How it works

BackaBuddy is a South African crowdfunding platform that is designed to help you create online campaigns to raise funds for causes you are passionate about.

What sort of campaigns can be created on BackaBuddy?

You can create campaigns for anything that has a positive impact on individuals, communities, and the environment.

These campaigns can raise funds for organisations or for individuals who need donations for a variety of reasons, including medical procedures, sporting opportunities, or for studies. You can even create campaigns in loving memory of a special person to raise funds for his or her favourite cause.

We love campaigns that make use of our ‘champion’ model – raising funds on behalf of an organisation or an individual in need. While you are welcome to fundraise for yourself, campaigns that help others, friends or strangers, are powerful reminders of all the good there is in the world.

Take a look at our news & views page for some crowdfunding inspiration.

How does it work?

You can quickly and easily create a fundraiser on the BackaBuddy site, then share your campaign link with your friends, family, and colleagues – your crowd - to invite monetary donations. Creating a campaign is free and there are no charges if you don’t raise funds.

There are no time limits imposed on campaigns and no penalties if you don’t reach your target. You can also carry on receiving donations after you’ve met your target.

Simply put, your campaign can continue for as long as you like. You do not have to reach your target or a certain amount to receive your donations. You have the flexibility to request a payout at any time, provided your campaign/organisation has been vetted and you have received donations. Please note that the processing time for payouts by BackaBuddy is up to 10 business days. Additionally, you can only submit a new payout request once the previous one has been successfully processed. As of 30 May 2025, the only compulsory fee you pay on BackaBuddy is the payment gateway processing fee. Our mission is to get as close to 100% of donated funds to reach our causes on BackaBuddy. Thanks to donors and campaign creators who choose to add a voluntary tip, we can keep our platform free. Read more about fees here.

Organisation Registrations

If you are an organisation, crowdfunding is a transparent and effective way to fundraise for specific needs within your organisation. First you simply register by completing this form. We’ll create your organisation profile page, and then you (and your supporters) can create as many fundraising campaigns as you’d like!

What makes BackaBuddy different from other crowdfunding platforms?

BackaBuddy takes integrity really seriously, which is why we like to ‘vet’ individual campaigns and organisations' registrations before any payouts can be processed. This way, our site users and donors can be assured that we take steps to protect them to the best of our ability.

Funds raised can only be paid out once the campaign/organisation has been verified and banking details have been received. You can read more here about what this involves. Once you have met the criteria in place and we consider your fundraiser to be authentic with donations received, you can request a payout on funds raised. Please note that the processing time for payouts by BackaBuddy is up to 10 business days. Additionally, you can only submit a new payout request once the previous one has been successfully processed.

BackaBuddy offers campaign creators the option of BackaBuddy administering the campaign. “Bluetick Campaigns” or “BackaBuddy Assisted” means paying part or all of the funds eligible for payout to a vendor/organisation/company/professional directly upon presentation of invoices or similar transaction proof, instead of paying funds directly to the bank account of the individual campaign creator or beneficiary. Although it is not essential, having funds paid directly to a vendor or institution is almost always preferred by donors.

This extra effort - our 'vetting' - sets us apart from other crowdfunding platforms.

Ready to start crowdfunding? Choose from one of these options to get started:

I want to create a fundraiser for an Organisation

I want to create a fundraiser for an Individual

Privacy policy

BackaBuddy takes your privacy very seriously. We will not pass your personal details on to anyone, except the organisation you have chosen to support, without your express consent. The only exception to this rule is when you register your BackaBuddy fundraising page. Your name, email address, and postal address may be given to the organisation so they can identify you as the source of donations received.

Please note that by visiting or registering with BackaBuddy, you are agreeing to the practices detailed below, so please read carefully to find out how we will treat your information.

Your right to access your personal information

You have the right to access, amend, correct, access, or transfer your personal information at any time. Additionally, you have the right to request us to limit the use of, block transfer of, or delete your personal information from our records. To make any request regarding your personal information, please contact us here.

Why we collect your personal information

We collect your personal information because it helps us deliver a superior experience and level of customer service. Your personal information also helps us and our third-party advertising partners deliver more relevant ads to you when you visit the website.

What information we collect & how we may use it

We will ask for your personal information if you wish to create a profile with us for the purpose of receiving company updates, blog posts, related company news. We may at that time require that you provide personally identifiable information, including without limitation your name and email address.

We may also collect certain non-personally identifiable information regarding customer activities on our website. This helps us to determine how best to provide useful information to users and to understand which parts of our website and Internet services are of most interest to them.

When you submit reviews or comments to the website, you will provide us with the contents of your submission.

We will also collect the information described below under “Cookies, Tracking and Other Technologies” when you use the website.

We may use your personal information to provide services that you have requested, respond to your requests, and send you communications, as well as for auditing, research, and analysis to improve the products offered on our website.

When you participate in a BackaBuddy fundraising campaign, BackaBuddy may collect any of the following information as applicable for that fundraising campaign. You will always have the choice to opt-in or opt-out of providing this information.

