Terms of Use

Who We Are and What These Terms Cover

Africa Documents is a service operated by Accountable Africa AI Proprietary Limited ("Accountable Africa AI", "we", "us", "our"), a company registered in the Republic of Botswana.

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Africa Documents, including our websites, applications, and application programming interfaces (together, the "Services"). By creating an account, purchasing a subscription, or otherwise using the Services, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Services.

If you are using the Services on behalf of an organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind that organisation, and "you" means both you and that organisation.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes any right you have under mandatory consumer protection or other law of your country of residence that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded. Where a provision of these Terms conflicts with such a law, that law prevails to the extent of the conflict, and the remainder of these Terms continues to apply.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time, and will update the date at the top of this page when we do. Where a change materially affects your rights or obligations, we will ask you to accept the updated Terms when you next sign in, and you may need to accept them to continue using the Services.

Other changes take effect when posted. If you do not accept an updated version of these Terms, you may cancel your subscription in accordance with the Cancellation section below.

Eligibility and Your Account

You must be at least eighteen (18) years old and legally capable of entering into a binding contract to use the Services.

You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide when registering, for keeping your account credentials confidential, and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us promptly at support@accountableafrica.ai if you become aware of any unauthorised access to or use of your account.

Where the Services allow you to invite or grant access to other users within your organisation, you remain responsible for their compliance with these Terms.

The Services

Africa Documents provides tools for storing, processing, and verifying documents and identity information. Depending on your subscription and jurisdiction, these may include document storage and retrieval, automated extraction of information from documents, identity verification, verification of professional credentials, attestation of documents by regulated professionals, generation of verified copies, records of access to your documents, and integrations with third-party registries and services.

We may add, change, or discontinue features. Where we discontinue a feature you materially rely on, we will give you reasonable notice and, where the feature is central to your subscription, a pro-rata refund of prepaid fees for the remainder of your term.

Some parts of the Services depend on third parties, including government registries, professional regulatory bodies, payment providers, and identity or certificate authorities. We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or performance of those third parties, and interruptions attributable to them are not a breach of these Terms.

Your Documents and Content

You retain all rights in the documents, data, and other content you upload or generate through the Services ("Your Content"). We claim no ownership in Your Content.

You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, copy, transmit, display, and process Your Content, and to create derivative materials such as verified copies, extracted data, and thumbnails, solely to the extent necessary to provide the Services to you, to comply with law, and to protect the security and integrity of the Services. This licence ends when Your Content is deleted, except to the extent we are required by law to retain it or it exists in routine backups pending deletion in the ordinary course.

We do not sell Your Content. We do not use Your Content to train generally available artificial intelligence models. Where the Services apply automated or artificial intelligence processing to Your Content, that processing is carried out to deliver the function you requested.

You warrant that you have the right to upload Your Content and to grant the licence above, and that Your Content does not infringe the rights of any third party or breach any law applicable to you.

You may export Your Content at any time while your subscription is active, using the export tools within the Services. Following termination or expiry, we will retain Your Content for at least thirty (30) days to allow export, after which we may delete it. Our retention and deletion practices are described further in the Privacy Statement.

Acceptable Use

You must not, and must not permit any other person to:

upload, submit for verification, or transmit any document that you know or suspect to be forged, altered, stolen, or otherwise fraudulent;
misrepresent your identity, your authority to act, or your professional credentials;
use the Services for money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions evasion, fraud, or any other unlawful purpose;
upload content that is unlawful, defamatory, or that infringes the intellectual property or privacy rights of others;
attempt to circumvent, defeat, falsify, or interfere with any verification, attestation, access logging, or integrity mechanism within the Services;
attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Services, other users' accounts, or any related systems or networks;
reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Services, except to the extent this restriction is prohibited by applicable law;
use automated means to access, scrape, or extract data from the Services other than through interfaces we provide for that purpose;
resell, sublicense, or make the Services available to third parties except as expressly permitted by your subscription; or
use the Services in a manner that imposes an unreasonable load on our infrastructure or degrades the experience of other users.

You must comply with all laws applicable to you in your use of the Services, including laws governing data protection, electronic transactions, anti-money-laundering, and the practice of regulated professions.

