WhatsApp Contact

Legal

Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 2 June 2025

Terms governing use of the Answer website and the general legal framework for our services, including WhatsApp Business, Meta platform compliance, commerce policies, onboarding, Google services, and client obligations.

1. Introduction

These Terms & Conditions were last updated on 2 June 2025 and apply to Answer Co Za (Pty) Ltd (Answer), the website at https://answer.co.za, and related communication channels and services operated by us.

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern access to and use of the Answer website, preliminary communications with us, and the general legal framework applicable to services offered by Answer Co Za (Pty) Ltd. Specific projects, subscriptions, or platform deployments may also be subject to separate signed agreements, statements of work, order forms, service level arrangements, and data processing addenda that prevail over these Terms where they conflict.

By accessing https://answer.co.za, submitting an enquiry, or engaging our services, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use this website or our services.

2. Definitions

“Answer”, “we”, “us”, or “our”
Answer Co Za (Pty) Ltd trading as Answer.
“Website”
https://answer.co.za and associated pages operated by Answer.
“User”, “you”, or “your”
Any person or entity accessing the Website or communicating with Answer.
“Client”
A business or organisation that engages Answer under contract for professional services.
“Services”
Communication technology services offered by Answer, including WhatsApp Business solutions, unified inbox platforms, chatbots, automation, messaging, reporting, integrations, and custom software.
“Platforms”
Third-party systems such as WhatsApp, Meta Business Platform, Google services, SMS gateways, email providers, CRM systems, and cloud infrastructure used to deliver Services.
“End Customer”
A customer or user of a Client who interacts with communication channels configured by Answer for that Client.

3. Agreement to these terms

These Terms form a binding agreement between you and Answer Co Za (Pty) Ltd for Website use and general commercial engagement. If you accept these Terms on behalf of an organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that organisation. Additional terms apply to paid Services and are incorporated by reference where agreed in writing.

4. Use of this website

You may use this Website for lawful purposes only. You agree not to:

  • use the Website in any way that violates applicable law or regulation;
  • attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems, networks, or data;
  • interfere with or disrupt the Website, security controls, or infrastructure;
  • scrape, harvest, or automate access in a manner that imposes unreasonable load or bypasses technical controls;
  • introduce malware, malicious code, or harmful content;
  • misrepresent your identity or affiliation;
  • use the contact form or other channels to send spam, unsolicited marketing, or abusive content.

We may suspend or restrict access to the Website where we reasonably believe these Terms have been breached or where necessary for security, maintenance, or legal compliance.

5. Intellectual property

Unless stated otherwise, all content on this Website—including text, graphics, logos, icons, layout, software, and documentation—is owned by or licensed to Answer Co Za (Pty) Ltd and protected by South African and international intellectual property laws.

You may view and print pages for personal or internal business reference. You may not copy, modify, distribute, publicly display, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from Website content without our prior written consent, except where fair dealing or statutory exceptions apply.

Client-specific deliverables, custom code, and configured systems are governed by the applicable project contract. Unless that contract states otherwise, pre-existing Answer tools, frameworks, libraries, and know-how remain our intellectual property, and clients receive the usage rights specified in their agreement.

6. Acceptable use

Whether you use our Website or Services, you must not engage in activity that is fraudulent, defamatory, harassing, discriminatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. You must not use our Services or Platforms to distribute malware, phishing content, illegal goods or services, hate speech, or content that infringes third-party rights.

Clients remain responsible for content sent through systems we configure, including messages, templates, chatbot flows, catalogues, and automated notifications. Answer may suspend Services where continued operation would expose us, a Platform provider, or End Customers to material legal or reputational risk.

7. Enquiries and contact form

Information submitted through our contact form or email channels is used to respond to your enquiry and for related business communications as described in our Privacy Policy.

Submitting an enquiry does not create a client relationship or oblige Answer to provide Services until parties agree terms in writing. We may use security measures including CSRF tokens, rate limiting, honeypot fields, timing checks, and Google reCAPTCHA to protect forms from abuse.