• Contact details such as name, address, telephone number, and email address
• Identity number, or passport number for identification purposes
• Identification of workplace and position (title)
• Information collected from a recruiting firm that recruited you for our fundraising campaign
• Information regarding any relevant experience or subject matter expertise necessary for the fundraising campaign
• Medical condition and any prescribed medications, when applicable for the fundraising campaign
• Relevant professional licensing number (e.g., medical license number)
• Demographic information such as age, household income, race, gender, ethnicity
• Opinions, specifically limited to opinions on the products or services in the fundraising campaign

Publicly displayed information is public

If you use the review or comment feature on the website, you should be aware that your user name and any other information you share may be visible to other users. Personally identifiable information you submit in this manner can be read, collected, or used by other individuals to send you unsolicited messages. For example, if you submit a review that includes information that was previously non-public, BackaBuddy will collect that information from your interaction and the information may become publicly available. BackaBuddy is not responsible for the personally identifiable information you choose to submit in this manner.

When we disclose your information

To help us provide superior service, your personal information may be shared with actual and prospective assignees and licensees of the website, its content, or any portion thereof, including your submissions and personal information. In addition, the personal and other information you provide to BackaBuddy is considered an asset of the company and may be included among transferred assets of the website if BackaBuddy or any parent company is acquired by a third party.

There are also times when BackaBuddy makes certain personal information about you available to companies or individuals to provide products and services to you on our behalf. These companies may help us process information, manage and enhance customer data, provide customer service, assess your interest in our products and services, or conduct customer research or satisfaction surveys. We call them our “Service Providers.” We may share personally identifiable information with Service Providers solely as appropriate for them to perform their functions, but we prohibit them from using such information for any other purpose unless we inform you otherwise at the time of collection.

Retention of your personal information

BackaBuddy will only use your personal information to the extent necessary to carry out the fundraising campaign as specified in the informed consent form provided to you prior to your participation in our fundraising campaign. Aggregate reports of your personal information may be developed and retained for longer periods. This means that the information you provide is anonymized and combined with that of other fundraising campaign participants for analysis where this information cannot be used to identify you.

Cookies, tracking and other technologies

Like many websites, the BackaBuddy website uses cookies, flash cookies, web beacons, and other technologies to help us understand which parts of our websites are the most popular, where our visitors are going, and how much time they spend there. We may use these technologies to determine fundraising campaign traffic patterns on our website. This information helps us make the website more rewarding and helps us improve the effectiveness of our customer communications. We also use cookies to customize your experience and provide greater convenience each time you interact with us. For example, your profile information and information about your computer helps us operate the website efficiently.

As is true of most websites, we gather certain information automatically and store it in log files. This information includes Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, and clickstream data. We use this information, which does not identify individual users, to analyze trends, to administer the site, to track users’ movements around the site and to gather demographic information about our user base as a whole. BackaBuddy will not use this type of collected information to market directly to that person. We may share aggregated anonymous information with third parties to assist in analyzing, operating, maintaining, and improving the website and placing advertising on it.

We also may use third-party website analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) that collect information about visitor traffic on our website. The information we may collect by these tools is similar to that collected by the technologies described above and includes:

• Information about the devices our visitors use to access the Internet (such as the IP address and the device, browser and operating system type)
• URLs that refer visitors to the website
• Dates and times of visits to the website
• Information on actions taken on the website (such as page views and site navigation patterns)
• A general geographic location (such as country and city) from which a visitor accesses our website
• Search terms that visitors use to reach the website

In some of the email messages from us or those whose products are available on our website, we use a “click-through URL” linked to content on the BackaBuddy website. When customers click one of these URLs, they pass through our web server before arriving at the destination web page. We may track this click-through data to help us determine interest in particular topics and measure the effectiveness of customer communications. If you prefer not to be tracked, simply avoid clicking text or graphic links in the email.

Clickstream data

As you use the Internet, a trail of electronic information is left at each website you visit. This information, which is sometimes referred to as “Clickstream Data,” can be collected and stored by a website’s server. As noted above, we collect Clickstream Data. Clickstream Data can tell us the type of computer and browsing software you use and the address of the website from which you linked to our website. We may use Clickstream Data as a form of non-personal information to anonymously determine how much time visitors spend on each page of the website, how visitors navigate throughout the website and how we may tailor our web pages to better meet the needs of visitors. This information will only be used to improve the website. Any collection or use of Clickstream Data will be anonymous and aggregated.

How we respond to do not track (DNT) signals

The California Business & Professions Code Section 22575(b) (as amended effective January 1, 2014) provides that California residents are entitled to know how the website responds to “Do Not Track” browser settings. The website does not react to or honour any “do not track” technologies that you may choose to utilize because uniform technological and commercial standards have not yet been developed.

Third-party sites

Our website has links to the sites of advertisers and other third parties. BackaBuddy is not responsible for its privacy practices. We encourage you to learn about the privacy policies of those companies, which may collect personally identifiable information about you.

Registered BackaBuddy user information

When you create a secure personal profile on BackaBuddy for the purpose of creating a BackaBuddy fundraising page, we collect your title, name, email address, postal address, phone number (where you agree to provide it) and your password. We will automatically pass on your name, email and home addresses to the organisation that will benefit from the donations you are collecting. In all other instances, this information will be withheld from third parties unless you give us your express consent to do otherwise.

Children and minors

Our website and app are intended for use by adults only, and we do not knowingly collect or use any personal information from minors under the age of 17. If we collect personal information from someone we learn to be under 17 years of age, such personal information shall immediately be deleted. If you are a parent or guardian of a child under 17 years of age and you believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us here

If you are a California resident under the age of 18, and a registered user of our website, California Business and Professions Code Section 22581 permits you to request and obtain the removal of content or information you have publicly posted. To make such a request, please contact us here and include “Removal Request” in the subject line. Please be aware that such a request does not ensure complete or comprehensive removal of the content or information you have posted and that there may be circumstances in which the law does not require or allow removal even if requested.

