Terms & Conditions

Terms and Conditions

Kouga Adventures www.kouga.life & Kouga Wildernis www.kougawildernis.co.za

Last Updated: February 2026


You said:

do i have to have a terms and conditions page on my website? www.kouga.life

ChatGPT said:

Yes — you absolutely should have a Terms & Conditions page on www.kouga.life, especially considering your business model at Kouga Wildernis and Kouga Camino.

Because you:

  • Take online bookings
  • Accept payments
  • Host guests on your property
  • Offer guided hikes (Kouga Camino)
  • Operate in South Africa (so POPIA applies)

…it’s not just good practice — it’s risk protection.

Why You Need Terms & Conditions

1. Legal Protection

It protects you if:

  • A guest cancels and wants a refund
  • Someone gets injured on the hike
  • Weather forces cancellation
  • A guest damages property
  • A dispute arises over payment

Without T&Cs, you have very little contractual backing.

2. Required for Online Payments

If you’re using payment gateways (PayFast, Yoco, Stripe, etc.), they usually require:

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy

3. POPIA Compliance (South Africa)

Under the , you must have:

  • A Privacy Policy explaining how you collect and use personal data
  • Consent for marketing (email, WhatsApp, etc.)

If you collect names, emails, phone numbers — you legally need this.

For Your Specific Business (Very Important)

Because you operate:

  • Farm accommodation
  • Campsites
  • Multi-day guided hikes

You also need:

  • Indemnity clause
  • Risk acknowledgment
  • Fitness requirement clause
  • Cancellation terms
  • Weather / force majeure clause

Especially for guests aged 50–70 doing multi-day hikes — liability exposure is real.

Minimum Pages You Should Have

  1. Terms & Conditions
  2. Privacy Policy (POPIA compliant)
  3. Refund & Cancellation Policy
  4. Indemnity / Risk Agreement (for Kouga Camino specifically)

Simple Answer

Are you legally forced to have it?
👉 Not in every case.

Should you have it?
👉 100% yes.

For a tourism business like yours, operating physical experiences in the wilderness — it’s essential.

If you’d like, I can draft:

  • A full T&C tailored specifically for Kouga Camino and Kouga Wildernis
  • A POPIA compliant privacy policy
  • A cancellation structure aligned to your booking style

Tell me:

  • Do you take full upfront payment?
  • What’s your cancellation window?
  • Do guests sign indemnities currently?
You said:

no 50% to confirm booking, 3 months prior gets you a refund, closer to the time not, camino guests do but not others, so if that could be covered by the t&c page it would be great.

ChatGPT said:

Perfect 👍 that helps a lot.

Yes — we can absolutely structure your Terms & Conditions so that:

  • ✅ 50% deposit to confirm booking
  • ✅ Full refund if cancelled more than 3 months before arrival
  • ❌ No refund within 3 months
  • ✅ Camino indemnity built into T&Cs
  • ✅ General guest liability protection for accommodation + campsites

Below is a clean, professional draft tailored for Kouga Wildernis / Kouga Camino.

You can copy this into a “Terms & Conditions” page on WordPress.

Terms & Conditions

Kouga Wildernis & Kouga Camino
www.kouga.life

1. Booking & Payment

1.1 A booking is confirmed upon receipt of a 50% non-transferable deposit.
1.2 The remaining balance is payable prior to arrival, as communicated at time of booking.
1.3 Kouga Wildernis reserves the right to cancel a booking if payment terms are not met.

2. Cancellation Policy

2.1 Cancellations made more than 3 months prior to arrival will receive a refund of payments made, less any direct bank or transaction fees.

2.2 Cancellations made within 3 months of arrival are non-refundable.

2.3 If a guest fails to arrive (“no-show”), the full booking amount remains payable.

2.4 In the event that Kouga Wildernis must cancel due to circumstances beyond its control, a full refund of payments received will be made.

3. Assumption of Risk & Indemnity

3.1 Guests acknowledge that participation in hiking, farm stays, camping, and outdoor activities involves inherent risks including, but not limited to:

  • Uneven terrain
  • Wildlife encounters
  • Weather exposure
  • Physical exertion
  • Remote locations with limited medical facilities

3.2 All guests participate in activities at their own risk.

3.3 By confirming a booking, guests indemnify and hold harmless Kouga Wildernis, Kouga Camino, its owners, staff, agents and representatives against any loss, injury, illness, damage, or claim arising from participation in any activity, except in cases of proven gross negligence.

3.4 Guests are responsible for ensuring that they are medically and physically fit to participate in hiking activities.

3.5 Kouga Camino guests may be required to sign an additional indemnity form prior to departure.

4. Guest Responsibilities

4.1 Guests are responsible for any damage caused to property or equipment.
4.2 Children remain under supervision of parents/guardians at all times.
4.3 Guests must comply with all safety instructions provided by staff.

5. Health & Medical Conditions

5.1 Guests must disclose any medical condition that may affect their ability to participate in hiking or outdoor activities.
5.2 Kouga Wildernis reserves the right to refuse participation if a guest’s condition poses a safety risk.

6. Force Majeure

Kouga Wildernis shall not be liable for cancellations, delays or changes caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to extreme weather, fire, flood, pandemic, government restrictions, or natural disasters.

7. Privacy

Personal information collected through bookings or enquiries is processed in accordance with the .
Information is used solely for booking administration and communication purposes and is not shared with third parties without consent.