Verification, Attestation, and What They Mean

This section is important. It describes the limits of what the Services establish.

What a verification establishes. Where the Services indicate that a document has been verified or attested, this means that at the time recorded: the document was submitted to us by the account holder identified in the record; we recorded a cryptographic fingerprint of the document as submitted; and, where an attestation is shown, a professional whose credentials we checked against the relevant register indicated that they had examined the document. Where a verified copy is later checked through the Services, we confirm whether it corresponds to the document as recorded.

What a verification does not establish. A verification or attestation is not a warranty by us of the truth, accuracy, completeness, currency, or legal effect of the contents of any document. It does not confirm that the document was validly issued, that any statement within it is true, that any signature on it is genuine, or that any underlying transaction, entitlement, or status is valid or subsisting. It does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice from us.

Attestations are the professional's own. Where a document is attested by a lawyer, accountant, company secretary, notary, or other regulated professional, that attestation is made by that professional in their own capacity and on their own responsibility. We provide the platform through which it is made and recorded. We do not supervise, direct, or accept responsibility for the professional's judgement, and we are not liable for it. Any claim arising from a professional's attestation lies against that professional.

Automated processing. Information extracted from documents by automated or artificial intelligence means may contain errors. You are responsible for reviewing extracted information before relying on it.

Electronic signatures. Where the Services apply an electronic or digital signature, its legal effect is determined by the electronic transactions law applicable in the relevant jurisdiction. We make no representation that any signature applied through the Services will satisfy the requirements of any particular jurisdiction, or of any particular tier of electronic signature within that jurisdiction, for any particular purpose. Where a specific legal form is required, you should take your own advice.

Third Parties Who Rely on Documents

This section applies to any person who checks, verifies, or otherwise relies on a document or verified copy through the Services without being an account holder (a "Relying Party"). By using any verification, authentication, or document-check facility we provide, a Relying Party accepts this section.

A verification result is provided for information only. It is not advice, a recommendation, a guarantee, or an assurance on which any decision should be based without independent enquiry. The limits described in the section above apply equally to a Relying Party.

We owe no duty of care to a Relying Party. We are not a party to, and accept no responsibility for, any transaction, arrangement, or decision between a Relying Party and any account holder or other person. Any reliance placed on a verification result is entirely at the Relying Party's own risk.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we exclude all liability to any Relying Party arising from or in connection with a verification result, its availability, its accuracy, or any reliance placed on it. Where such liability cannot lawfully be excluded, it is limited in accordance with the Limitation of Liability section below.

Fees and Payment

Fees for the Services are as set out at the time of purchase. Unless stated otherwise, fees are exclusive of value added tax, sales tax, withholding tax, and any other duty, levy, or charge, which you are responsible for paying.

Some Services involve disbursements paid to third parties on your behalf, including government or registry fees and fees payable to attesting professionals. These are identified at the time of purchase and, once incurred, are not refundable by us.

Your subscription does not renew automatically. It ends at the close of your paid term unless you choose to renew it, at the price then current. Where the Services allow you to enable automatic renewal and you choose to do so, we will tell you before each renewal charge and you may turn it off at any time.

Where a payment fails or is reversed, we may suspend the Services until payment is made. Currency conversion, cross-border transfer charges, and any fees imposed by your payment provider are your responsibility.

Refunds

You may cancel a subscription and receive a full refund of the subscription fee if you request the refund within fourteen (14) calendar days of paying for that term and you have not used any chargeable part of the Services during that period. This applies to a new subscription and to each renewal you choose to make.

Using a chargeable part of the Services is a request that we begin performing them, and we begin immediately. Once we have done so, the refund right above no longer applies. Chargeable use includes submitting a document for verification or attestation, requesting an identity or credential check, generating a verified copy, or any other action that draws on a paid allowance or incurs a per-transaction charge. Signing in, exploring the Services, configuring your account, and uploading documents without submitting them for a chargeable service do not end the refund right.

The following are never refundable:

disbursements we have paid to third parties on your behalf, including government, registry, and professional fees;
per-transaction or usage-based charges for services already delivered, including completed verifications, attestations, identity checks, and issued verified copies;
subscription fees, once any chargeable part of the Services has been used during the subscription term.

