Terms & Conditions
Design Afrique Tours (Pty) Ltd
Last updated: April 2026
Welcome to Design Afrique Tours (Pty) Ltd. These Terms & Conditions govern all quotations, itinerary planning, travel arrangements, bookings and related services provided by Design Afrique Tours.
By requesting a quotation, accepting an itinerary, making payment, confirming a booking, or otherwise using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.
1. Role of Design Afrique Tours
Design Afrique Tours (Pty) Ltd, referred to in these Terms & Conditions as “Design Afrique”, “we”, “our” or “us”, acts as an independent destination management company and as an intermediary or agent for a range of independent third-party suppliers.
These suppliers may include, but are not limited to, accommodation establishments, airlines, transfer companies, guides, transport providers, restaurants, activity operators, charter services and other tourism-related service providers.
All travel arrangements are made on behalf of the client with these third-party suppliers. Each service is subject to the respective supplier’s own terms and conditions, including payment rules, cancellation policies, operational limitations and refund terms.
Design Afrique does not own, manage or control these services directly and cannot be held responsible for the acts, omissions or performance of independent suppliers.
2. Quotations and Availability
All quotations, proposed itineraries and pricing are subject to availability at the time of booking.
A quotation does not constitute confirmation of any service, rate, room, flight, transfer or experience until the booking has been confirmed in writing by Design Afrique and the required payment has been received and cleared.
Availability may change without notice until confirmation is secured.
Design Afrique reserves the right to amend or withdraw any quotation prior to confirmation where required by supplier changes, exchange rate movements, availability constraints, pricing revisions, government levies, taxes, fuel surcharges or any other factor outside our reasonable control.
3. Booking Confirmation
All bookings, amendments and service requests must be submitted in writing.
A booking will only be regarded as confirmed once written confirmation has been issued by Design Afrique and the required deposit or full payment has been received and cleared.
Design Afrique reserves the right to decline or cancel any booking, at its discretion, prior to formal confirmation.
No verbal discussion, provisional hold or draft itinerary shall be regarded as a confirmed booking unless expressly confirmed in writing by Design Afrique.
4. Payment Terms
A deposit may be required at the time of booking, as specified in the quotation or invoice.
Unless otherwise stated in writing, full payment is due no later than 50 days prior to arrival.
Where bookings are made closer to departure, full payment may be required immediately in order to secure services.
Failure to make payment by the due date may result in automatic cancellation without notice.
Any short payment, delayed payment, unpaid balance or failed payment will be treated as a cancellation by the client and may trigger cancellation fees in accordance with these Terms & Conditions and the relevant supplier terms.
Design Afrique shall not be obliged to issue travel documents, vouchers or final confirmations until all monies due have been received in cleared funds.
5. Payment Methods and Processing
Payments may be made by bank transfer or through secure online payment facilities provided by approved third-party payment processors.
By making payment through a third-party processor, the client also agrees to the terms and conditions of that payment provider.
Design Afrique shall not be liable for any loss, delay or issue arising from payment gateway failures, banking system delays, declined or failed transactions, payment provider outages, currency conversion discrepancies, intermediary bank deductions, or processing delays outside our control.
A booking is only secured once cleared funds have been received in full.
Any bank charges, transfer fees, credit card charges, conversion fees or intermediary fees remain for the client’s account unless otherwise agreed in writing.
6. Currency and Exchange Rate Fluctuations
All quotations are based on the prevailing exchange rate at the time of quotation and may be subject to change until payment is received.
Where payment is made in a foreign currency, the applicable exchange rate is determined at the time of transaction. Any exchange rate fluctuation prior to payment is for the client’s account. Any bank, conversion or intermediary fees are also for the client’s account.
Design Afrique reserves the right to reprice services prior to confirmation where there has been a significant exchange rate movement, supplier price adjustment, or cost increase outside our control.
7. Cancellations by the Client
All cancellations must be submitted in writing.
Unless otherwise specified in writing, the following cancellation fees shall apply:
More than 46 days prior to arrival: 20% cancellation fee
45 to 31 days prior to arrival: 75% cancellation fee
30 days or less prior to arrival: 100% cancellation fee
Certain third-party suppliers may impose stricter cancellation policies. In such cases, the supplier-specific cancellation terms shall take precedence and will apply to the booking.
Where Design Afrique has already paid deposits, prepayments or full amounts to third-party suppliers on behalf of the client, such amounts may be non-refundable in whole or in part, depending on the supplier’s terms.
Any refund due, where applicable, shall be less any non-refundable supplier charges, administrative fees, bank charges, exchange losses, credit card processing fees and any other costs already incurred.
8. Amendments
All amendment requests must be made in writing and are subject to availability and supplier approval.
Design Afrique reserves the right to charge an amendment fee for changes made after confirmation.
Any additional costs arising from an amendment, including supplier penalties, repricing, reissue charges, cancellation penalties or increased rates, shall be for the client’s account.
No amendment shall be regarded as confirmed until confirmed in writing by Design Afrique.
9. Supplier Changes and Unavailability
From time to time, suppliers may alter, withdraw, delay or cancel services due to operational, environmental, weather-related, logistical, safety or other reasons.
If a confirmed service becomes unavailable, Design Afrique will use reasonable efforts to secure a suitable alternative.
If no suitable alternative is available, any liability on the part of Design Afrique shall be strictly limited to the amount paid for the affected service only.
Design Afrique shall not be liable for any indirect loss, disappointment, consequential cost, missed connection, or other loss arising from a supplier change or service unavailability.
