Booking Terms and Conditions

These Booking Terms and Conditions form part of the agreement between Safari Craftsmen (Pty) Ltd and the person making the booking. Please read them together with your quotation, itinerary, booking confirmation, invoice and any supplier terms specifically disclosed to you.

1. Who we are and how to contact us
‍
Safari Craftsmen (Pty) Ltd ("Safari Craftsmen", "we", "us" or "our") is a private company registered in the Republic of South Africa under registration number 2022/279481/07.

Physical address and address for legal service: 155 Jacaranda Road, Kyalami AH, Gauteng, 1685, South Africa
Postal address: PO Box 1273, Northriding, 2162, South Africa
Telephone: +27 83 703 2720
Email: info@safaricraftsmen.com
Website: www.safaricraftsmen.com
Directors: C.A. Renshaw and B.A. van Aswegen

‍2. Definitions and the agreement

‍Agreement: your accepted quotation and itinerary, booking confirmation, invoice, these terms, and any supplier terms or special conditions specifically disclosed before confirmation.
‍Booking Confirmation: our written confirmation that the requested travel services have been secured, subject to these terms.
‍Client: the person who makes the booking and accepts the Agreement, including any person acting for the travelling party.
‍Departure Date: the first date on which any booked travel service begins.
‍Force Majeure Event: an extraordinary event beyond the reasonable control of the affected party, such as severe weather, fire, flood, epidemic or pandemic, war, terrorism, civil unrest, industrial action, border closure, government action, natural disaster, transport disruption or similar event.
‍Supplier: an independent provider of accommodation, transport, guiding, activities, permits or any other travel service included in the booking.
‍Traveller: each person included in the booking.
‍Writing: email or another electronic or written communication that can be retained and reproduced.

‍3. Making and confirming a booking
‍
Information and example itineraries on our website are invitations to enquire and are not binding offers.

A quotation is normally valid for seven calendar days from its issue date unless it states otherwise. All services remain subject to availability until confirmed in writing.

A binding booking is formed only when we have received the required deposit or full payment in cleared funds and issued a written Booking Confirmation.

Payment of any amount, electronic acceptance, signature of a booking form or written instruction to proceed constitutes acceptance of the Agreement by the Client, subject to any additional acknowledgement required for the safari-risk notice.

The Client confirms that they are at least 18 years old, have authority to book for every Traveller and will make these terms and all travel information available to them. The Client is responsible for payment of the full booking price.

If there is a conflict between documents, the Booking Confirmation prevails for booking-specific details, followed by the accepted quotation and itinerary, these terms and then any general website content. Supplier terms govern the specific service to which they relate where they have been disclosed to the Client.

4. Prices, currencies and changes in cost
‍
The price, currency, inclusions and exclusions for your journey are stated in the accepted quotation and Booking Confirmation.

Services may be quoted and invoiced in different currencies to reflect the currencies charged by Suppliers. The Client must pay the invoiced amount in the invoiced currency.

All bank charges, card charges, transfer fees and correspondent-bank fees are for the Client's account. The amount received by Safari Craftsmen must equal the amount invoiced.

Prices are based on the stated number of Travellers. A change in party size may change per-person rates, single supplements, transport costs or other components, and the quotation may be recalculated.

Before final payment, prices may change if a Supplier changes its rate or if there is a change in exchange rates, airfares, taxes, park or conservation fees, fuel surcharges, government levies or other third-party costs beyond our reasonable control.

Airfares are not guaranteed until the relevant airline has received payment and issued the ticket. Permit prices and availability are not guaranteed until the permit has been paid for and issued.

If a material unavoidable increase affects a fully paid booking, we will notify the Client in writing and offer reasonable options where available. These may include paying the increase, accepting a reasonable alternative, or cancelling the affected service and receiving any amount recoverable from the Supplier, subject to applicable law.

5. Deposits and payment
‍
A deposit of 30% of the total confirmed price is normally required to secure a booking.

Flights, gorilla or other primate permits, park permits, private villas, charter services, specialist products, peak-season services and certain Supplier bookings may require a higher deposit or full payment at confirmation.

Any different requirement will be disclosed before payment.

The balance is due 60 days before the Departure Date unless the quotation, invoice or a disclosed Supplier condition requires earlier payment.

