Terms of Use

Mzansi Mashup is an independent South African digital media platform focused on news, entertainment, culture, lifestyle, viral stories, public interest content, opinion, interviews, social trends, and related media.

Our content may include original reporting, curated stories, commentary, entertainment features, social media embeds, sponsored content, images, video, audio, graphics, newsletters, and other digital material.

Mzansi Mashup is currently operated as an independent media brand and not as a separate registered company, unless stated otherwise on this website.

For the purposes of these Terms, “Mzansi Mashup”, “we”, “us”, or “our” refers to the owner, operator, editors, contributors, contractors, agents, service providers, and authorised representatives involved in operating the Mzansi Mashup platform.

By using Mzansi Mashup, you confirm that:

1. you have read and understood these Terms;
2. you agree to be bound by these Terms;
3. you will use the website lawfully and responsibly;
4. if you use the website on behalf of a business, brand, agency, client, or organisation, you have authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

We may update these Terms from time to time. The latest version will be published on this page. Continued use of the website after changes are published means you accept the updated Terms.

You may use Mzansi Mashup for lawful personal, informational, entertainment, educational, and non-commercial purposes.

You may not use the website in any way that:

1. breaks any South African law or applicable international law;
2. infringes anyone’s rights, including privacy, copyright, trademark, image rights, personality rights, or dignity;
3. is defamatory, hateful, threatening, abusive, discriminatory, obscene, misleading, fraudulent, or harmful;
4. spreads malware, spam, bots, scraping tools, or other harmful code;
5. attempts to hack, overload, reverse-engineer, bypass security, or interfere with the website;
6. republishes, copies, sells, licenses, scrapes, or exploits our content without written permission;
7. impersonates another person, publication, company, public figure, journalist, employee, or representative of Mzansi Mashup;
8. uploads or sends false, manipulated, stolen, or unlawful material;
9. exposes another person’s private information without consent;
10. damages the reputation, systems, users, partners, advertisers, journalists, or business interests of Mzansi Mashup.

We reserve the right to block, restrict, suspend, remove, report, or take legal action against any user, submission, account, IP address, or activity that breaches these Terms.

Mzansi Mashup aims to publish content that is relevant, timely, engaging, and in the public interest. However, media content may involve developing stories, fast-moving updates, third-party claims, opinions, satire, entertainment reporting, rumours circulating in public spaces, social media material, and public commentary.

Unless clearly stated otherwise:

1. news content is for general information only;
2. entertainment and viral content may include commentary, humour, opinion, speculation, or public reaction;
3. opinion pieces represent the view of the writer or contributor, not necessarily Mzansi Mashup;
4. published dates and times matter because stories may change as more information becomes available;
5. we may update, correct, retract, clarify, or remove content at our discretion.

We do not guarantee that every article will always be complete, current, error-free, or suitable for a particular purpose.

If you believe any content on Mzansi Mashup is inaccurate, unfair, defamatory, misleading, harmful, or violates your rights, please contact us as soon as possible.

Your complaint should include:

1. your full name and contact details;
2. the URL or title of the content;
3. the specific words, image, video, or section you are complaining about;
4. why you believe it is incorrect or unlawful;
5. any supporting evidence;
6. the correction, reply, update, removal, or remedy you are requesting.

We may investigate complaints and may, where appropriate, update, correct, remove, clarify, or add a right of reply. Submitting a complaint does not guarantee that content will be removed.

We reserve the right to reject complaints that are abusive, vague, dishonest, politically manipulative, sent in bad faith, or intended to silence lawful journalism, commentary, criticism, or public-interest reporting.

Content on Mzansi Mashup is not legal, medical, financial, tax, investment, psychological, safety, or professional advice.

You should not rely on our content as a substitute for professional advice. You are responsible for verifying important information before making decisions based on anything published on the website.

All content, branding, designs, logos, graphics, articles, headlines, layouts, videos, audio, photographs, animations, databases, software, source code, and other materials on Mzansi Mashup are owned by or licensed to Mzansi Mashup, unless otherwise stated.

This includes the name Mzansi Mashup, the logo, visual identity, article formats, brand elements, and original media assets.

You may not copy, reproduce, republish, distribute, sell, modify, scrape, syndicate, frame, mirror, upload, broadcast, train AI systems on, or commercially exploit our content without prior written permission, except where allowed by law.