Donor information

If you donate on BackaBuddy, we collect your first and last name, your credit or debit card details (including card type, card number and expiry date) and your billing address. We will only use your payment details for the purpose of processing your donation via our payment partner, Nedbank.

To find out more about the security of your payments, please read our Security Policy. Every time you make a donation, you will be given the option to receive further information about the campaign from the campaign creator.

When donating to a campaign for an organisation, the organisation will receive certain information such as donor names and email addresses. It is the organisation’s responsibility to keep this information private and use it solely for the purposes of participating in the BackaBuddy campaigns.

BackaBuddy E-Newsletters

We will not send you email newsletters at any time unless you have expressly opted to receive them. All newsletters from BackaBuddy include the option to unsubscribe. If you have a personal BackaBuddy profile, you can change your contact preferences at any time by visiting the section entitled "your details".

Organisations’ use of your personal information – [onward transfer and sharing of your personal information]

In the context of its business and with your consent, BackaBuddy may transfer your personal information to its organisation. In some cases, our organisation will request data that includes your personal information. Transfer of this data that includes your personal information, allows our organisation to improve the design of the product or service that is being developed. In many cases, we will simply transfer aggregate reports which do not contain your personal information or any information that can be used to identify you. Aggregate reports are those wherein the information you provide is anonymized and combined with that of other fundraising campaign participants for the purposes of analysis as a whole, where this information cannot be used to identify you.

We do not share your personal information with other third parties, nor do we permit the use of your personal information for any reason other than that for which it was originally provided, which will always be described in the informed consent form provided to you prior to your participation in the fundraising campaign.

In such cases of transfer of your personal information, BackaBuddy remains liable for the protection of personal information under the Principles of the Privacy Shield if the third party handles the information in a manner inconsistent with Privacy Shield Principles. In the event information will be transferred, BackaBuddy provides clear and unambiguous advanced notice and a description of the purpose of transfer to the data subject, who will have the opportunity to decline.

Security precautions to protect your information

The transfer of online transaction data to and from the website is protected by the implementation of the SSL Certificate provided by AWS Certificate Manager. It is your responsibility to keep your password secure at all times to avoid unauthorised use of your BackaBuddy profile.

To ensure the ongoing protection of your personal information, BackaBuddy has implemented information security practices consistent with industry standards. This includes technical, physical, administrative, and organizational measures we have implemented to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your personal information and safeguard your personal information against loss, theft, and misuse, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.

How we protect your personal information

BackaBuddy takes precautions – including administrative, technical, and physical measures – to safeguard your personal information against loss, theft, and misuse, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. We use reasonable and customary measures to safeguard the security of your personal information. Nonetheless, transmissions made on or through the Internet and information stored by us are vulnerable to attack and cannot be guaranteed to be secure. You hereby acknowledge that we are not responsible for any intercepted information sent via the Internet or data loss caused by “hacks,” malicious attacks or other breaches caused by third parties, and you hereby release us from any and all claims arising out of or related to the use of information obtained by means of an unauthorized interception or breach.

Legal process

At times we may be required by law, litigation, arbitration or similar legal process to disclose your personal information. We may also disclose information about you if you consent to it or if we determine that disclosure is necessary for national security, law enforcement, personal safety, or other issues of public importance.

Acceptance of our privacy policy

Use of the BackaBuddy website and associated services implies acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of it, please do not continue to use the website and services. This policy may change from time to time and you are deemed to have accepted the current version each time you use www.backabuddy.co.za or any site powered by us. If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please contact us here.

Changes

We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. The date on which this Privacy Policy was last adopted or changed will be set forth at the top of this Privacy Policy.Therefore, please review this Privacy Policy from time to time so that you are aware when any changes are made to this Privacy Policy. If you have any questions about the changes that were implemented, please contact us here and include “Information Regarding Updated Policy” in the subject line. In any event, your continued use of the website after such change constitutes your acceptance of any such change(s), and if you do not accept any changes, you may choose not to use our website.

Personal information gathered under previous versions of this privacy policy

Personal information collected via the website will generally be governed by the version of the Privacy Policy in effect at the time the information was gathered. We will not retroactively make material changes to the way we use personally identifiable information collected under previous versions of this Privacy Policy without obtaining your consent.

Terms and Conditions

1. Thanks for using BackaBuddy

Welcome to BackaBuddy and thank you for using this website (the Site). BackaBuddy is operated by Blue Gecko (Pty) Ltd, 2023/628004/07, a registered South African company. Blue Gecko is the exclusive trademark and license holder of the BackaBuddy platform and related intellectual property. We are BackaBuddy NPC (registration number 2015/313483/08), and together with our partners, subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, representatives, consultants, employees, officers, and directors — collectively, BackaBuddy, we, or us. By using the Site and our services (together with the Site, the Services), you agree to these contractual rules (the Terms). Please also go and see our Privacy and Cookies Policies (which you’re also agreeing to by using the Services).

Sometimes we might change these Terms. We’ll do our best to notify you personally of any changes (if we have your details), but in any event, we will also inform our community of these changes by posting a notice on the Site.