For a booking made within 60 days of departure, full payment is due at confirmation.If payment is not received by the due date, we may release unconfirmed space or treat the booking as cancelled, after reasonable notice where practicable. The cancellation provisions in section 8 will then apply.

Travel documents, vouchers and final service confirmations may be withheld until full payment and all required Traveller information have been received.
‍
6. What is included and excluded

The accepted quotation and Booking Confirmation are the definitive record of what is included and excluded. Unless expressly included, the following are normally excluded:international or scheduled commercial flights to the starting point and from the end point of the journey;travel, medical, evacuation, cancellation, curtailment, baggage or supplier-failure insurance;visas, passports, vaccinations, medical consultations and health documentation;meals, drinks, activities, transfers, permits or park fees not specifically listed as included;premium beverages, spa treatments, personal purchases, laundry where not included and communications;gratuities; andnew or increased taxes, levies, fuel surcharges, conservation fees or third-party charges imposed after quotation where these are lawfully passed on under section 4.

7. Suppliers and our role

Safari Craftsmen designs and coordinates journeys and may provide private guiding or hosting services directly. Most accommodation, transport, flights, activities, permits and local services are supplied by independent Suppliers.Unless the Booking Confirmation states that Safari Craftsmen is the principal provider of a particular service, we arrange that service as an intermediary on the Client's behalf. The Supplier remains responsible for delivering its service.Supplier terms may contain additional payment, cancellation, baggage, age, health, safety or participation conditions. Where a Supplier's special condition is stricter than our standard terms, we will disclose it before confirmation or as soon as it becomes available.Tickets, permits and vouchers are subject to the issuing Supplier's conditions and, where relevant, applicable international transport conventions.We will use reasonable care in selecting and booking Suppliers and will assist with a Supplier issue, but we do not control a Supplier's day-to-day operations.

8. Changes and cancellations requested by the Client

8.1 Changes
All change requests must be made in writing and are subject to availability and Supplier approval.

The Client must pay any additional Supplier costs, fare differences, cancellation charges and a reasonable administration fee disclosed before the change is processed.

A change of travel date or Traveller name may be treated by a Supplier as a cancellation and new booking.

Tickets and permits may be non-changeable and non-transferable.

If a partial cancellation changes the party size, the remaining booking may be repriced and the Client must pay any resulting increase.

8.2 Cancellation procedure
A cancellation must be sent to info@safaricraftsmen.com and becomes effective only when Safari Craftsmen acknowledges receipt in writing. The effective date is the date on which we receive the notice during South African business hours, or the next business day if received outside those hours.

8.3 Standard cancellation charges

A no-show, cancellation on or after the Departure Date, or failure to join a service will normally attract a 100% cancellation charge.

No refund is due for a service voluntarily missed, not used or cut short after departure, including because of late arrival, missed connections, illness, inadequate documentation or a Traveller's decision to leave the journey.

Where we obtain a waiver, credit or refund from a Supplier, we will pass the benefit to the Client after deducting unrecoverable Supplier costs, bank or currency-conversion costs and any reasonable service or administration fee already earned or incurred.

Refunds that depend on a Supplier will be paid only after Safari Craftsmen has received the relevant funds or credit from that Supplier.

SOUTH AFRICAN CONSUMER-LAW QUALIFICATION
‍
Where the Consumer Protection Act applies, any deposit and cancellation charge will be reasonable in the circumstances and assessed with regard to the nature of the services, the notice given, the potential to resell the services, actual Supplier commitments and relevant industry practice. No cancellation fee will be charged where prohibited by law, including where section 17(5) of the Consumer Protection Act applies because the person for whose benefit the booking was made has died or been hospitalised.

9. Changes or cancellations by Safari Craftsmen or a Supplier

Travel arrangements may need to change because of operational, safety, conservation, weather, transport or Supplier requirements. We will use reasonable efforts to preserve the overall character and value of the journey.

If a significant service becomes unavailable before departure, we will offer a reasonable alternative where possible. If no reasonable alternative is available, or the Client reasonably rejects a materially different alternative, we will refund any amount received for the affected service that is recoverable from the Supplier, subject to applicable law.