We do not provide prorated or partial refunds for the unused portion of a term, and no refund arises from cancellation alone. The only exception is where we discontinue a feature central to your subscription, as described in the Services section above.

Where a duplicate payment or an unauthorised charge occurs because of a system error, we will refund it in full within seven (7) business days of verifying the error.

Refunds are issued to the original method of payment and may take five to ten (5–10) business days to reach you, depending on your payment provider.

Nothing in this section limits any refund or cancellation right you have under mandatory consumer protection law in your country of residence that cannot lawfully be excluded.

How to request a refund

Email support@accountableafrica.ai or telephone (+267) 363 1043, and include:

your account or company name;
the invoice number or transaction reference;
the service in question; and
the reason for the request.

Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting support@accountableafrica.ai. You keep full access to the Services until the end of the term you have paid for, after which your subscription ends.

Cancellation does not by itself entitle you to a refund. Refunds are governed by the Refunds section above.

Suspension and Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services, in whole or in part, if:

you materially breach these Terms and, where the breach can be remedied, fail to remedy it within fourteen (14) days of notice;
you breach the Acceptable Use section, in which case we may suspend immediately and without notice;
payment due to us remains outstanding after notice;
we are required to do so by law, court order, or the direction of a regulator; or
we reasonably believe continued access presents a risk of unlawful activity, fraud, or harm to other users or to the security of the Services.

Where we suspend or terminate, we will tell you the reason unless we are legally prohibited from doing so or doing so would prejudice an investigation. Where we terminate for a reason other than your breach, we will refund prepaid fees for the unused portion of your term.

On termination, your right to use the Services ends. The sections on Your Documents and Content, Verification and Attestation, Third Parties Who Rely on Documents, Intellectual Property, Warranties, Limitation of Liability, Indemnity, Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions survive termination.

Privacy and Data Protection

Our collection and use of personal information is described in the Privacy Statement, which forms part of these Terms.

Where you upload documents containing personal information about other people, you are responsible for having a lawful basis for doing so under the data protection law applicable to you, and for providing any notice or obtaining any consent that law requires. Where applicable data protection law treats you as a controller and us as a processor in respect of that information, we will process it only on your documented instructions, except where we are required to act otherwise by law.

We maintain records of access to documents held on your behalf. These records are available to you through the Services and are retained in accordance with our retention practices.

Intellectual Property

The Services, including all software, designs, text, graphics, trade marks, and other materials we provide, are owned by Accountable Africa AI or our licensors and are protected by intellectual property law.

Subject to these Terms and payment of applicable fees, we grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Services for your own internal business or personal purposes for the duration of your subscription. No other rights are granted.

You may not use our name, logos, or trade marks without our prior written consent, except to identify us factually as the provider of the Services.

If you give us feedback or suggestions about the Services, we may use them without restriction and without obligation to you.

Warranties and Disclaimers

We will provide the Services with reasonable skill and care.

Except as expressly stated in these Terms, and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Services are provided "as is" and "as available". We disclaim all other warranties, conditions, representations, and terms, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, including any implied warranty of merchantability, satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, title, accuracy, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the Services or any content will be free of errors or omissions. Content published within the Services may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors, and we may change it at any time.

You are responsible for maintaining your own copies of any document you consider important. The Services are not a substitute for your own record keeping.

Limitation of Liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Subject to the paragraph above, and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, neither party is liable to the other for any indirect, special, incidental, consequential, punitive, or exemplary loss, or for any loss of profit, revenue, business, anticipated savings, goodwill, reputation, opportunity, or data, however arising, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, and whether or not the possibility of such loss was foreseeable or notified.

Subject to the first paragraph above, our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with these Terms and the Services, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, is limited to the greater of: (a) the total fees you paid to us for the Services in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim; or (b) one hundred United States dollars (USD 100).

Our total aggregate liability to any Relying Party, in the aggregate across all Relying Parties and all claims, is limited to one hundred United States dollars (USD 100).

These limits reflect the allocation of risk between us, given the fees charged for the Services and the fact that we do not warrant the truth or accuracy of the contents of any document.