You warrant that information you submit is accurate to the best of your knowledge and that you are authorised to provide it.

8. Professional services

Answer provides business-to-business technology services. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, Services are scoped, priced, and delivered according to written proposals, statements of work, or master services agreements. Key commercial terms typically include:

  • project scope, milestones, and deliverables;
  • roles and responsibilities of Answer and the Client;
  • acceptance criteria and change control;
  • support hours, response targets, and escalation paths;
  • fees, billing cycles, and third-party pass-through costs (such as Meta conversation charges, SMS, or hosting);
  • ownership and licensing of custom work;
  • data protection roles and subprocessors.

Marketing descriptions on this Website are illustrative. Final service specifications are defined in contract documents.

9. WhatsApp Business and Meta platform services

Where Answer provides WhatsApp Business API, Cloud API, Business Platform integration, or related Meta services, Clients and Users must comply with all applicable Meta and WhatsApp policies, including as updated from time to time. Key documents include:

9.1 Nature of WhatsApp services

WhatsApp is operated by Meta. Answer is not WhatsApp, Meta, or an official Meta entity unless expressly stated in a separate partnership disclosure. We may act as a technology partner, implementer, or administrator assisting Clients to connect to WhatsApp Business solutions through approved channels, including Meta Business Manager, Cloud API, or authorised Business Solution Providers.

9.2 Platform dependency and changes

Services relying on WhatsApp or Meta are subject to platform availability, API changes, pricing changes, policy enforcement, account restrictions, and regional limitations outside Answer’s control. We will use reasonable skill to adapt implementations to material platform changes, but timelines and costs for rework may require a change request unless covered by an active support agreement.

9.3 Account status and enforcement

Meta may review, limit, suspend, or terminate WhatsApp Business accounts that violate its policies or present elevated risk. Answer is not liable for Platform enforcement actions but will reasonably assist Clients with diagnostics and remediation where contracted.

10. WhatsApp onboarding and verification

Onboarding a Client to WhatsApp Business typically requires Meta business verification, display name approval, phone number registration, webhook configuration, and acceptance of Platform terms. Clients agree to:

  • provide accurate business information, supporting documents, and authorised representative details;
  • maintain an active Meta Business Manager account with appropriate admin access;
  • use phone numbers they own or are authorised to register, with working voice/SMS verification where required;
  • select display names that reflect the real business and comply with WhatsApp naming guidelines;
  • complete Commerce or Business verification steps where required for certain features;
  • notify Answer promptly of ownership changes, mergers, or material business changes affecting verification.

Onboarding timelines depend on Meta review processes and Client responsiveness. Answer does not guarantee approval of display names, templates, phone numbers, or business categories.

Clients must not attempt to onboard prohibited businesses or use cases restricted by WhatsApp or local law, including businesses listed in Meta’s restricted categories and the WhatsApp Commerce Policy prohibited goods and services lists.

11. WhatsApp Commerce

Where Clients use WhatsApp catalogues, carts, order messages, payments, or other commerce capabilities, they must comply with the WhatsApp Commerce Policy and applicable consumer protection, e-commerce, and financial regulations in South Africa and any market where they sell.

11.1 Client responsibilities for commerce

Without limiting the Commerce Policy, Clients must:

  • ensure product listings are accurate, lawful, and appropriately priced in disclosed currency;
  • not offer prohibited or restricted products or services;
  • provide clear order confirmations, shipping or fulfilment timelines, and customer support channels;
  • honour refund, return, and cancellation policies disclosed to End Customers;
  • collect and process payment and personal information lawfully, including POPIA compliance;
  • not use WhatsApp commerce features for deceptive practices, counterfeit goods, or unauthorised reselling;
  • maintain records necessary for tax, consumer dispute, and regulatory purposes.

