Terms and Conditions

Please read these terms carefully before using GreenHand.

Last updated: 2 August 2026  ·  Effective: 1 September 2026

Table of Contents

  1. 1. Definitions
  2. 2. Acceptance of Terms
  3. 3. Description of Service
  4. 4. Registration & Accounts
  5. 5. Client Obligations
  6. 6. Supplier Obligations
  7. 7. Independent Contractor & Tax
  8. 8. Fees and Payments
  9. 9. Escrow & Payment Protection
  10. 10. Cancellations & Refunds
  11. 11. Anti-Circumvention & Introduction Fee
  12. 12. Disputes
  13. 13. Property Damage, Injury & Safety
  14. 14. Reviews and Ratings
  15. 15. Promotions, Referrals & Credits
  16. 16. Intellectual Property
  17. 17. Privacy & POPIA
  18. 18. Prohibited Conduct
  19. 19. Disclaimer of Warranties
  20. 20. Limitation of Liability
  21. 21. Indemnification
  22. 22. Force Majeure
  23. 23. Termination
  24. 24. General Provisions
  25. 25. Governing Law & Disputes
  26. 26. Contact Information

1 Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

2 Acceptance of Terms

By registering for, accessing, or using the GreenHand Platform, you confirm that:

Important: If you do not agree to these Terms and Conditions, you must not register or use the Platform.

GreenHand reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on the Platform at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

3 Description of Service

GreenHand operates as a digital marketplace that connects homeowners and property managers (Clients) with vetted, professional garden service providers (Suppliers) across South Africa.

The Platform enables Clients to:

The Platform enables Suppliers to:

GreenHand is a marketplace facilitator only. GreenHand does not itself perform any garden work, is not a party to the service contract between Client and Supplier, and does not employ Suppliers. GreenHand does not guarantee the quality, safety, legality, or timeliness of Services provided by Suppliers. The Platform is provided on an "as is" basis as further described in clause 19.

4 Registration and Accounts

4.1 Eligibility. Registration is open to South African residents and businesses with a valid South African bank account. GreenHand may, at its discretion, extend services to non-residents.

4.2 Accuracy. You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and maintain it up to date. Providing false information may result in immediate account suspension.

4.3 Verification. GreenHand verifies Supplier identities and credentials before approving their profiles. Clients may be required to verify their address. Verification does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee or warranty of any User, their conduct, or the quality or suitability of their Services.

4.4 Account Security. You are solely responsible for safeguarding your login credentials. You must notify GreenHand immediately at security@greenhand.co.za if you suspect unauthorised access. GreenHand is not liable for losses resulting from compromised credentials, and all activity under your account is your responsibility unless the compromise was caused by GreenHand.

4.5 One Account. Each person or business entity may maintain only one active account of each type (Client or Supplier). Duplicate accounts may be suspended without notice.

5 Client Obligations

As a Client using the Platform, you agree to:

GreenHand reserves the right to withhold or release escrow funds based on completion confirmation and dispute outcomes.

6 Supplier Obligations

As a Supplier, you agree to:

High-risk work. Suppliers offering higher-risk Services such as tree felling or garden pest control are strongly urged to hold valid public liability insurance. GreenHand may require proof of such cover before approving these Services on your profile.

No survival guarantee. Living things depend on weather, soil, watering and care after a Supplier leaves. Neither the Supplier nor GreenHand guarantees the survival, growth, or long-term condition of any plant, lawn, tree or landscaping feature following planting, transplanting, pruning or landscaping work.

Suppliers acknowledge that GreenHand does not guarantee a minimum volume of Bookings and that Supplier earnings depend on market demand and the quality of their profile and services.

7 Independent Contractor Status, Employment and Tax

7.1 Independent contractors. Suppliers are independent contractors who provide Services on their own account. Nothing in these Terms creates any employment, agency, partnership, joint venture, or franchise relationship between GreenHand and any User, or between a Client and a Supplier through the Platform.

7.2 Not an employer. GreenHand is not the employer of any Supplier. GreenHand does not control the manner in which Suppliers perform Services, does not provide tools or equipment, and does not withhold employees' tax, UIF or any other amount on behalf of Suppliers.