Indemnity

You will indemnify and hold us harmless against any loss, liability, damage, cost, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:

Your Content, including any claim that it infringes the rights of a third party or was unlawfully obtained or submitted;
your breach of these Terms, including the Acceptable Use section;
your breach of any law applicable to you, including data protection and anti-money-laundering law; or
any claim by a third party arising from a document you submitted, generated, or shared through the Services.

We will notify you promptly of any claim to which this indemnity applies, allow you to control its defence and settlement (provided any settlement does not admit fault on our part or impose obligations on us), and give you reasonable assistance at your expense.

Dispute Resolution

Step one: talk to us

If a dispute arises, you agree to raise it with us first by sending a written notice of dispute to support@accountableafrica.ai describing the dispute and the outcome you seek. Both parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for sixty (60) days from receipt of that notice.

Step two: small claims

Either party may bring a claim in a small claims court, magistrates' court, or equivalent court of limited jurisdiction in the place where the claimant resides or has its principal place of business, provided the claim falls within that court's jurisdiction and remains on an individual basis. Nothing in these Terms prevents either party from applying to any court of competent jurisdiction for urgent interim or injunctive relief.

Step three: arbitration

If a dispute is not resolved under step one and is not brought under step two, it shall be finally resolved by arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules in force at the time the arbitration commences, which the parties incorporate by reference.

The number of arbitrators shall be one. The language of the arbitration shall be English. The seat of arbitration shall be Gaborone, Botswana, unless the parties agree in writing on a different seat.

The parties may agree in writing on an arbitral institution to administer the arbitration. Failing agreement within thirty (30) days of a request to arbitrate, the appointing authority shall be the Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

Hearings shall be conducted remotely by video conference unless the arbitrator determines, or the parties agree, that an in-person hearing is necessary. Neither party is required to travel to the seat of arbitration for a hearing that can fairly be conducted remotely. The seat is a legal designation and does not determine the physical location of proceedings.

The award shall be final and binding. The parties acknowledge that awards made under these Terms may be recognised and enforced under the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York, 1958) in any jurisdiction that is a party to that Convention, subject to the grounds set out in Article V of the Convention and to applicable national law.

Individual claims only

Disputes shall be resolved on an individual basis. Neither party may bring a claim as a claimant or class member in any class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding, and the arbitrator may not consolidate claims or preside over any form of representative proceeding, unless both parties agree in writing.

If the individual-claims requirement in the paragraph above is held unenforceable in respect of a particular claim, that claim shall be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction rather than by arbitration, and the remainder of this section continues to apply to all other claims.

Where mandatory law in your country of residence gives you a right to bring proceedings in your local courts or renders any part of this section unenforceable, that law prevails to the extent of the conflict.

Governing Law

These Terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims), are governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the Republic of Botswana, without regard to its conflict of laws rules.

This choice of law does not deprive you of the protection of any mandatory provision of the law of your country of residence that cannot be derogated from by agreement.

General Provisions

Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Statement and any order or subscription document referring to them, form the entire agreement between us in relation to the Services and supersede any prior understanding, representation, or agreement on that subject. Neither party has relied on any statement not set out in these Terms, except that nothing limits liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, it shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if it cannot be so modified, severed. The remaining provisions continue in full force.

No waiver. A failure or delay by either party in exercising a right under these Terms is not a waiver of that right, and a single or partial exercise does not prevent further exercise.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer these Terms to an affiliate, or in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, on notice to you.

Force majeure. Neither party is liable for any failure or delay in performance caused by an event beyond its reasonable control, including natural disaster, epidemic, war, civil unrest, act of government or regulator, failure of telecommunications or internet infrastructure, or failure of a utility or third-party service provider. This does not excuse an obligation to pay amounts already due.

Notices. We may give you notice by email to the address on your account or by notice within the Services. You may give us notice by email to support@accountableafrica.ai. Notice is deemed given on the business day after it is sent.

Relationship. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, employment, or fiduciary relationship between the parties.

Third-party rights. Except as expressly stated in the section on Third Parties Who Rely on Documents, no person other than the parties has any right to enforce these Terms.

Language. These Terms are made in English. Any translation is provided for convenience only, and the English version prevails in the event of conflict.

Contact

Accountable Africa AI Proprietary Limited
Email: support@accountableafrica.ai
Telephone: (+267) 363 1043

Accountable Africa AI Terms of Use