary quote.

d. Seasonality: Please note that the Festive Season in Southern Africa, from mid-December to mid-January, is our peak season and most suppliers have higher rates and a minimum stay policy. Should you wish to travel during the festive season, we will be be able to offer a new quote, which will include a Festive Season supplement. 

e. Cancellation of "The Travel Café Wallet”: If you wish to cancel or stop your "Travel Café Wallet”, The Travel Café might have to levy cancellation fees and/or admin fees. These can be as high as 30% of the money paid, though we will always aim to refund as much if not all of your money, depending on your personal circumstances and reason for cancellation.

f. "The Travel Café Wallet” is a product of The Travel Café PTY LTD which general "Terms and Conditions" can be found at https://www.thetravelcafe.co.za/terms-and-conditions

7. Changes, Cancellations and Refunds

a. If you wish to make a change to the booking, we will endeavour to assist in making the change. Fares will be re-quoted at the time of amendment. An administration fee may be charged by us for each amendment.

b. You may cancel your booking in respect of any services and penalties will be applied based on the supplier’s rules. An administration fee will be charged by us for each cancellation.

c. Please note these administration fees are charged to cover the administration costs for making the changes therefore please be aware that the relevant suppliers may have additional fees:

d. Cancellations or postponements are only effective upon receipt of written notification.

The scales charged, expressed as a percentage of the tour and invoice price is as follows:

- More than 30 days’ notice: up to 75% of money recovered from the operators will be refunded. 

- Less than 30 days’ notice - 100% forfeited.

Should a guest fail to arrive on travel date without notice – no refund will be due/made (regardless of reason).

Please note, any Government levies or fees (National Parks & Government Camping fees) will not be refunded in any way if already paid to Government on your behalf, at any stage.  

e.  Refunds can take up to 8 weeks or longer for processing.

f. We strongly recommend that all clients take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy at the time of making your bookings. (Travel and cancellation policy)

8. General Conditions

a. This agreement is governed by South African Law. The Parties consent to the jurisdiction of the appropriate Magistrate's Court with regard to any action based on these Terms and Conditions.

b. This document reflects the only agreement between you and The Travel Café Cape Town. And you are contracted to the supplier independent of The Travel Café Cape Town.

c. You will be liable for all legal fees or an attorney and own client scale in the event that The Travel Café Cape Town has to engage a lawyer to enforce or defend any of its rights.

d. We do not accept liability for any actions, errors or omissions of the suppliers and their agents, which may result in a loss of any form, including personal harm.

e. We do not accept liability for the consequences of actions beyond our control such as late or non-issuance of visas, passports or any other travel documentation, Acts of God etc.

f. Whilst we at The Travel Café Cape Town are committed to doing so, you need to be aware that we cannot guarantee the extent to which your information is protected by third party service providers, such as airlines, hotels, car hire companies, etc., who need your personal information to conclude your travel arrangements.

g. Every reasonable effort is usually made by Suppliers to adhere to confirmed bookings. However, a supplier may require cancellations of or changes to a service component from time to time. We will try to advise you of any such cancellation of or change to a service component of which we become aware.

h. Reselling of packages or service components thereof, booked with us is strictly prohibited. Any resale of any tickets or other components of a package purchased from us (or attempt) will entitle us to cancel such tickets and to resell them.

i. Use or enjoyment of a service component may be hazardous to the health or safety of the users of their services and you do so at your own risk.

j. Although we try to ensure that the particulars of the suppliers are displayed and described completely and accurately, we do not warrant same and disclaim to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law any liability arising from any omissions and inaccuracies pertaining to such display and description save to the extent that such liability is caused by our gross negligence or fraud.

k. In no event will our aggregate liability for the claims arising in connection with any booking exceed the fees actually received by us in respect of the service component most closely associated with the claims, irrespective of the cause of action (whether in contract, statute or delict, including for negligence), save to the extent that such liability cannot be excluded by law.

l. It is strongly advised that you and those travelling with you take out adequate insurance cover such as cancellation due to illness, accident or injury, personal accident and personal liability, loss of or damage to baggage and sports equipment. Should your insurers dispute their liability for any reason, you will have recourse against the insurers only.

m. It is entirely your responsibility to ensure that all your passports and visas are current, valid, obtained on time and that any vaccinations, inoculations, prophylactics (e.g. for malaria) and the like, where required, have been obtained. Passports must be valid for 6 (six) months after return to South Africa and must have two blank pages. Government regulations change frequently, we recommend you check on the official government website for the countries you intend to visit about the latest entry requirements. Please check with your local GP or travel clinic about vaccinations (like yellow fever) and prophylaxis (like malaria) you may require for the countries you will be visiting.

n. Taxes: We will try to advise you of all mandatory taxes, which you must pay before departure. However, many countries charge departure taxes that can only be paid locally.