You may share links to our public articles on social media, messaging apps, or websites, provided that:

1. you do not misrepresent the content;
2. you do not remove credits, watermarks, or context;
3. you do not imply endorsement by Mzansi Mashup;
4. you do not copy and paste full articles;
5. you link back to the original Mzansi Mashup page.

Mzansi Mashup may display, quote, reference, embed, or link to third-party content, including social media posts, videos, images, public statements, music, podcasts, websites, press releases, documents, and user-generated posts.

Third-party content remains the responsibility of the relevant third party. We do not necessarily endorse, verify, control, or accept responsibility for third-party content.

If you believe third-party content displayed or embedded on our website violates your rights, please contact us with the relevant details.

Mzansi Mashup may allow users, readers, journalists, contributors, advertisers, influencers, sources, or members of the public to submit comments, story tips, images, videos, documents, messages, guest posts, press releases, sponsored content, or other material.

By submitting content to Mzansi Mashup, you confirm that:

1. the content is truthful to the best of your knowledge;
2. you have the right to submit it;
3. it does not infringe copyright, privacy, dignity, trademark, or other rights;
4. it is not defamatory, hateful, unlawful, abusive, pornographic, misleading, or harmful;
5. it does not contain confidential information you are not allowed to share;
6. it does not contain malware, tracking code, or harmful files;
7. you accept responsibility for the content you submit.

By submitting content, you grant Mzansi Mashup a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable, sublicensable licence to use, edit, publish, reproduce, distribute, display, promote, translate, archive, adapt, and create derivative works from your submission in connection with our media, editorial, marketing, social media, commercial, and platform activities.

We may edit submissions for clarity, length, grammar, safety, legal risk, editorial style, or platform requirements. We may also reject or remove submissions at our discretion.

Submitting content does not create an employment, freelance, partnership, agency, or payment relationship unless we have a separate written agreement with you.

You may not submit or post content that:

1. is false, defamatory, threatening, hateful, racist, xenophobic, sexist, homophobic, abusive, or discriminatory;
2. incites violence, intimidation, harassment, or public disorder;
3. exposes private personal information without consent;
4. contains non-consensual intimate images or sexual content involving minors;
5. infringes copyright, trademark, image rights, or privacy rights;
6. promotes scams, fake giveaways, unlawful betting, illegal goods, or harmful products;
7. impersonates any person, brand, journalist, public figure, or organisation;
8. manipulates evidence, screenshots, video, audio, or public statements in a misleading way;
9. contains spam, malware, bots, or commercial solicitation;
10. violates any law, regulation, platform rule, or these Terms.

We may remove or moderate user content without notice.

Mzansi Mashup may display advertising, sponsored articles, paid partnerships, brand campaigns, affiliate links, promotional content, competitions, giveaways, or commercial placements.

Where reasonably practical, sponsored or paid content will be labelled in a way that indicates its commercial nature.

Advertisers, sponsors, agencies, and brand partners are responsible for ensuring that their claims, products, services, prices, promotions, images, and advertising materials are lawful, accurate, and not misleading.

Mzansi Mashup does not automatically endorse a product, service, person, business, political view, event, or brand merely because it appears on the website or in advertising.

We may reject, remove, suspend, or refuse advertising that we believe is unlawful, misleading, harmful, reputationally risky, discriminatory, exploitative, or inconsistent with our brand.

Any competition, giveaway, campaign, prize draw, challenge, or promotion run by Mzansi Mashup may have its own specific rules.

If there is a conflict between these Terms and the specific promotion rules, the specific promotion rules will apply to that promotion.

We reserve the right to cancel, amend, suspend, or disqualify entries where there is fraud, technical failure, abuse, dishonesty, ineligible participation, or breach of the rules.

Mzansi Mashup may use digital tools, automation, artificial intelligence, research tools, editing tools, image tools, transcription tools, headline tools, analytics, and workflow systems to assist with content production and platform operations.

AI-assisted tools may help with drafting, research support, summaries, translations, transcription, formatting, content ideas, image generation, and workflow management.

However, Mzansi Mashup remains responsible for editorial decisions and may review, edit, approve, reject, correct, or remove content before or after publication.

Users should not assume that any AI-assisted content is error-free. You may report concerns, errors, or harmful content to us.

We process personal information in accordance with applicable South African privacy laws, including the Protection of Personal Information Act, where applicable.

Personal information may include information you provide when you contact us, subscribe, comment, enter competitions, submit story tips, advertise, use forms, or interact with the website.

Our handling of personal information should be read together with our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, once published.