If Safari Craftsmen cannot confirm the requested services after receiving payment, the Client may accept available alternatives or receive a refund of the amount paid for the unconfirmed services.After departure, routes, timings, accommodation or activities may be adjusted when reasonably necessary for safety, conservation, local conditions or logistics. No refund is due where a reasonable comparable alternative is provided, but any Supplier refund actually received for a cancelled service will be passed on after lawful deductions.We may correct an obvious pricing, typing or calculation error. If the correction materially increases the price before confirmation, the Client may accept the corrected price or cancel and receive a refund of the amount paid for the affected service.

10. Force majeure and events beyond control

Neither party is in breach to the extent that a Force Majeure Event prevents or materially delays performance.We will notify the Client as soon as reasonably practicable and use reasonable efforts to arrange a postponement, credit, reasonable alternative or recovery from the affected Supplier.

Any refund or credit is limited to amounts actually recoverable from Suppliers, less reasonable and evidenced costs already incurred or services already performed, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

Additional accommodation, transport, meals, evacuation, repatriation or other costs caused by the event are for the Client's account unless expressly covered by the booking or recoverable from a responsible Supplier. Comprehensive insurance is essential for these costs.

11. Travel insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of booking. Each Traveller must obtain suitable cover from the date of confirmation and maintain it for the full journey. Safari Craftsmen may request proof of cover before departure.

The policy should be appropriate for the destinations and activities and should include, where relevant:

cancellation, curtailment, postponement and interruption;
medical treatment, pre-existing conditions where applicable, emergency evacuation and repatriation;
travel delay, missed connection and replacement transport or accommodation;
baggage, personal belongings and personal liability;
safari activities, remote locations and any specialist or higher-risk activity included in the itinerary; and
supplier financial failure or default, where cover is available.

Safari Craftsmen is not a licensed financial adviser and does not provide personalised insurance advice. Travellers should assess policy terms with the insurer or a suitably qualified adviser.

12. Passports, visas and other travel documents

Each Traveller is responsible for obtaining and carrying a valid passport, visas, permits, vaccination certificates, consent documents for minors, onward tickets and any other documents required by every destination and transit country.

Requirements vary by nationality, route and date and may change without notice. Travellers must verify current requirements with the relevant embassy, consulate, airline or official authority in good time before departure.

Safari Craftsmen may provide general assistance but does not warrant that this information is complete or current and is not responsible for refusal of entry, delay or cost caused by missing or incorrect documents.

13. Health, fitness, accessibility and special requests

Each Traveller must ensure that they are medically and physically able to participate in the booked journey and obtain appropriate medical advice about vaccinations, malaria, yellow fever, altitude, heat, mobility and any other destination-specific consideration.

The Client must disclose in writing, before confirmation where possible, any medical condition, disability, mobility need, allergy, dietary requirement, pregnancy, medication, medical equipment or other circumstance that may affect the itinerary or a Traveller's safety.

We will make reasonable efforts to communicate special requests to Suppliers, but requests are not guaranteed unless confirmed in writing. Some remote properties, light aircraft and activities may not be accessible or suitable for every Traveller.

A Supplier may require a medical certificate, minimum fitness level, age or weight information, or a separate waiver for a particular activity.

14. Flights, light aircraft and baggage

Passenger names and details must exactly match the passport. The Client is responsible for checking all confirmations and tickets promptly and for paying correction or reissue costs caused by incorrect information supplied.

Flight schedules, aircraft types, seats and meal requests are controlled by carriers and are not guaranteed. Travellers must allow suitable connection time and comply with carrier check-in and reconfirmation requirements.

Light-aircraft services often have strict baggage limits, soft-bag requirements and passenger-weight rules. Each Traveller must provide accurate weight information when requested and comply with the communicated restrictions. An additional seat or baggage transfer may be required at extra cost.

Baggage and personal effects remain at the Traveller's risk and should be adequately insured. Carrier liability may be limited by its terms or applicable international convention.

15. Safari risks, conduct and safety

‍SPECIFIC SAFARI-RISK NOTICE
Safari travel can involve close proximity to wild animals; open or unfenced camps; travel in open vehicles, boats and light aircraft; walking on uneven ground; remote areas with limited communications and medical facilities; extreme weather; insects and disease; water-based activities; and delays or route changes. These risks can result in serious injury, illness, loss or death. Every Traveller must read this notice, follow safety instructions and acknowledge these inherent risks before participating.