8. Governing Law

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

Important Recommendation for You

Because you operate:

  • Multi-day slack-packing hikes
  • Remote wilderness accommodation
  • An older hiking demographic

I strongly recommend that:

  • Camino guests still sign a separate physical indemnity on arrival (extra layer of protection)
  • Accommodation guests are automatically bound through acceptance of T&Cs during booking

If you’d like, next I can draft:

1️⃣ A separate Privacy Policy page (POPIA compliant)
2️⃣ A short Website Disclaimer
3️⃣ Or help you structure the checkbox wording for your booking form (very important legally)

Let’s tighten this up properly — tourism liability in SA is not something to leave loose.

You said:

1 not seperate, just include it in a section under the above info, 2 is this a shortened version of tc’s or something extra, 2 i like the long tc’s if extra add it to the above page under new heading, 3 yes p

ChatGPT said:

Perfect 👍 we’ll make this one proper, comprehensive Terms & Conditions page — including:

  • Full booking terms
  • Indemnity
  • Privacy (POPIA compliant section included inside)
  • Website disclaimer (not separate — included below)
  • Clear checkbox wording for your booking form

Below is your expanded, stronger version tailored to Kouga Wildernis & Kouga Camino.

You can paste this as your full T&C page on WordPress.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Kouga Wildernis & Kouga Camino
www.kouga.life

Last Updated: February 2026

1. Definitions

“Kouga Adventures”, “Kouga Wildernis”, “Kouga Camino” and “Kouga Donkey Trail” refer to the tourism and hiking operations conducted at Kouga Wildernis Farm and surrounding area, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

“Guest” refers to any person who books, participates in, or makes use of accommodation, campsites, hiking trails, guided hikes, or any services offered.

2. Booking & Payment

2.1 A booking is confirmed upon receipt of a 50% deposit of the total booking amount.

2.2 The remaining balance must be paid prior to arrival, as communicated at the time of booking.

2.3 Failure to make payment when due may result in automatic cancellation of the booking.

2.4 Kouga Wildernis reserves the right to decline any booking at its discretion.

3. Cancellation & Refund Policy

3.1 Cancellations made more than 3 months prior to arrival date will receive a refund of payments made, less any direct transaction or banking fees.

3.2 Cancellations made within 3 months of arrival are non-refundable.

3.3 No-shows or early departures are non-refundable.

3.4 Refunds, where applicable, will be processed within a reasonable timeframe.

3.5 Kouga Wildernis is not responsible for costs incurred due to travel arrangements. Guests are encouraged to obtain travel insurance.

4. Assumption of Risk & Indemnity

4.1 Guests acknowledge that farm stays, camping, and wilderness hiking activities involve inherent risks including but not limited to:

  • Uneven or rocky terrain
  • River crossings
  • Wildlife and insects
  • Extreme weather conditions
  • Remote areas with limited access to medical facilities
  • Physical exertion

4.2 Participation in all activities is entirely at the Guest’s own risk.

4.3 By confirming a booking, Guests indemnify and hold harmless Kouga Wildernis, Kouga Camino, the farm owners, employees, guides, agents and representatives against any loss, injury, illness, death, or damage sustained during their stay or participation, except where caused by proven gross negligence.

4.4 Guests confirm they are medically and physically fit to participate in hiking or outdoor activities.

4.5 Kouga Camino guests may be required to sign an additional written indemnity prior to departure.

5. Health & Medical Disclosure

5.1 Guests must disclose any medical conditions that may impact their participation in hiking or outdoor activities.

5.2 Kouga Wildernis reserves the right to refuse participation if a condition poses a safety risk.

6. Guest Conduct & Responsibility

6.1 Guests are responsible for any loss or damage caused to property.

6.2 Children must remain under supervision at all times.

6.3 Guests must comply with all safety instructions.

6.4 Kouga Wildernis reserves the right to remove any guest whose behaviour endangers others or damages property.

7. Force Majeure

Kouga Wildernis shall not be liable for cancellations, delays, or changes caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to:

  • Extreme weather
  • Fire
  • Flood
  • Pandemic
  • Government restrictions
  • Natural disasters

8. Privacy & Protection of Personal Information

8.1 Kouga Wildernis collects personal information such as names, contact details and booking information for the purpose of:

  • Processing bookings
  • Communicating with guests
  • Providing services
  • Legal and accounting compliance

8.2 All personal information is processed in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act.

8.3 We do not sell or distribute personal information to third parties unless required by law.

8.4 Guests have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal information by contacting us directly.

8.5 During a guest’s stay or participation in activities, photographs and video recordings may be taken for marketing, promotional, and social media purposes. By accepting these Terms & Conditions, guests grant Kouga Wildernis and Kouga Camino permission to use such images or recordings for lawful promotional purposes, provided that they are not used in a defamatory or misleading manner.

8.6 Guests who prefer not to appear in promotional material must notify Kouga Wildernis in writing prior to or during their stay.

9. Website Disclaimer

9.1 All information provided on www.kouga.life is for general information purposes only.

9.2 While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, Kouga Wildernis makes no representations or warranties regarding completeness or reliability of information.

9.3 Trail conditions, weather conditions, accommodation availability, and pricing may change without notice.

9.4 External links are provided for convenience and Kouga Wildernis is not responsible for the content of external websites.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, Kouga Wildernis shall not be liable for:

  • Indirect or consequential loss
  • Travel interruptions
  • Personal equipment damage
  • Theft or loss of personal belongings

Guests are responsible for their own travel insurance and personal property.

11. Governing Law

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

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