You are responsible for ensuring that any personal information you submit about another person is shared lawfully and with proper authority or consent where required.

Mzansi Mashup may use cookies, pixels, analytics tools, advertising technologies, embedded media, and similar technologies to operate the website, measure performance, improve user experience, personalise content, detect abuse, and support advertising.

Some third-party services may collect information through their own technologies, subject to their own terms and privacy policies.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings or any cookie controls provided on our website.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, platforms, apps, advertisers, sponsors, social media pages, articles, videos, downloads, or services.

External links are provided for convenience, reference, reporting, attribution, or user interest. We do not control third-party websites and are not responsible for their content, security, availability, accuracy, terms, privacy practices, or actions.

You access third-party links at your own risk.

We may update, suspend, restrict, redesign, remove, or discontinue any part of Mzansi Mashup at any time without notice.

We do not guarantee that the website will always be available, uninterrupted, secure, error-free, or free from viruses or technical issues.

You are responsible for using appropriate security tools, backups, and precautions when accessing online content.

Mzansi Mashup is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

To the maximum extent allowed by law, we make no warranties or representations that:

1. the website will meet your expectations;
2. the content will always be accurate, complete, current, or suitable;
3. the website will be uninterrupted or error-free;
4. the website will be free of viruses, malware, or harmful components;
5. third-party content, adverts, links, or services will be reliable or safe.

Nothing in these Terms excludes any warranty, right, or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under South African law.

To the maximum extent allowed by law, Mzansi Mashup, its owner, operator, team members, contributors, journalists, editors, contractors, agents, service providers, advertisers, partners, and affiliates will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or economic loss arising from your use of or inability to use the website.

This includes loss of profits, loss of business, loss of data, reputational harm, emotional distress, device damage, third-party claims, reliance on content, advertising disputes, external links, user submissions, or technical failures.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for fraud, intentional misconduct, gross negligence, or any liability that cannot be limited under applicable South African law.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Mzansi Mashup, its owner, operator, team members, contractors, contributors, journalists, editors, partners, advertisers, service providers, and affiliates from any claim, loss, damage, liability, cost, or expense arising from:

1. your use of the website;
2. your breach of these Terms;
3. your submitted content;
4. your infringement of any third-party rights;
5. your unlawful conduct;
6. your advertising, sponsorship, or promotional material;
7. any false, misleading, defamatory, or harmful information you provide.

This indemnity applies to legal costs on an attorney-and-client scale where permitted by law.

If you believe that content on Mzansi Mashup infringes your copyright or other intellectual property rights, please send a written notice to: copyright@mzansimashup.co.za.

Your notice should include:

1. your full name and contact details;
2. proof that you own or are authorised to act for the rights holder;
3. the URL of the allegedly infringing content;
4. a clear description of the protected work;
5. the reason you believe the use is unauthorised;
6. the remedy requested;
7. a statement that the information in your complaint is true and accurate.

We may remove, disable, investigate, request more information, restore, or refuse to remove content depending on the circumstances and the law.

False or abusive takedown notices may result in legal consequences.

You may not use the Mzansi Mashup name, logo, branding, screenshots, article layouts, watermarks, or identity in a way that suggests partnership, endorsement, employment, sponsorship, authorisation, or affiliation without written permission.

You may not create fake Mzansi Mashup pages, accounts, WhatsApp groups, social media profiles, newsletters, websites, competitions, invoices, adverts, job posts, or campaigns.

We reserve the right to report impersonation, fraud, trademark misuse, copyright infringement, passing off, scams, or brand abuse to platforms, service providers, regulators, and law enforcement.

We may suspend, block, restrict, delete, remove, or terminate your access to Mzansi Mashup, comments, submissions, accounts, newsletters, or services if we believe you have breached these Terms or harmed the platform.

We may also take action to protect users, sources, journalists, advertisers, partners, systems, or our legal position.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Any dispute relating to these Terms, the website, or your use of Mzansi Mashup will be dealt with by a South African court or other lawful dispute-resolution forum with jurisdiction.

If any part of these Terms is found to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, that part will be treated as separate from the rest of the Terms. The remaining parts will continue to apply.

If we do not immediately enforce any right under these Terms, it does not mean that we waive that right. We may still enforce it later.

These Terms, together with any Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Editorial Policy, Competition Rules, Advertising Terms, Contributor Agreement, or other written agreement that applies to a specific service, form the agreement between you and Mzansi Mashup.