BackaBuddy is only for your personal, non-commercial use. BackaBuddy is for online fundraisers (referred to here as campaigns) that collect monetary donations only. Requests for donations in kind or the offer of rewards for donations are not permitted on the site.

2. Registration of a campaign for an organisation, a campaign for an individual need, or registration of an organisation

If you’d like to create a campaign to raise funds for an organisation or create a campaign to raise funds for a person/personal cause you can do so here. If you’d like to register your organisation, please do so here. You will need to create, or already have, a profile to register either. You can also browse BackaBuddy without registering a profile. If you do plan to register, however, the information you give us must be complete, and up-to-date. We reserve the right to cancel your campaign or organisation registration if you don’t comply with any of these Terms.

Please remember that if you do choose to register for any of the above, you are responsible for all the activity on your profile, and for keeping your password confidential. If you become aware that your profile has been used without your permission, you must report it to us immediately.

To register as an organisation, you must be at least 18 years old. A campaign for an organisation or for an individual can be created by a minor, but funds will only be transferred to a bank account held by an individual who is over the age of 18.

BackaBuddy does not guarantee that a Campaign or an Organisation will obtain a certain amount of donations or any donations at all. We do not personally endorse any Campaign, Campaign Organiser or Organisation or initiate campaigns ourselves. We expressly disclaim any liability or responsibility for the success of any Campaign, or the outcome of any fundraising purpose.

If you choose to contribute to a campaign or cause, you as the donor must make the final determination as to the value and appropriateness of contributing to any Campaign, Campaign Organiser or organisation.

3. Please don’t do the following

By using this site, you agree that you will not engage in posting:

• Content that is harmful to others or may cause reputational harm (this includes posting discriminatory comments, comments which are inappropriate or profane, including but not limited to the distribution of child pornography, comments which constitute hate speech or content that is designed to abuse, stalk, harass or physically threaten other people)
• Content that violates any intellectual property laws, including content that is protected by copyright or a patent
• Content that is misleading, false, or intentionally inaccurate.
• Information that is fraudulent in nature
• Banking details of the beneficiary or campaign creator on a campaign page, organisation profile page, or anywhere on the BackaBuddy site.
• Content that is illegal, and violates any domestic or international law or content which breaches a legal duty that you owe to other people
• Content which is designed as spam or any other unsolicited mass mailing activity that is distributed without the consent of the recipients.
• Content which in any way threatens the security of the BackaBuddy network or one of its users’ computers, including the distribution of malware, viruses, Trojan horses, or any other harmful piece of software.
• Campaign content that contains the offer of any contest, competition giveaway, sweepstakes, offering monetary or other rewards for donations.
• Use or upload Artificial Intelligence (AI)–generated images, videos, or other content that misrepresents real individuals, events, or circumstances related to a campaign.
• Annuities, investments, equity or lottery contracts, off-shore banking or similar transactions, money service businesses (including currency exchanges, check cashing or the like), pyramid schemes, “get rich quick schemes” (i.e., Investment opportunities or other services that promise high rewards), network marketing and referral marketing programs, debt collection or crypto-currencies
• Credit repair or debt settlement services.
• Details of a pending or current legal case.
• A campaign in which the funds raised will be used for illegal activity

Please refrain from participating in the following activities:

• Disseminating other people’s private information – when you use the Services — whether as a contributor or an organisation — you will receive certain information regarding other users of the site, such as their names and their email addresses. Please keep this information private, and use it solely for the purposes of participating in the BackaBuddy campaigns. Do not share or distribute any user information without their permission.
• Interfering with the working of BackaBuddy – you may not engage in any activity that interferes with the proper working of the Site or the Services
• Bypassing any security – you may not bypass any of the security measures that BackaBuddy has put into place to restrict access to certain sections of the site or circumvent any of the security measures that have been put into place by BackaBuddy
• Attempting to obtain personal information of BackaBuddy or its users – you may not attempt to gain unauthorised access to any data, password, or any other restricted information which belongs to BackaBuddy, its affiliates, or any user of its site
• Putting strain on BackaBuddy’s infrastructure – you may not engage in any activity that places a disproportionately large load on the infrastructure of BackaBuddy or its affiliates.

4. Contract between Organisation and Contributor

BackaBuddy provides a funding platform for organisations and charitable campaigns. When someone publishes a charitable campaign on BackaBuddy, they invite other people to form a legal contract with them. Anyone who contributes to an organisation (a donor) is accepting the organisation’s offer and forming that contract.

BackaBuddy is not a part of this contract — the contract is a direct legal agreement between organisations and their contributors. Here are the terms that govern that agreement:

• When a campaign is successfully funded, the organisation must use the funds for the purpose advertised. Once an organisation has done this, it has satisfied its obligation to its contributors.
• Throughout the process, organisations owe their contributors a high standard of effort, honesty, transparency and a commitment to achieving the advertised goals of that organisation.
• Contributors must understand that there could be delays in an organisation achieving what it has set out to do.
• A donation is an irrevocable and unconditional act and, once a donation has been made using the Services, the contributor is not entitled to a refund unless the relevant organisation agrees to the refund and special arrangements are made directly with the organisation. Once an organisation has refunded the contributor it has no further obligation to that contributor, and no further agreement exists between the two parties.
• BackaBuddy is not responsible for the fulfillment of the promises made by organisations.
• If organisations are unable to satisfy the terms of their agreement, they may be subject to legal action by contributors.
• When donating to a campaign for an organisation, the organisation will receive certain information such as donor names and email addresses. It is the organisation’s responsibility to keep this information private and use it solely for the purposes of participating in the BackaBuddy campaigns. Do not share or distribute any user information without their permission.
• When creating a campaign for an organisation, the organisation will receive certain information such as champion names and email addresses. It is the organisation’s responsibility to keep this information private and use it solely for the purposes of participating in the BackaBuddy campaigns. Do not share or distribute any user information without their permission.

