NODE is a community marketplace operated by NEWMAN-ASSOCIATES (Pty) Ltd ("Newman & Associates", "we", "us"), Malmesbury, Western Cape, South Africa. NODE connects consumers with independent local Service Providers ("SPs") — it lists, connects and moderates. We do not perform, supervise, employ, endorse or guarantee any SP or any service.
By downloading, registering on or using NODE you agree to these Terms in full. If you do not agree, do not use NODE.
NODE is for persons 18 years and older. You must provide accurate, current information and keep it updated. Consumer accounts are verified by email; SP accounts by email OTP. You are responsible for activity on your account. One account per person or business; accounts are not transferable.
SP registration requires: business/trading name, owner full name, WhatsApp number, ONE primary service category, town, a description of services, and acceptance of these Terms. A profile photo is optional at registration. Further business details (physical address, ID number, occupation, services offered, operating hours and payment methods) are required before a listing goes live and must be completed via the in-app Business Details screen.
Listing is at our sole discretion. All profiles are reviewed before going live. SP profiles are activated immediately and automatically upon successful payment confirmation — no manual activation step is required. SPs warrant that all information provided is accurate, lawful and their own. We may request, at any time, reasonable evidence that an SP genuinely provides the services listed. Failure to provide reasonable proof within 14 days may result in suspension pending review.
We may edit, suspend or remove any profile that is inaccurate, misleading, offensive or unlawful, and may suspend accounts pending investigation of reports or complaints.
Launch promotional rate (sign-up from launch until 30 November 2026): R49 once-off payment at registration, covering access through 30 November 2026. No further monthly payment is required during this period.
Standard rate (from 1 December 2026): Basic R79 per month.
Platinum (from 1 January 2027): R129 per month. Platinum is limited to three (3) SPs per service category per town, with a waiting list when full.
Founder rates: SPs registered before 7 September 2026 pay Basic R50 per month from the date standard billing commences. A founder who upgrades to Platinum pays the then-current Platinum price.
The first payment is due at registration and is required before the SP's listing goes live. From 1 December 2026, monthly subscription payments fall due on the first day of each calendar month. Payments are processed via Ozow (see Section 05). The platform verifies payment status on every app launch — a listing remains active only while the account is current.
If a subscription payment is not confirmed by close of business on the due date, the SP's listing and app access are automatically suspended with immediate effect. The SP is directed to the in-app subscription screen to settle the outstanding amount. Access is restored immediately upon payment confirmation. Suspension does not cancel amounts owing. Repeated non-payment may result in permanent removal of the listing at our discretion.
Prices remain as published through 31 December 2027. Thereafter prices may be reviewed annually; any adjustment takes effect on 1 January and is notified in writing by 1 December of the preceding year. Promotional and founder rates are subject to the same annual review; a rate granted to one subscriber creates no entitlement for any other.
SPs may cancel with effect from the end of the current billing month by written notice. No refunds for part-months except as required by law or under Section 10.
Subscription payments and any in-app payment links are processed by Ozow (Pty) Ltd, an independent third-party payment service provider, not by us. Ozow's own terms and privacy policy govern the processing of your payment. We are not liable for any delay, failure, error, outage, or non-settlement of funds caused by Ozow, your bank, or any other party in the payment chain, including but not limited to processing delays, technical failures, or incorrect account allocation arising from information you provided. Where a payment does not reflect due to a processor-side failure, we will work with you in good faith to verify and resolve the matter, but our liability in such circumstances is limited as set out in Section 12.
Users may post service requests (service needed, area, timeframe). Requests must not contain phone numbers, addresses or other direct contact details — contact happens through NODE messaging. A request is active for 7 days and may be extended once. Requestors control their own posts and may edit, cancel or mark them fulfilled. Expired requests are archived. Users may have up to 3 active requests. A user's requests are visible to Service Providers, not to other users. We do not guarantee that any request receives responses, nor the suitability of any SP who responds.
Reviews are published immediately upon submission. We monitor ratings and may engage with SPs regarding feedback, and we may remove reviews that are false, defamatory, unlawful, offensive, or unrelated to a genuine service experience. SPs may not solicit, incentivise or fabricate reviews. Every profile carries a Report option. Reports are reviewed by our team and may lead to suspension or removal. Prohibited platform-wide: harassment, hate speech, unlawful content or services, spam, fraud, data harvesting, and interference with the platform's operation.
NODE does not process, hold or guarantee payments between consumers and SPs. All quotations, pricing, payment and disputes relating to services are strictly between the consumer and the SP. We accept no liability for non-payment, overcharging, defective services or payment fraud between users, to the maximum extent permitted by law.
All advertisements are subject to review and approval before publication. We may reject or remove advertising at our discretion. Advertisers warrant they own or are licensed to use all content submitted and indemnify us against third-party claims arising from their creative. Advertising does not constitute our endorsement.
We may suspend or terminate accounts for false information, breach of these Terms, unlawful conduct, repeated unresolved complaints, non-payment, or risk to the platform or its users. Where reasonable we notify before suspension, except in cases of serious misconduct, fraud or legal necessity. Where we terminate an SP's subscription, we refund the unused pro-rata value of the current month — except where termination follows proven fraud, unlawful services or serious misconduct, in which case any refund is at our discretion.