Travellers must comply with lawful instructions from Safari Craftsmen, guides, pilots, drivers, property staff and Suppliers, particularly instructions relating to wildlife, vehicles, boats, aircraft, fire, alcohol and movement around camps.

A Traveller must not endanger, harass or materially disrupt other guests, staff, communities, wildlife or property, and must comply with local laws and conservation rules.

We or a Supplier may refuse or end a Traveller's participation where reasonably necessary for safety, health, unlawful conduct or serious disruption. The Traveller is responsible for resulting costs and no refund is due for services lost because of their conduct, subject to applicable law.

16. Liability and consumer rights

Safari Craftsmen will exercise reasonable care and skill in providing services that it performs directly and in arranging the travel services described in the Booking Confirmation.

Independent Suppliers are responsible for their own services, acts and omissions. To the extent permitted by law, Safari Craftsmen is not liable for a Supplier's failure, delay, negligence or change that is outside Safari Craftsmen's reasonable control, but will provide reasonable assistance in pursuing a remedy.

To the extent permitted by law, Safari Craftsmen is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of enjoyment, loss of business or profit, or costs arising from missed onward arrangements that were not booked through Safari Craftsmen.The Client remains responsible for losses caused by a Traveller's breach of these terms, unlawful conduct, deliberate damage or failure to follow reasonable safety instructions.

Nothing in the Agreement excludes or limits liability for gross negligence, wilful misconduct, fraud, death or personal injury where liability cannot lawfully be excluded, or any right or remedy that cannot be waived under the Consumer Protection Act or other applicable law.

17. Problems during travel and complaints

A Traveller must report a problem immediately to the guide, Supplier and Safari Craftsmen so that there is a reasonable opportunity to resolve it during the journey.

Urgent assistance: +27 83 703 2720 or the journey-specific contact supplied in the travel documents.

A formal complaint should be sent to info@safaricraftsmen.com within 30 days of the incident or return from travel, with the booking reference, details and supporting documents.

We will acknowledge the complaint and use reasonable efforts to investigate it with the relevant Supplier. This procedure does not remove any non-waivable right or statutory remedy.

18. Personal information

We process personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law.

To arrange and deliver the booking, we may share necessary Traveller information with Suppliers, authorities, payment providers and service partners, including through lawful cross-border transfers to destination countries, as described in the Privacy Policy.

The Client confirms that they are authorised to provide personal information for every Traveller and will direct them to the Privacy Policy.

19. Electronic communications and records

The parties agree to communicate and contract electronically. Electronic confirmations, invoices, notices and acceptance records may be retained and reproduced as evidence of the Agreement.

The Client must provide a working email address, monitor it and promptly notify Safari Craftsmen of any change. A notice is treated as received when it enters the recipient's information system, subject to proof to the contrary.

Before final electronic acceptance, the Client must have a reasonable opportunity to review the booking, correct errors and save or print these terms.

20. Governing law and disputes

The Agreement is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

A party raising a dispute must give written notice describing the issue and the remedy sought. Senior representatives will use good-faith efforts to resolve it within 21 days.

If the dispute remains unresolved, either party may approach a court or consumer-protection body with jurisdiction. The parties may also agree in writing, after the dispute arises, to mediation or arbitration.Nothing in this section limits a consumer's right to approach a forum or exercise a remedy available under applicable consumer law.

21. General

The Agreement records the whole agreement about the booking. A change is binding only if recorded in writing by an authorised representative of Safari Craftsmen and accepted where required by the Client.

If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, it will be limited or severed to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining provisions continue to apply.A delay in enforcing a right is not a waiver of that right.

The Client may not transfer a booking or assign rights without written approval. Safari Craftsmen may transfer an administrative function or Supplier arrangement where this does not reduce the Client's rights.

A revised website version applies to new bookings from its stated effective date. An existing confirmed booking remains governed by the version accepted at confirmation unless the parties agree otherwise or a change is required by law.

Headings assist reading and do not change the meaning of a clause. Singular words include the plural where the context requires.

22. Acceptance

By paying the required deposit or full amount, signing or electronically accepting a booking form, or giving written instruction to proceed after receiving these terms, the Client confirms that:

they have read and understood the Agreement;
‍
they have authority to accept it for all Travellers;
they have had an opportunity to ask questions and correct booking information;
and each Traveller will receive the terms, Supplier conditions and safety information relevant to the journey.