11.2 Payments

Payment features may involve third-party payment processors or Platform payment integrations. Unless expressly agreed, Answer is not a payment intermediary, bank, or money services business. Clients are responsible for PCI-DSS compliance where card data is handled, and for reconciling payments with orders.

11.3 Answer role in commerce implementations

Answer may configure catalogues, product feeds, order flows, and integrations between WhatsApp and Client back-office systems. We do not guarantee sales performance, conversion rates, or Platform approval of commerce configurations. Clients remain merchant of record unless otherwise stated in writing.

12. Messaging, templates, and consent

WhatsApp regulates business messaging through opt-in requirements, template approval, category rules (marketing, utility, authentication), quality ratings, and customer care windows. Clients must:

  • obtain valid opt-in before sending proactive messages, and maintain evidence of consent;
  • use approved templates for messages outside permitted session windows;
  • provide clear opt-out mechanisms and honour opt-out requests promptly;
  • avoid sending unsolicited bulk marketing or prohibited content;
  • respect quiet hours and industry-specific communication rules where applicable;
  • ensure chatbot and automation flows disclose automated interaction where required by law;
  • not use WhatsApp contact data for unrelated purposes or sell contact lists.

Answer configures routing, templates, and automation to support compliant workflows, but Clients remain legally responsible for message content, consent, and regulatory compliance, including POPIA, the Consumer Protection Act, and sector rules (for example financial promotions or healthcare communications).

13. Third-party platforms and integrations

Services may integrate with CRM systems, ticketing tools, ERP platforms, SMS providers, email services, analytics tools, and custom APIs. Clients are responsible for:

  • licensing and lawful use of third-party software;
  • providing API credentials, sandbox access, and technical cooperation;
  • ensuring integrations comply with those providers’ terms;
  • data mapping accuracy between systems.

Answer is not responsible for outages, API deprecations, or policy changes by third-party providers outside our reasonable control.

14. Google services

Answer and this Website may use Google services, including reCAPTCHA, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads conversion tracking, and Google Search Console verification. Use of those services is subject to Google’s applicable terms and policies, including:

Where Answer implements Google Analytics, Google Ads tags, or similar measurement tools for a Client, the Client is responsible for obtaining required consents, publishing accurate privacy disclosures, and configuring tags in compliance with POPIA and advertising standards.

reCAPTCHA is used solely for security on forms where enabled. By submitting a protected form, you acknowledge that reCAPTCHA processing occurs as described in Google’s documentation.

15. Client obligations

In addition to Platform-specific duties above, Clients agree to:

  • provide timely access to stakeholders, content, approvals, and test environments;
  • review and approve deliverables within agreed timeframes;
  • maintain accurate administrator lists and protect account credentials;
  • ensure End Customer communications are lawful, truthful, and appropriately permissioned;
  • pay agreed fees and applicable third-party charges on time;
  • notify Answer of security incidents affecting shared systems without undue delay;
  • not use Services to process unlawful content or circumvent Platform restrictions.

Delay caused by Client non-performance may extend timelines and may incur additional fees for remobilisation or idle resources where stated in the contract.

16. Fees, invoicing, and payment

Fees for Services are set out in proposals, order forms, or contracts. Unless stated otherwise:

  • quotes exclude VAT, which will be added where applicable;
  • third-party fees (Meta/WhatsApp conversation charges, SMS, telephony, cloud usage, paid APIs) are borne by the Client or recharged at cost plus an agreed margin;
  • invoices are payable within the period stated on the invoice;
  • late payment may attract interest at the maximum rate permitted by law and suspension of Services after notice;
  • deposits and prepaid blocks may be required before work commences or before Platform spend is incurred.

Website content and unsolicited enquiries do not constitute binding pricing. Answer reserves the right to decline projects that are not commercially viable or compliant.