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. While SP profiles are reviewed before listing, review is administrative in nature: we do not and cannot guarantee the identity, qualifications, quality, safety, legality or performance of any SP or service. Verification badges indicate completed platform checks only and are not a warranty. Consumers engage SPs at their own election and risk and should make their own enquiries before engaging any SP. The platform is provided "as is" and "as available". We do not warrant uninterrupted or error-free operation.
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Newman & Associates, its director, employees and agents are not liable for any loss, damage, injury or death arising from or connected to services provided by SPs, dealings between users, user content, or the use of or inability to use the platform — including direct, indirect, consequential and special damages and loss of profits. Where liability cannot lawfully be excluded, our total aggregate liability to any SP is limited to the subscription fees paid by that SP in the 3 months preceding the claim, and to any consumer, to R1,000. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under South African law, including liability arising from gross negligence, or limits any consumer right under the Consumer Protection Act that cannot lawfully be waived. Each SP and each advertiser indemnifies Newman & Associates against all claims, damages and costs (including legal costs) arising from their services, their content, their breach of these Terms, or their violation of law or third-party rights.
The NODE name, logo, app, designs, systems and platform are the intellectual property of Newman & Associates and may not be reproduced or used without written permission. Users retain ownership of content they submit and grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display, adapt (for formatting) and promote it on and for the platform.
Newman & Associates may issue referral codes to authorised introducers ("Scouts") who refer Service Providers to the NODE platform. Scouts are independent introducers and are not employees, agents or representatives of Newman & Associates. Where an SP enters a valid Scout referral code at registration, this is recorded for the purpose of calculating any applicable introducer commission. Commission rates, payment terms and conditions applicable to Scouts are governed by a separate written agreement between Newman & Associates and each Scout individually. The existence of a referral code does not create any entitlement, obligation or liability on the part of Newman & Associates beyond what is set out in that written agreement.
NODE may require mandatory application updates from time to time to maintain platform security, compliance or functionality. Users who have not updated to the current minimum required version may be unable to access the platform until the update is completed via the Google Play Store. We will endeavour to ensure updates are reasonable in size and frequency. We are not liable for any loss of access during a mandatory update period.
We may assign or transfer these Terms, the platform, and our rights and obligations under them — including in connection with a sale, merger or transfer of the business or the NODE platform — to a successor, who assumes our rights and obligations under these Terms. Users may not assign their accounts. On such a transfer, personal information transfers with the platform subject to the Privacy Policy and POPIA.
We may update these Terms; material changes are notified via the app or email at least 14 days before taking effect (30 days for price changes). These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. If any provision is unenforceable it is severed and the remainder stands. Disputes: contact us first — most issues are resolved directly. Nothing prevents you approaching the National Consumer Commission, the Information Regulator, or a competent court. Contact: Newman & Associates (Pty) Ltd · info@newmanassociates.co.za · WhatsApp +27 76 199 9072 · Malmesbury, Western Cape.
We collect only what the platform needs to function. Consumers: name, email address, date of birth (to confirm 18+), town, and your activity on the platform (requests, messages, reviews, favourites). Service Providers: business/trading name, owner full name, WhatsApp number, contact number, service category, town, business description, profile photo, NODE code, and subscription/payment status (payments are made via Ozow — we never collect or store banking login details, and payment references are your NODE code). Where SPs voluntarily provide additional verification details (physical address, ID number, next-of-kin information) these are stored securely and used only for identity verification and compliance — they are never displayed publicly. Photos shared in chat are stored to deliver them to the other party.
To operate the platform: showing SP profiles to consumers, delivering messages and requests, processing subscriptions, moderating reviews and reports, providing support, and meeting legal obligations. We may send service communications (payment reminders, notices about your account or the platform). We do not sell personal information.
NODE runs on Supabase, a secure cloud database platform, with access controls limiting who can see what. The admin systems are accessible only to authorised Newman & Associates personnel. Reasonable technical and organisational measures protect personal information against loss, damage and unauthorised access, as required by POPIA.
SP profile information (business name, category, town, description, photo, ratings) is public on the platform by design — that is what a listing is. Consumer names are visible to SPs they interact with (messages, requests, reviews). We share information with service providers who process it for us (hosting, communications, payment processing via Ozow) under confidentiality obligations, and where required by law. If the business or platform is sold or transferred, personal information transfers with it under the same protections.
Account information is kept while your account is active. Closed accounts and their content are archived and then deleted within 24 months, except records we must keep longer by law (for example financial records, kept 5 years). Reviews may remain in anonymised form. Archived requests are retained for platform analytics in de-identified form.
You may: request access to the personal information we hold about you; ask us to correct or delete it; object to processing; and complain to the Information Regulator (inforeg.org.za). To exercise any right, contact info@newmanassociates.co.za — we respond within a reasonable time and verify identity before acting on requests. Information Officer: The Director, Newman & Associates (Pty) Ltd, Malmesbury, Western Cape.
The NODE app uses only the technical storage necessary to keep you signed in and make the app work. We measure platform activity (views, clicks) in aggregate to improve the service; this is not sold or shared for advertising.
NODE is for persons 18 and older. We do not knowingly process the personal information of minors; accounts found to belong to minors are closed and their information deleted.
We may update this Privacy Policy; material changes are notified via the app or email. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance. Contact: info@newmanassociates.co.za · WhatsApp +27 76 199 9072 · Newman & Associates (Pty) Ltd, Malmesbury, Western Cape, South Africa.