5. BackaBuddy Donor Communication

   BackaBuddy may, at its discretion and in the spirit of accountability and transparency, send updates to donors regarding the progress or success of the campaign(s) they have supported. The associated organisation will be notified prior to the communication being sent. If the organisation does not respond with an objection or provide additional input within 5 working days of being notified, BackaBuddy reserves the right to proceed with sending the update to donors.

6. Contract between beneficiaries of individual campaigns and Contributor Individual campaigns are fundraisers for a person or group that is/are not affiliated with a registered organisation.

While every effort will be taken to ‘vet’ campaigns for individuals, BackaBuddy ultimately cannot warrant that your donations will be used for any particular purpose and shall not be responsible for any dissatisfaction you may have regarding the recipient individual's use of any donation you may make through the website or for any misuse or non-use of such donations by the recipient individual cause.

After donations are made, all further dealings are solely between the donor and such recipient.

BackaBuddy shall have no liability to donors whatsoever for any use or misuse of donations made to a BackaBuddy Crowdfunding page. The BackaBuddy Crowdfunding page may state that they will use donations only for specific purposes, but BackaBuddy cannot guarantee that they will use it for such a purpose.

It is your sole responsibility, as a user of the site, to ensure that the cause stated to be supported on a relevant BackaBuddy page is one that you wish to support.

7. Donor Verification and Fraud Prevention

Donors are responsible for ensuring that the contact details provided at the time of donation, including their email address, are accurate and accessible. BackaBuddy may use the email address provided to send donation confirmations, request verification of donation intent, communicate regarding potential refunds, reversals, chargebacks, or resolve any queries relating to a donation. If BackaBuddy is unable to contact a donor using the details provided, we reserve the right to delay, withhold, cancel, or refund a donation where verification or further information is required.

BackaBuddy may, at its discretion, request additional information from a donor and/or take steps to verify a donation. This may be done to comply with applicable laws and regulatory requirements, to protect BackaBuddy and its users, and to prevent fraud, reversals, disputes, chargebacks, or other suspicious activity.

Where verification is required, our finance team may contact the donor to request one or more of the following:

• Copy of Identity document or passport.
• Proof of residential address in your country of permanent residence.
• Confirmation that it was indeed you, who made this donation.
• Confirmation that we may proceed in remitting your donation to the supported campaign

BackaBuddy may delay, withhold, refuse to process, cancel, or refund a donation if we are unable to obtain sufficient confirmation or information to verify the donation, or if we reasonably believe the donation may be suspicious, unauthorised, fraudulent, or subject to reversal.

8. Vetting Individual Campaigns

Each campaign will be reviewed based on the content provided by this submission form.

Campaign Organisers must register using their true identities, including their name and any image or video purporting to depict the Campaign Organisers or the beneficiary of such campaign.

BackaBuddy takes the integrity of individual campaigns seriously and will endeavour to ensure there is sufficient evidence for the legitimacy of campaign content. To this end, there are criteria in place that need to be met before a campaign is verified on the platform, and funds are paid out.

We reserve the right to decline campaigns based on the following criteria:

• Insufficient supporting information and/or campaign copy. This includes but is not limited to a lack of appropriate contactable references or supporting documentation that can be used to verify the campaign ‘cause’ at any stage of the process.
• Monetary targets that are not proportionate to the cause as stated in the campaign copy
• Campaigns that are raising funds for investment, speculation, or gambling.
• Campaigns that offer rewards or entry into a competition/raffle
• Campaigns that display inappropriate images or images subject to copyright
• Campaigns that aim to fund or form political parties, are political party affiliated or promote a political agenda.
• Campaigns that include Artificial Intelligence (AI)–generated images, videos, or other content that misrepresents real individuals, events, or circumstances related to the fundraiser. Such campaigns will not be verified and may be removed from the platform.

9. BackaBuddy Assisted (“Bluetick”) Campaigns

BackaBuddy offers campaign creators the option of BackaBuddy administering all or part of a campaign. These campaigns are referred to as “Bluetick Campaigns” or “BackaBuddy Assisted” campaigns.

Under this arrangement, funds eligible for payout may be paid directly to a vendor, organisation, institution, company, or professional service provider upon presentation of valid invoices or similar transaction proof, rather than being paid directly to the individual campaign creator or beneficiary. While not mandatory, donors generally prefer funds to be paid directly to service providers or institutions. BackaBuddy reserves the right to convert any individual campaign into a Bluetick Campaign where appropriate.

If, during the course of a Bluetick Campaign, the campaign creator requests that funds instead be paid directly to themselves or the beneficiary, BackaBuddy is required to notify donors and confirm whether they consent to the change or would prefer a refund, in accordance with the refunds section of these Terms.

For both self-managed and Bluetick Campaigns, campaign creators are solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all banking and payout details provided.