7.3 Tax responsibility. Each Supplier is solely responsible for the declaration and payment of their own taxes, including income tax and provisional tax, and for any registrations required by the South African Revenue Service or other authorities in respect of their earnings. Clients are responsible for their own tax affairs.

7.4 Indemnity. If GreenHand is found liable for any tax, levy, or employment-related claim that is properly the responsibility of a User, that User agrees to reimburse and indemnify GreenHand for the amount concerned.

8 Fees and Payments

8.1 Platform Fee. GreenHand charges a platform fee (commission) on each completed Booking. The current commission rate is displayed transparently on the Platform and in the Finance section of your account. The fee is deducted from the Client's escrow payment before the Supplier receives their payout.

8.2 VAT. All quoted amounts are inclusive of applicable VAT where GreenHand is registered as a VAT vendor.

8.3 Payout. Suppliers receive payment to their registered South African bank account within 24 hours of confirmed job completion, subject to any applicable dispute holds. GreenHand is not liable for delays caused by banking institutions.

8.4 Failed Payments. If a Client's payment fails, the Booking may be cancelled. GreenHand will notify both parties and the Booking time slot will be released.

8.5 Pricing. Suppliers set their own pricing. GreenHand does not fix prices and is not responsible for price accuracy in quotes.

8.6 Payment Method. Client payments are processed securely through a third-party payment provider. Funds are held in escrow until the job is completed and confirmed (see Section 9). Card and banking details are entered directly with that provider; GreenHand does not store your full card details. Refunds and cancellations are governed by our Refund & Cancellation Policy, and the delivery of services by our Delivery Policy.

9 Escrow and Payment Protection

GreenHand uses an escrow system to protect both parties:

  1. The Client pays the agreed amount into escrow when accepting a quote.
  2. Funds are held securely until the Client confirms job completion.
  3. Upon confirmation (or after the dispute resolution period expires without a dispute being raised), funds are released to the Supplier less the Platform Fee.
  4. If a dispute is raised, funds remain in escrow until the dispute is resolved by GreenHand's support team.
Escrow protection means your money is only released once you are satisfied with the work.

GreenHand holds escrow funds in a segregated trust-like account and does not earn interest on Client funds. GreenHand is not a financial services provider and the escrow service is not a banking or investment product.

10 Cancellations and Refunds

10.1 Client Cancellations. If a Client cancels a paid Booking, the fee retained depends on the notice given before the scheduled start: more than 48 hours' notice gives a full refund (less the non-refundable payment-processing fee); 24 to 48 hours' notice retains 10%; less than 24 hours' notice, or a no-show, retains 20%. Any amount retained includes the non-refundable third-party payment-processing fee and is not charged twice. Cancellation of an unpaid Booking is free of charge. No cancellation fee applies where the cancellation results from the death or hospitalisation of the person for whom the Booking was made, as required by section 17 of the CPA.

10.2 Supplier Cancellations.

10.3 Weather and Force Majeure. Garden work is weather-dependent. Where a Booking cannot proceed because of severe weather or another Force Majeure event (clause 22) and neither party is at fault, the parties should reschedule the Booking. No cancellation fee applies to a good-faith weather rescheduling.

10.4 Refund Processing. Approved refunds are processed within 3–10 business days, subject to our payment provider's and your bank's timelines. Third-party payment-processing fees are non-refundable, as our payment provider does not return them when a payment is refunded. Where a full refund is due because the Supplier cancelled or a dispute is resolved in the Client's favour, GreenHand absorbs this fee so the Client receives the full amount paid. GreenHand is not liable for delays caused by third-party payment processors.

11 Anti-Circumvention and Introduction Fee

GreenHand invests in connecting Clients and Suppliers, verifying Suppliers, and providing secure escrow and dispute protection. The Platform Fee is how GreenHand funds this service.

11.1 No off-platform dealing. Where a Client and a Supplier are introduced to one another through the Platform, they agree not to arrange, accept, or pay for garden Services between them off the Platform in order to avoid the Platform Fee, whether during a Booking or within 6 (six) months of their last interaction on the Platform.