17. Confidentiality

Each party may receive confidential information from the other in connection with enquiries or Services. The receiving party must protect confidential information using at least reasonable care, use it only for the permitted purpose, and not disclose it except to personnel or advisers with a need to know and equivalent confidentiality obligations, or as required by law.

Confidentiality obligations do not apply to information that is public without breach, independently developed, or lawfully obtained from a third party. Aggregate or anonymised insights that do not identify a party or its customers may be used for benchmarking and service improvement.

18. Privacy and data protection

Personal information is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and POPIA. Clients acting as responsible parties for End Customer data must have lawful grounds to collect and share that data with Answer and Platform providers, and must enter into appropriate operator agreements where required.

Answer implements reasonable security measures but cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted over the internet or through third-party Platforms.

19. Disclaimers

To the fullest extent permitted by law, this Website and general information provided by Answer are supplied on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We do not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from harmful components.

Case studies, examples, and performance metrics on the Website are illustrative unless expressly guaranteed in a signed contract. Answer does not provide legal, tax, regulatory, or financial advice. Clients should obtain independent professional advice on compliance matters, including POPIA, consumer law, financial promotions, and healthcare communications.

References to WhatsApp, Meta, Google, and other brands do not imply endorsement beyond described service integrations.

20. Limitation of liability

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under South African law, including liability for fraud or wilful misconduct.

Subject to the above, Answer’s total aggregate liability arising from or connected with Website use or Services under these Terms (whether in contract, delict, or otherwise) is limited to the greater of: (a) the fees paid by the Client to Answer for the specific Service giving rise to the claim in the 12 months preceding the event; or (b) ZAR 10,000 for Website-only claims where no paid Services apply.

Answer is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, revenue, goodwill, data, or business interruption, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

Answer is not liable for failures caused by Platforms, internet providers, Client systems, misconfigured Client content, lack of End Customer consent, or events outside our reasonable control.

21. Indemnity

Clients agree to indemnify and hold Answer harmless against claims, losses, and reasonable costs arising from: (a) Client content, messages, templates, or commerce listings; (b) breach of these Terms, Platform policies, or applicable law; (c) lack of valid End Customer consent; (d) dispute between Client and End Customers; or (e) Client-provided materials infringing third-party rights, except to the extent caused by Answer’s wilful misconduct or uncorrected Answer deliverables that materially caused the claim under a signed Services agreement.

22. Term and termination

Website access may be terminated at any time without notice. Services continue until expiry or termination under the applicable contract. Either party may terminate a Services agreement according to its terms, including for material breach not remedied within a reasonable cure period where required.

On termination, Client access to configured systems may be disabled. Export and data return are handled as specified in the contract. Platform accounts registered in the Client’s name remain the Client’s responsibility.

23. Force majeure

Neither party is liable for delay or failure to perform due to events beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, civil unrest, labour disputes, power or telecommunications failures, Platform outages, government actions, or epidemics. Performance is suspended for the duration of the event. If force majeure continues for more than 60 days, either party may terminate affected Services on written notice, with fees payable for work performed to date unless otherwise agreed.

24. General provisions

  • Entire agreement: For Website use, these Terms together with the Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement. For Services, signed contracts prevail.
  • Amendments: We may update these Terms by publishing a revised version on the Website. Material changes take effect on publication unless stated otherwise.
  • Assignment: Clients may not assign rights or obligations without Answer’s written consent. Answer may assign to an affiliate or successor in connection with a reorganisation.
  • Waiver: Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of future enforcement.
  • Severability: If any provision is invalid, the remainder remains in force.
  • Notices: Notices to Answer may be sent to hello@answer.co.za. Contractual notice procedures in signed agreements apply to Clients.

25. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Subject to any mandatory arbitration or venue clause in a signed Services agreement, the courts of South Africa have jurisdiction over disputes arising from Website use or these Terms. Consumers with mandatory statutory rights under South African consumer protection law retain those rights where applicable, although most Answer Services are directed at business clients.

26. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact:

Related documents: Privacy Policy.