Where incorrect banking details have been supplied, BackaBuddy will not process payouts to new or updated account details until any incorrectly paid funds have been successfully recalled and returned by the bank. While BackaBuddy may make reasonable efforts to assist with the recall process, responsibility for providing accurate banking information rests entirely with the campaign creator. BackaBuddy is not liable for delays, losses, or consequences arising from incorrect banking details.

10. Legal and Compliance Requirements

Campaigns and organisations hosted on BackaBuddy must comply with all applicable South African laws and international regulatory requirements. BackaBuddy may refuse to host, suspend, or remove any campaign that appears to:

• Fail to comply with legal obligations.
• Be associated with entities or individuals listed on sanctions, anti-money laundering, or criminal watchlists.
• Present a risk of facilitating unlawful activity, fraud, financial misconduct, or misrepresentation.
• Operate without the legal authority or registration claimed in the campaign content.

BackaBuddy may request proof of registration, identity, legal status, or compliance at any time. Failure to provide such proof may result in removal or suspension.

11. Verification, Compliance, Reporting and Enforcement

Campaigns and organisations hosted on BackaBuddy must comply with all applicable South African laws and relevant international regulatory requirements, including sanctions, anti-money laundering, and financial crime regulations.

BackaBuddy undertakes a combination of internal verification checks, documentation reviews, community reporting mechanisms, and ongoing monitoring to assess the legitimacy and safety of campaigns. These measures are intended to promote transparency and protect donors. However, BackaBuddy does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or ongoing compliance of any campaign content.

BackaBuddy may, at any time, request proof of identity, registration, legal authority, or regulatory compliance from a campaign creator, beneficiary, or organisation. Failure to provide sufficient or satisfactory information may result in delays, restrictions, suspension, or removal of the campaign.

Users, donors, and members of the public may report campaigns they believe violate these Terms. BackaBuddy will review reported concerns and may contact the campaign creator for clarification. BackaBuddy’s decision regarding whether a campaign remains active, requires correction, is restricted, or is removed is final.

To protect donors, beneficiaries, and the integrity of the platform, BackaBuddy may, at its sole discretion and without prior notice:

• Request updates, corrections, or supporting documentation
• Replace campaign content with temporary holding content
• Restrict or suspend the acceptance of donations
• Suspend or terminate campaign visibility
• Permanently remove campaigns that present legal, ethical, reputational, or safety risks

The exercise of these rights does not constitute supervision of campaigns and does not imply any guarantee as to the legitimacy, accuracy, or outcomes of campaigns hosted on the platform.

12. What we do and don’t do

• Responsibility for using donation money as advertised rests entirely with the organisation or campaign creator.
• We deduct any tips left for BackaBuddy, and our payment partners subtract their fees, before transmitting the proceeds of a campaign.
• We don’t verify the identity of the organisations on the Site or whether organisations are using monies received for a legitimate purpose - this is your responsibility as a contributor!
• We don’t independently verify whether the organisations hosted on the Site have section 18A status in terms of the Income Tax Act, 1962. This is something that contributors are responsible for checking with a organisation before donating. As such, BackaBuddy does not guarantee that donations to organisations will be tax-deductible.
• If you are an organisation or campaign creator, don’t assume that you’ll be able to immediately collect your funding and don’t take any actions in reliance on collecting any donations until the money is put into your account.
• We don’t become involved in disputes between users, or between users and any third party relating to the use of the Services. BackaBuddy will, however, investigate organisation profiles or campaigns should we receive 2 or more complaints in writing about the organisation or campaign.
• BackaBuddy doesn’t endorse any content that users submit to the Site.
• The Site may contain links to other websites (which we do not necessarily endorse). When you access these websites, you do so at your own risk.
• BackaBuddy does not monitor, investigate, or moderate activities, content, or communications that occur outside of the BackaBuddy platform. Our responsibility is limited to information and interactions that take place within BackaBuddy itself. We are not liable for the behaviour, statements, or conduct of campaign creators, donors, or organisations on external websites, social media platforms, or other communication channels.

13. Our Fees/Administrative Costs

As of 30 May 2025, the only compulsory fee you pay on BackaBuddy is the payment gateway processing fee. Our mission is to get as close to 100% of donated funds to reach our causes on BackaBuddy.

Thanks to donors and campaign creators who choose to add a voluntary tip, we can keep our platform free.

Payment gateway processing fees are as follows:

Local Payment Methods (South Africa):

• Electronic Funds Transfer EFT R12 flat fee
• Instant EFT 3%
• Debit Card 3.2%
• Credit Card 3.9%
• Recurring Debit Order (Paysoft): R5.00

International Payment Processing fees:

• Credit Card (PayPal):
  $0.30 + 5.5% (based on the rand amount converted by PayPal at the time of processing)
• PayPal2PayPal:
  $0.30 + 5.5% (based on the rand amount converted by PayPal at the time of processing)

Currency Exchange:

Please note: PayPal and our banking partners use their own exchange rates, which may differ from public rates you see on platforms like Google or News24 at the time of your donation. The difference may be up to 3%, depending on the timing and the rates used during processing. The converted Rand amount for each donation you receive in USD (PayPal) are detailed in your recon.

Tips on Recurring Donations:

When you include a tip with your first recurring donation, the same amount will be added to each monthly donation by default. This helps us continue to support fundraising efforts across the platform.

Payout of funds raised:

You have the flexibility to request a payout at any time, provided your campaign/organisation has been vetted and you have received donations. Please note that the processing time for payouts by BackaBuddy is up to 10 business days. Additionally, you can only submit a new payout request once the previous one has been successfully processed.