11.2 Introduction Fee. If a Client and Supplier breach clause 11.1, GreenHand may charge the responsible party or parties a Circumvention Fee equal to the commission (Platform Fee) that GreenHand would reasonably have earned on the off-platform work, calculated over that 6-month period by reference to the value of the comparable Services. This is a genuine pre-estimate of the fees GreenHand loses through circumvention, and not a penalty.

11.3 Other consequences. In addition to the Circumvention Fee, GreenHand may suspend or terminate the accounts involved and withhold or forfeit any referral rewards or credits (clause 15).

This clause survives termination of your account and of these Terms, and continues to apply for 6 months after your last Platform interaction.

12 Disputes

12.1 Raising a Dispute. Either party may raise a dispute via the Platform within 72 hours of the scheduled completion time. After this window, disputed funds may be released to the Supplier.

12.2 Dispute Process.

  1. The disputing party submits evidence (photos, communications, descriptions) through the Platform.
  2. GreenHand's support team reviews all submitted evidence within 5 business days.
  3. GreenHand issues a determination, which may include partial or full refund, release to Supplier, or split of escrow funds.
  4. GreenHand's determination is final and binding for Platform purposes.

12.3 Good Faith. All Users must participate in the dispute process honestly and in good faith. Fabricating or misrepresenting evidence is a serious violation of these Terms and may result in account suspension and legal action.

12.4 Legal Remedies. Nothing in this clause prevents any party from pursuing legal remedies in a South African court (see clause 25). GreenHand's determination is administrative only and does not constitute a legal judgment, and does not limit any right you may have under the CPA.

13 Property Damage, Personal Injury and Safety

Garden work can carry real physical risk. This clause explains what we do to reduce that risk, what happens if something goes wrong, and who is responsible.

13.1 Who we let onto your property. No Supplier can accept a single job until they have provided, and we have reviewed, their identity document, proof of residence, a SAPS police clearance certificate and confirmation of their bank account. A Supplier who does not complete this cannot quote, cannot be booked, and cannot be paid. You can see each Supplier's verification status, rating and reviews from previous Clients before you choose them.

13.2 Your money is not at risk while the work happens. Payment is held in escrow from the moment you pay and is released to the Supplier only once you confirm the job was done to your satisfaction (clause 9). If you are not satisfied, you raise it before confirming and the funds stay held while it is resolved. You are never asked to pay a Supplier directly in advance.

13.3 What we do if something goes wrong. Report damage or injury through the Platform within 72 hours and we will open a dispute (clause 12). We review the evidence from both sides, including job photos, GPS check-in records and messages held on the Platform, and we decide how the escrow funds are released, which includes returning them to you in full or in part. We can also suspend or remove a Supplier from the Platform. We are describing the process we follow, not guaranteeing a particular outcome or the recovery of any amount.

13.4 Responsibility between Client and Supplier. The Client and the Supplier are responsible, as between themselves, for any loss, property damage, or personal injury arising from the performance of the Services. As GreenHand is a marketplace facilitator and not a party to the Service and does not perform the work, GreenHand is released from liability for such loss, damage, or injury to the fullest extent permitted by law. Nothing in these Terms limits any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.

13.5 Supplier insurance. Suppliers are strongly urged to hold public liability insurance appropriate to the Services they offer, particularly for higher-risk work such as tree felling and pest control (clause 6). A Supplier who holds such cover may submit their certificate to us, and where we have reviewed it we will show that on their profile so you can take it into account when choosing. Where no cover is shown, you should assume the Supplier has none. GreenHand does not provide, arrange, underwrite or guarantee any insurance, and does not verify the adequacy, scope or continued validity of any cover a Supplier holds.

13.4 Safe working environment. Clients are responsible for providing a reasonably safe and secure working environment and for disclosing known hazards (clause 5). Suppliers are responsible for working safely and for the safe use of their equipment and any chemicals.

Please report damage or injury within 72 hours through the Platform so we can help both parties resolve it fairly while the evidence is fresh.

