Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of Vakacha, a travel marketplace connecting travellers with flights, stays, holiday packages, charters and guides across Africa. By creating an account, browsing listings, or making a booking, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, please don't use Vakacha.

1. Who we are

Vakacha operates a marketplace. For stays, packages, charters and guide bookings, the listing is owned and fulfilled by an independent host or partner ("Partner") — Vakacha facilitates discovery, booking and payment, but the Partner is responsible for the accommodation, tour or service itself. For flights, Vakacha books tickets through our flight-booking infrastructure provider on your behalf, and the operating airline is responsible for the flight itself.

2. Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter a binding contract to create an account or make a booking. You must provide accurate, current information when registering and keep your login credentials secure — you're responsible for all activity under your account. Tell us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access. We may suspend or close an account that provides false information, is used fraudulently, or breaches these Terms.

3. Listings and Partners

Partners are independently vetted before their listings go live, and set their own prices, availability, cancellation policy and house rules. Vakacha doesn't inspect every property or guarantee the accuracy of every listing description, though we act on reports of inaccurate, unsafe or misleading listings (see Section 8). A Partner who accepts cash for a booking is responsible for collecting it in person; Vakacha still earns commission on that booking regardless of how it's paid.

4. Bookings and payment

Prices are shown in the currency displayed at checkout, inclusive of any booking fee disclosed before you pay. Payments are processed through Paynow or Paystack, or paid in cash directly to a Partner where a listing allows it — Vakacha never sees or stores your card or mobile money credentials; those are handled directly by the payment provider. A booking is confirmed once payment is completed (or, for request-to-book listings, once the Partner accepts and payment is completed). An unpaid booking that isn't completed within its payment window is automatically released.

5. Cancellations and refunds

Each listing displays its own cancellation policy at the time of booking — that policy, not a blanket Vakacha policy, determines what's refundable and by when. Flights are subject to the operating airline's fare rules, which may include non-refundable fares, change fees, or airline-issued travel credit instead of a cash refund. Where a refund is due, it's returned to your original payment method; cash payments are refunded directly by the Partner.

6. Flights and passenger information

Airlines require full passenger details — legal name, date of birth, passport number, passport expiry and nationality — for every traveller on a flight booking, and won't issue a ticket without them. Saved passenger profiles are stored only to speed up future checkouts and can be removed from your account at any time. You're responsible for the accuracy of passenger and passport details you submit; Vakacha isn't liable for a denied boarding or ticketing failure caused by incorrect information you provided.

7. Check-in

Confirmed stay and package bookings receive a short check-in code and QR code, shown on your booking confirmation and trip pages. Present either to your host at check-in — it's how the host confirms your arrival in the app.

8. Conduct and reporting

Don't use Vakacha for fraudulent, unsafe or misleading listings or bookings, and don't harass, threaten or misrepresent yourself to another user in messages. If you believe a listing is inaccurate, inappropriate or unsafe, use the "Report this listing" option on the listing page — our team reviews every report and may suspend a listing or Partner pending review.

9. Reviews

Reviews must reflect a genuine completed booking and your own honest experience. We may remove a review that's fraudulent, off-topic, or violates these Terms, but we don't remove a review simply because a Partner disagrees with it.

10. Messages and notifications

Messages between guests and hosts are provided to coordinate a specific booking and may be reviewed if reported or disputed. If you enable push notifications, we use them for booking updates, host messages and trip reminders — transactional emails about your own bookings, receipts and account security can't be turned off, since they aren't marketing.

11. Intellectual property

Vakacha's app, website, branding and content are owned by us or our licensors. Content you submit — reviews, listing reports, messages, profile photos — remains yours, but you grant us a licence to use, display and reproduce it as needed to operate and promote the service.

12. Disclaimers and liability

Vakacha is not liable for the acts, omissions, or service quality of independent Partners, airlines, payment providers or other third parties — our role is the marketplace connecting you to them, not the provider of the underlying travel or accommodation. Travel carries inherent risk; check visa, health, safety and entry requirements for your destination before booking. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Vakacha's liability for any claim arising from your use of the service is limited to the amount you paid for the booking giving rise to that claim.

13. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Zimbabwe, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, unless a mandatory law of your country of residence provides otherwise.

14. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time; material changes will be reflected in the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of Vakacha after a change means you accept the updated Terms.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to our support team through the Help & support option in the app, or via the contact details on our website.