Failed Donation Attempts and Extension of Recurrence:

If we’re unable to process your recurring donation - due to a card update or technical issue - we’ll try again a few times. If it still doesn’t go through, we’ll kindly adjust your donation schedule by one month. This gives you the opportunity to continue your support without missing any part of your intended donation schedule.

VAT Reg No: 4430288623

Dormant Accounts

For all BackaBuddy accounts that remain dormant (no funds received or withdrawn) for a period of 6 months or more, a monthly administration fee of R250/month may be charged. We actively encourage all beneficiaries to withdraw funds and utilise them for their intended causes without unnecessary delay. Any administration fees levied from dormant accounts will be directed toward the continued development and improvement of the BackaBuddy platform, to serve the needs of future campaign creators and beneficiaries.

14. Intellectual Property

As an organisation, you own your ideas and the content that you post on your fundraising page. This means that you are solely responsible for the content that appears on your page. BackaBuddy will not be liable for any mistakes or omissions that appear on your page. You are also responsible for ensuring that the content that you post does not violate any of the rights of third parties, or any copyright. You will be responsible for paying any royalties that become owing due to the content posted on your page.

BackaBuddy does not become the owner of the content that you post on your page. However, BackaBuddy does require some control over your content in order to perform the Services. Once you post information on your page, you grant BackaBuddy a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, continuous and royalty-free right to use, reproduce, display and distribute the content that you post.

BackaBuddy is also entitled to modify, delete, translate or reformat the content that is posted on your page. The Services are legally protected by copyright, intellectual property rights and other rights and laws. You are obliged to respect BackaBuddy’s protections at all times. Content that appears on the BackaBuddy site, whether its own content or content generated by its users, may be used and reproduced by you for personal use only. You may not use any content that appears on the BackaBuddy site for commercial gain, without prior permission from the relevant copyright holder. You retain ownership of the content you post (“Content”). By posting Content, you grant BackaBuddy a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, display, distribute and reasonably modify such Content as necessary to operate, improve and promote the Services.

This may include featuring campaign content on BackaBuddy’s website, social media, email communications, digital advertising and other promotional materials, and sharing campaign content with media outlets for editorial coverage relating to campaigns or platform activity. BackaBuddy may allow its service providers to process Content for these purposes. You confirm that you own the Content or have all necessary rights and permissions to post it, including consent from any identifiable individuals depicted, and that you have the lawful right and, where required, consent to share any personal or sensitive personal information (including health information). You must not post content relating to a minor without the consent of the minor’s legal guardian. BackaBuddy may make reasonable formatting adjustments but will not materially alter the meaning of your campaign story. If you object to promotional or media use of your Content, you may notify BackaBuddy, and we will cease future use where reasonably possible.

“BackaBuddy”, “Back-a-Buddy”, “Backabuddy.com”, “Backabuddy” and the BackaBuddy logo are protected under trademark registration and any unauthorised use of these marks is prohibited. Copyright subsists in all of the material on this website and, other than in respect of the content that you post on your page, all copyright vests in Easygiving (Proprietary) Limited, trading as BackaBuddy.

BackaBuddy’s intellectual property policy is informed by the Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993 and the Copyright Act 98 of 1978. We reserve the right to delete all content that infringes the provisions of these two Acts.

15. Safety, Harm and Community Wellbeing

BackaBuddy may remove or restrict any campaign that, in our reasonable judgment, has the potential to cause significant harm, public division, reputational damage, or undermine community trust. This includes campaigns that may incite hatred, discrimination, violence, or undue controversy, even where the content does not explicitly violate South African law.

BackaBuddy reserves the right to err on the side of caution where the safety and wellbeing of donors, beneficiaries, or the broader public may be at risk. This clause is intended to preserve the integrity and trustworthiness of the platform.

16. Our Rights

BackaBuddy reserves the right:

• To make changes to the Site and Services without notice or liability.
• To decide who’s eligible to use BackaBuddy. We can cancel profiles, decline to offer our Services and can change our eligibility criteria at any time. If anything relating to our Site is prohibited by law where you live, then we revoke your right to use BackaBuddy in that jurisdiction.
• In the event that any system or programme maintenance of any sort is required, to suspend services until such time as these have been completed; To cancel any pledge to any campaign, at any time and for any reason
• To reject, cancel, interrupt, remove, or suspend any campaign at any time and for any reason.
• To implement structured internal verification, safety review, and escalation workflows, including but not limited to takedown, temporary content replacement, campaign suspension, donor communication, or request for additional information. These processes may be applied at any stage of a campaign’s lifecycle.
• To retain all interest received from funds held until payout.
• To transfer unallocatable donations where an incorrect reference has been used or a refund has not been requested within one (1) month of the donation date. These funds will be moved to a BackaBuddy fund, which is dedicated to enhancing the user and campaign creator experience, supporting initiatives such as matched funding, improving payment gateways, and other platform improvements aimed at better serving people in need in the future. All efforts are made to ensure that donations are correctly allocated, and a record of these efforts can be viewed by requesting a copy here.
• To reallocate unclaimed funds to a dedicated BackaBuddy fund if they remain unclaimed for a period of 12 months. This fund supports initiatives such as matched funding, improvements to payment systems, and other platform enhancements aimed at better serving donors and beneficiaries. BackaBuddy will take reasonable steps to notify campaign owners of unclaimed funds, including monthly email reminders and a final notice after extended inactivity. Should a verified campaign owner or charitable cause request the funds at any point thereafter, BackaBuddy will honour the outstanding balance, even if reallocation has occurred.
• To request the return of any overpaid or duplicate payments made to a Campaign Creator (for Individual or Blue Tick Campaigns) or a Designated Person (for Organisations or Charities) within seven (7) working days. The recipient is required to confirm receipt with their bank and promptly refund the excess amount. Failure to comply may result in further action, including offsetting against existing balances, engaging debt collectors, or initiating legal proceedings.
• To contact donors if the purpose or needs of a campaign change after fundraising has begun. In such cases, donors may be informed of the change and offered the option to either continue supporting the revised cause or request a refund of their contribution