14 Reviews and Ratings

After each completed Booking, Clients may leave a review and rating for the Supplier. Reviews must be:

GreenHand moderates reviews and reserves the right to remove reviews that violate these requirements. Suppliers may flag reviews for moderation but may not demand removal of negative reviews that are factually accurate.

GreenHand does not verify the accuracy of reviews and is not liable for the content of any review.

15 Promotions, Referrals and Credits

GreenHand may, from time to time, offer referral rewards, promotional credits, discount codes or similar benefits. Where offered, the following rules apply:

16 Intellectual Property

All content on the Platform, including the GreenHand name, logo, brand identity, software, databases, designs, text, and images, is owned by or licensed to GreenHand and is protected by South African and international intellectual property laws.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from Platform content without prior written consent from GreenHand.

User-Generated Content: By uploading photos, documents, reviews, or other content to the Platform, you grant GreenHand a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, store, display, and reproduce that content for Platform purposes. You retain ownership of your content.

17 Privacy and POPIA

GreenHand processes personal information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and processing of your personal information as described in our Privacy Policy.

Key privacy commitments:

For privacy enquiries or data deletion requests, contact privacy@greenhand.co.za.

18 Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate account suspension and legal action:

19 Disclaimer of Warranties

The Platform and all Platform services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law:

Nothing in this clause excludes, restricts, or waives any right or remedy that you may have under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 or other applicable law that cannot lawfully be excluded.

20 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by South African law:

These limitations apply for the benefit of GreenHand and its directors, officers, employees, agents, sub-contractors, and affiliates.

Nothing in these Terms limits GreenHand's liability for gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or fraud, or excludes any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under the CPA.

21 Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GreenHand, its directors, officers, employees, agents, sub-contractors, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

22 Force Majeure

Neither GreenHand nor any User is liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms where the failure or delay is caused by an event beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to:

Where a Booking is affected by a Force Majeure event, the parties should reschedule in good faith (see clause 10.3). Nothing in this clause affects a Client's right to a refund of amounts paid for Services that are not performed.

23 Termination

23.1 By User. You may close your account at any time by contacting support@greenhand.co.za. Active Bookings must be completed or cancelled before account closure. Outstanding funds will be settled in accordance with applicable Booking terms.

23.2 By GreenHand. GreenHand may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for:

23.3 Effect of Termination. On termination, your access to the Platform ceases. Your obligations regarding active Bookings, anti-circumvention (clause 11), confidentiality, intellectual property, and indemnification survive termination.

24 General Provisions

24.1 Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without GreenHand's prior written consent. GreenHand may assign these Terms to an affiliate or to a successor in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of its business.

24.2 Notices. GreenHand may give you notice by email to your registered address, or by a notice posted on the Platform; such notice is deemed received 24 hours after being sent or posted. You must send notices to GreenHand using the contact details in clause 26.

24.3 Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

24.4 Waiver. A failure or delay by GreenHand to enforce any provision of these Terms is not a waiver of its right to enforce that or any other provision later.

24.5 Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Refund & Cancellation Policy, and Delivery Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and GreenHand regarding the Platform and supersede any prior agreements.

24.6 Relationship of the parties. Nothing in these Terms creates any employment, agency, partnership, or joint venture between you and GreenHand (see clause 7).

25 Governing Law and Dispute Escalation

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

25.1 Good-faith negotiation first. Before commencing any legal proceedings, the parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms through informal negotiation for a period of at least 30 (thirty) days after written notice of the dispute is given.

25.2 Jurisdiction. If the dispute is not resolved through negotiation, it shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of South Africa, and you consent to submit to such jurisdiction.

Nothing in this clause limits any right you may have to approach the National Consumer Commission or a relevant ombud under the CPA, or to seek urgent relief from a court.

26 Contact Information

For any questions, concerns, or legal notices regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact us:

Registered company: GreenHand (Pty) Ltd · Registration number 2026/578451/07 · Registered office: 24 Elma Street, Montclare, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2092, South Africa.

GreenHand is committed to fair, transparent, and legally compliant operations. We are proudly South African and dedicated to empowering local garden service professionals and homeowners.