Terms of use
These terms apply to Helderberg Social: the website at helderbergsocial.co.za, the Helderberg Social app, the Helderberg Social WhatsApp number and email updates, and the community's WhatsApp groups. They are written to be read. By using any of them you accept these terms, the community rules, which form part of these terms, and the handling of your information set out in the privacy notice.
1. Who we are
Helderberg Social is a free, volunteer-run community guide to events, places and groups in the Helderberg (Somerset West, Strand, Gordon's Bay, Sir Lowry's Pass and the area around them). It is not a company. It is run by Corne Kruger, a private individual, who is responsible for it, helped by volunteer admins. In these terms "we" and "us" mean Corne Kruger and those volunteers, and "you" means the person using Helderberg Social.
Contact: cornekruger1@gmail.com, or the form on the site. More about who we are and every legal page: Legal.
2. Who may use it
- Anyone may read the public website.
- To create an account, ask to join the WhatsApp groups, post events or use the app, you must be 18 or older and have a South African mobile number that is yours. The app only works from South Africa.
- Most of the community's WhatsApp groups are vetted: they are for people who live in the Helderberg, and an admin checks you before letting you in (see the privacy notice). A few groups are open: anyone with their invite link can join, and nobody is checked on the way in. Being in an open group does not admit anyone to a vetted one.
If you are under 18, please do not create an account or join the groups. If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 18, we will close it and delete its details.
3. Your account
An account is for one person, on their own true details. Keep your password and your phone to yourself: what is done with your account is your responsibility, and you should tell us at once if you think someone else has used it. Keep your details correct; you can change them under Your details. You can delete your account yourself at any time: how to delete your account.
4. What you post
Events, listings, private events, get-togethers, posters, photos, messages and notes you send us or post must be true as far as you know, lawful, and yours to share. You stay the owner of what you post. By posting something for the public site, or posting an event, poster or notice where Helderberg Social can see it (including in the community's WhatsApp groups and under the #helderbergsocial hashtag), you give us a free, non-exclusive permission to publish it, shorten and edit it for length and clarity, and show it on the site, in the app and in our updates, for as long as it is listed. You confirm that you are entitled to give that permission, including for any photo or poster.
Public events and listings are checked before they go up, and we may decline, edit or remove anything without giving a reason. Private events and get-togethers are not checked before they go up: the person who starts one is responsible for it. Anyone can report one to us.
5. What is not allowed
Do not use Helderberg Social to post, send or do anything that:
- is unlawful, defamatory, hateful, harassing, threatening, sexually explicit or misleading;
- is a scam, spam, chain message, pyramid or investment scheme;
- shares someone else's personal information, or a photo of a recognisable person or a child, without the permission the community rules require;
- infringes someone else's copyright, trade mark or other rights;
- pretends to be someone else, or uses someone else's number or details;
- collects other members' details to market to them, or copies the site's listings in bulk;
- tries to break, overload, probe or get around the protections of the site, the app or the WhatsApp number, including by automated means.
6. Events and meetups are run by their organisers
We list events and the community shares meetups; we do not run them. The organiser of an event or meetup is responsible for it, including its tickets, prices, safety, permissions and any change or cancellation. Check the details with the organiser before you go. Times, prices and places can change after we list them, and some listings are gathered from public posts and websites and may be wrong. Taking part in a meetup is covered by the community rules, including your own risk and our liability.
7. Recommendations, businesses and links
Businesses, venues and services listed on the site or mentioned in the groups are there for information. Their inclusion is not an endorsement or a guarantee, and we are not responsible for their products, services, prices or conduct. Links to other websites are provided for convenience; we do not control those sites and are not responsible for them.
8. Money
Helderberg Social is free. We do not charge members, sell tickets, take payments or hold money for anyone. If a meetup or event has a cost, that is between you and its organiser or the business concerned (community rules, clause 8). If we ever offer anything paid, its price and terms will be shown before you pay, and these terms will be updated first.
9. WhatsApp, the app and other services
Messages from the Helderberg Social number are sent through WhatsApp, a service of Meta, so WhatsApp's own terms also apply to them. We send updates only after you confirm, and you can reply STOP or tap Unsubscribe at any time. The Android app is distributed through Google Play and from this site, and push notifications reach your phone through Expo's notification service. Those services have their own terms; what they receive is set out in the privacy notice.
You may use the app for your own, non-commercial use. Do not copy, resell or take apart the app or the site except as the law allows.
10. What belongs to us
The Helderberg Social name and logo, the design of the site and app, and the way the listings are put together belong to Corne Kruger. You may share links to the site freely, and share a single listing with friends. Do not copy the listings in bulk or present them as your own.
11. What we cannot promise
We work to keep the information right and the service running, but Helderberg Social is offered free, as it is and as available, without any promise that it is complete, correct, current, uninterrupted or free of errors. We may change, pause or stop any part of it at any time.
12. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent that South African law allows, we are not liable for any loss or damage, whether direct, indirect or consequential, that comes from using or not being able to use Helderberg Social, from relying on a listing, from an event, meetup, venue or business listed or mentioned on it, or from the conduct of any member or organiser.
Nothing in these terms excludes or limits any liability that the law does not allow to be excluded or limited, including for gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing, or takes away any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008, or any other law, where it applies.
13. If you break these terms
We may remove anything you posted, refuse a submission, suspend or close your account, block access from a number, address or device, and remove you from the community's groups, if you break these terms or the community rules, or to protect members. Where it is safe and sensible, we will tell you why. If something you posted or did causes a claim against us by someone else, and it was unlawful or broke these terms, you are responsible for it, to the extent the law allows.
14. Complaints and takedown requests
If you have a complaint about Helderberg Social, or believe something on it is unlawful, infringes your rights or is about you, tell us at cornekruger1@gmail.com with a link to it, what is wrong, and how to reach you. We will look at it promptly and remove anything that should not be there. A complaint about your personal information can also go to the Information Regulator (see the privacy notice).
15. General
- Law: these terms are governed by the law of the Republic of South Africa, and South African courts have jurisdiction. You agree that a dispute may be heard in a magistrate's court that has jurisdiction.
- Changes: we may update these terms. The version date at the top says when; a change that matters is announced on the site before it takes effect. If you keep using Helderberg Social after that, the new terms apply. Earlier versions: Legal.
- Separate parts: if a court finds any part of these terms invalid, the rest still applies.
- No waiver: if we do not enforce a term at one time, we can still enforce it later.
- Whole agreement: these terms, the community rules and the privacy notice are the whole agreement between you and us about Helderberg Social.
Last updated 2 November 2026.