BackaBuddy reserves the right to refund donors for any reason. Such reason may include any, but not exclusively, of the following:

• When BackaBuddy has been instructed by the organisation or the campaign creator.
• When the campaign cannot be verified satisfactorily.

Refunds are processed on Tuesdays and Thursdays (or the closest working day), with a 7-working-day grace period to attend to the request.

All bank/payment/transaction fees associated with a donation will be held by BackaBuddy when the refund is processed.

If there are any queries on a particular campaign with regards to the fees being held by BackaBuddy, that query must be sent in writing to [email protected]. In this case BackaBuddy will evaluate case by case basis if the refund should include bank/payment/transaction fees.

The following are exceptions to our standard refund terms:

1. In the case of a recurring donation processed by BackaBuddy when it should not have been, then BackaBuddy will refund the donation amount inclusive of bank/payment/transaction fees.
2. When refunds are processed via PayPal the full donation amount will be refunded.

BackaBuddy will make contact with the donors via email to notify them of the pending refund and to request banking details, or alternatively propose to the donor other options for how the donated funds should be allocated.

BackaBuddy is not liable for any damages as a result of any of these actions, and it is our policy not to comment on the reasons for any such action.

Furthermore, if you are an organisation and we have already deposited funds into your account and a donation is subsequently reversed by one of our payment partners (for example, in the case of a charge-back) then we are entitled to claim the reversed amount back from you for a reasonable period after the reversal/charge-back.

17. Disclaimer, Indemnity and Limitation of Liability

You use the Services solely at your own risk. They are provided to you without warranty of any kind, whether express or implied.

If you do something that results in us getting sued, or if you break any of the promises you make in these Terms, you hereby indemnify us and agree to defend and hold us harmless from all liabilities, claims, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and other legal costs) that arise from or relate to your use or misuse of the Services.

In no event will BackaBuddy (or our directors, employees, partners, suppliers, or content providers) be liable for damages of any kind, including but not limited to damages (i) resulting from your access to, use of, or inability to access or use the Services; (ii) for any lost profits, data loss, or cost of procurement of substitute goods or services; or (iii) for any conduct or content of any third party on or in connection with the Site (including hackers or employees/agents of BackaBuddy acting beyond the scope of their authority). In no event shall our liability for direct damages be in excess of (in the aggregate) one thousand Rand.

By using the Services, you release BackaBuddy from claims, damages, and demands of every kind — known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, disclosed or undisclosed — arising out of or in any way related to such disputes and the Services.

18. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

In the event that you have any complaints or believe that we have caused you any loss or harm, please contact us (using the contact details provided here) first before resorting to legal action.

In the unfortunate situation where legal action does arise, these Terms (and all other rules, policies, or guidelines incorporated by reference) will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of South Africa, and you consent and submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court of South Africa, Western Cape Division, Cape Town in any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms.

19. Legal and Regulation Restrictions

Due to legal and regulatory constraints, PayPal is unable to process payments for crowdfunding in Hong Kong, crowdfunding for political fundraising in Russia, and campaigns related to Sanctions Jurisdictions (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine).

BackaBuddy is not allowed to use PayPal as a payment method for customers/campaign owners/beneficiaries who are domiciled in or reside in the abovementioned Sanctioned Jurisdictions and Hong Kong, and BackaBuddy is not allowed to use PayPal as a payment method for campaigns benefiting the Sanctioned Jurisdictions, or crowdfunding in Hong Kong and political-related causes in Russia.

20. The Boilerplates

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and BackaBuddy with regard to the Services. Neither you nor BackaBuddy will have any claim or right of action arising from any undertaking, representation or warranty not included in these Terms.

No agreement to vary, add to or cancel these Terms as they specifically apply to you will be of any force or effect unless recorded in writing (which doesn’t include email) and signed by or on behalf of both you and BackaBuddy.

If any provision of these Terms is rendered void, illegal or unenforceable under any law of any jurisdiction (provided the provision isn’t vital to the proper understanding of these Terms), the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions should not in any way be affected and the legality, validity and unenforceability of such provision under the law of any other jurisdiction are not in any way affected or impaired.

These Terms are personal to you and you can’t cede any rights that you may have against us, or delegate any obligations you owe to us unless you have our prior written consent. There may, however, be circumstances where we need to cede our rights against you or delegate our obligations owed to you to third parties (for example, if we undergo a corporate restructure). These Terms constitute your prior consent to such cession and delegation. If we do cede our rights or delegate our obligations, we do undertake to notify you of this by email, or by posting a notice on the Site.

Well done and thanks for reading these Terms. Welcome to BackaBuddy!