10. Liability
Design Afrique acts solely as an intermediary for third-party service providers and shall not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, delay, inconvenience or expense arising from the acts or omissions of third-party suppliers, the failure of a supplier to provide a booked service, force majeure or events beyond our reasonable control, transport disruption, flight delay, aircraft change or cancellation, weather conditions, natural disasters or environmental events, political unrest, civil disturbance, strikes or border closures, epidemics, pandemics or public health restrictions, theft, accident, injury, illness or loss of personal belongings, or any event or circumstance beyond our reasonable control.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Design Afrique shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss or damage.
Where liability is established, such liability shall in all cases be limited to the amount actually paid to Design Afrique for the affected service.
11. Itinerary Design and Client Responsibility
Design Afrique provides professional guidance and destination expertise in curating travel itineraries based on the information supplied by the client.
The final decision to accept or decline any itinerary, routing, accommodation selection, activity, supplier or travel arrangement remains the responsibility of the client.
Once an itinerary has been approved, the client accepts responsibility for the choices made, including the suitability of the route, travel pace, accommodation style, activity level and overall structure of the journey.
Design Afrique shall not be held liable for dissatisfaction arising from subjective preference, personal expectation, a change of mind, or circumstances outside our reasonable control.
12. Travel Insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended for all travellers and may be required for certain bookings.
Travel insurance should include, at minimum, medical expenses, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation or curtailment, loss, theft or damage to baggage and personal belongings, travel delays, missed connections, and personal liability where appropriate.
It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure that suitable insurance is arranged and remains valid for the full duration of travel.
Design Afrique shall not be liable for any cost, loss or damage that could have been covered by appropriate travel insurance.
13. Passports, Visas and Health Requirements
It is the sole responsibility of each traveller to ensure that they hold valid and compliant travel documents, including but not limited to passports, visas, permits, parental consent documents, health declarations, vaccination certificates and any other entry requirements.
Travellers are also responsible for ensuring compliance with all medical, border, customs and immigration requirements applicable to their itinerary.
Design Afrique accepts no liability for any consequence, delay, denied boarding, denied entry, cancellation, cost or loss resulting from a traveller’s failure to meet such requirements.
14. Health Advisory
Certain regions within Southern Africa may be classified as low-risk or seasonal malaria areas, or may require particular health precautions depending on the time of year and the nature of travel.
Clients are strongly advised to seek professional medical advice prior to travel and to take all recommended precautions, including vaccinations, preventative medication and health planning as appropriate.
Design Afrique does not provide medical advice and accepts no liability for health-related matters arising before, during or after travel.
15. Credit Card Payments, Chargebacks and Payment Disputes
Where payment is made by credit card, debit card, online payment link or any electronic payment facility, the client confirms that they are authorised to use the relevant payment method and that the payment is being made with full knowledge of the booking, itinerary, supplier terms and these Terms & Conditions.
By making payment, the client acknowledges and agrees that payment may be used by Design Afrique to secure third-party travel services on the client’s behalf, that such funds may become partially or fully non-refundable once committed to suppliers, and that cancellation fees and supplier charges may still apply even where the client later changes their mind or no longer wishes to travel.
In the event of a chargeback, payment reversal or payment dispute, the client shall remain liable for the full booking amount where such amount is validly due. Design Afrique reserves the right to suspend, withhold or cancel services pending resolution. Design Afrique further reserves the right to recover any associated losses, supplier costs, bank fees, chargeback penalties, administrative fees, collection costs and legal fees.
The client agrees to contact Design Afrique first in the event of a payment concern and to allow a reasonable opportunity for the issue to be reviewed before initiating any dispute with a bank or payment provider.
16. Force Majeure
Design Afrique shall not be liable for any failure, delay, cancellation, loss, damage or additional cost caused by force majeure or events beyond its reasonable control.
This includes, without limitation, natural disasters, flood, drought, fire, extreme weather, transport interruption, airline disruption, government action, war, threat of war, terrorism, civil unrest, epidemics, pandemics, labour strikes, border restrictions, power failures, communication failures, infrastructure breakdown, reserve closures or environmental restrictions.
Where such circumstances arise, Design Afrique will use reasonable efforts to assist with alternative arrangements, but any additional costs incurred shall be for the client’s account unless otherwise recoverable from a supplier.
17. Protection of Personal Information
Design Afrique is committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).
By requesting a quotation, making a booking or confirming travel services, the client consents to the collection, storage, use and processing of personal information for the purpose of arranging and managing travel services.
This may include sharing relevant personal information with trusted third-party suppliers where necessary to facilitate bookings, transport, accommodation, permits, travel support and related services.
Design Afrique will not sell personal information to third parties.
Further details regarding how personal information is handled may be set out in our Privacy Policy.
18. Client Conduct
Clients are expected to act respectfully and responsibly throughout the course of travel.
Design Afrique and its suppliers reserve the right to refuse service, remove a traveller from an activity, or terminate arrangements where a traveller’s conduct is unlawful, abusive, reckless, disruptive, intoxicated, dangerous, or likely to place others, wildlife, staff or property at risk.
In such instances, no refund shall be due for any unused portion of the itinerary.
Any additional costs arising from such conduct shall be for the client’s account.
19. Complaints
If a client experiences a problem during travel, it must be reported as soon as reasonably possible to Design Afrique or the relevant supplier so that an opportunity is given to address the issue while travel is still underway.
If the matter is not reported during travel, this may affect the ability to investigate or resolve it afterwards.
Any complaint submitted after the trip must be made in writing within 14 days of the traveller’s return.
20. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
Any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms & Conditions or any booking made through Design Afrique shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the South African courts, unless otherwise required by law.
21. Acceptance of Terms
By confirming a booking, paying a deposit, settling an invoice, accepting a quotation or otherwise proceeding with travel arrangements through Design Afrique, the client confirms that they have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions in full.