o. Medical Problems: You must ensure that all facilities offered are able to cater for any requirements from a medical / disability point of view and to make direct arrangements with the supplier concerned in order to cater for your needs or that of any other person travelling with you.

p. We and our commercial partners may use your personal data for the purposes of executing transactions concluded with you, for billing purposes or in order to serve relevant advertising to you. We and our affiliates may send you information, special offers and advertising by email, through SMS, within our regular newsletters, through once-off promotional offers or by telephone.

q. If you do not want to receive the information as set out above then please send an e- mail to us at carpediem@thetravelcafe.capetown

r.  If you are travelling to South Africa and have children (minors) travelling with you or joining you in South Africa, you will need to provide proof of guardianship or custody or consent from the guardian in the case of an unaccompanied minor.

s. http://www.home-affairs.gov.za/index.php/statements-speeches/475-home-affairs- encourages-parents-to-get-unabridged-birth-certificates-for-children

9. General Conditions of Use for this Web Site

a. You are solely responsible for all fees that may apply to your use of this web site and the services offered on it.

b.  You may not access this site for any purpose other than for utilizing the services offered on it in the normal manner. You may not access our site for the purposes of redistributing or otherwise using any of our content for your own business purposes unless you are expressly licensed thereto by us in writing. We do not usually monitor, edit, control or filter the content submitted to this site by our users. Such content, including as may be found in blogs, forums, chat groups, comment sections and bulletin boards, do not represent our views and we have not authorized or endorsed such content. Such content should also not be viewed as professional advice of any kind, be it medical, legal, financial or otherwise. Please notify our Customer Care Centre if you have a complaint about the activities of or content submitted by a user of this site.

c. We also reserve the right, without notice and in our sole and absolute discretion, to make changes to any parts of the site inclusive of changes to these terms of use including those relating to our ordering service. It is your responsibility to review our terms of use on each occasion prior to making use of this site and our ordering service. If you continue to use this site after our amended terms of use has been posted on the web site, it will constitute a deemed acceptance of such amended terms of use. We specifically reserve the right at any time to change or discontinue without notice, any aspect and/or feature of this web site.

d.  You will be required to choose a user name and a password when registering with us or using some of our services.

e. We are committed to protecting your privacy. We will collate the information which you give to us to provide you with services and personalise your use and visits of this site.

f. We have to protect our business and secure our systems. Consequently, you should note that we may monitor and keep records of any communication that you may send to or receive via our web site and we may use, publish and disclose such communications for any lawful purpose. This may include our filtering of incoming and outgoing electronic data messages to identify, limit and/or prevent the transmission of unlawful or otherwise undesirable material or content.

10. The Travel Café Privacy Policy

9. 1. Collection: We may collect certain information during any of the following: when engaging with third party service providers; making use of our internal reporting tools; making use of any reservation tools; making use of any other goods or services offered by us; during the booking process; during any online session from your web browser; from cookies we may send to your computer and from web beacons on our website to track how you use our website; and information, that you provide when you upload or download content from our website or when you enter prize draws, take advantage of promotions, respond to surveys or register and subscribe for certain additional services.

9. 2. Use of information: We may use your information to send you administrative messages and email updates regarding new products on our website; for marketing purposes; and for business purposes, which we think are beneficial to you.

9. 3. Disclosure: We might disclose your information in the specific circumstances mentioned in this policy.

9. 4. Security: We will always protect your information. You have the following choices: You can turn off cookies in your browser; or you can opt-out of marketing communications with us by clicking on unsubscribe link in any marketing email that has been sent you. 

More details on our Privacy Policy, click here. 

11. Our Customer Promise

a. We believe in honest, transparent, ethical and fair-trade business practice

b. Reputable

c. A provider of quality products or services

d. Sharing in our ethos of service excellence

e. To advise you of required travel documentation and the validity thereof.

f. To be available for advice before, during and after travel has commenced.

g. Subject to statutory constraints or compliance with an order of court, we undertake to deal with all your information on a strictly confidential basis.

What are your responsibilities?

a.  To clearly state your travel requirements and ensure they are understood.

b. To provide accurate information at all times, especially with regards to:

• The spelling of travellers names as per passport or ID document

• Contact details, such as telephone, email and home address

• To check all details on quotes and confirmations and to confirm these are correct before travel documents are issued.

• To ensure that you are familiar with the terms and conditions of each supplier.

• To advise us of any special needs at the time of the booking and to understand that despite our best endeavours these requests may or may not be fulfilled by the supplier.

• To ensure that all personal travel documents are valid, such as passports, health certificates, international drivers licenses, visa(s), travel insurance etc.

• To present a valid form of payment timeously. Late or invalid payments may result in the cancellation of your reservation and you may incur financial penalties.

Should you feel that we have not lived up to your expectations in this regard and/or you need further clarification on our Terms and Conditions.

Email us: carpediem@thetravelcafe.co.za Call us: +27 (0)63 639 8522