NameShame.co.za ("the Platform", "we", "us", "our") is a South African consumer accountability platform that allows members of the public to submit, read, and engage with complaints about businesses and service providers — including private individuals acting in a commercial capacity — operating in South Africa.
The Platform is owned and operated by Getron SA PTY Ltd (Registration No. 2018/034826/07), a company registered in the Republic of South Africa, trading as NameShame.co.za, a division of Getron SA PTY Ltd. All complaints published on this Platform relate to alleged consumer experiences. NameShame.co.za is not a legal firm, ombudsman, or government body and does not provide legal advice.
By accessing or using NameShame.co.za in any way — including browsing, registering, submitting a complaint, commenting, or sharing content — you confirm that:
You must register for a free account to submit complaints or post comments. Anonymous submissions are not permitted. This is to maintain accountability and to protect both complainants and businesses from false or malicious content.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You must notify us immediately at info@nameshame.co.za if you suspect any unauthorised access to your account.
Each individual may hold only one active account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent moderation decisions, boost complaints, or otherwise game the Platform is strictly prohibited and will result in permanent banning.
Every complaint you submit must be based on your own direct, personal experience with the named business or individual, be true and accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief, not be misleading, exaggerated, or designed to cause harm beyond what is truthfully warranted, and be supported by evidence where possible.
South African law (Defamation Act and common law) protects individuals and businesses from false statements of fact that damage their reputation. You may be held personally liable for defamatory content you submit. NameShame.co.za may be required by court order to reveal your identity.
All complaints are reviewed by our moderation team before publication. We reserve the right to:
Moderation decisions are final. We do not enter into correspondence regarding rejected complaints beyond a brief explanation.
NameShame.co.za is committed to fairness. Any business or individual named in a published complaint has the right to submit a formal response. We will:
All original content on NameShame.co.za (design, code, layout, branding) is owned by NameShame.co.za. You retain ownership of the complaint content you submit, but by submitting it you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual licence to display, distribute, and republish that content on the Platform and in associated social media.
To the maximum extent permitted by South African law:
If you are a business or individual that believes a complaint about you is false or unlawful, you may submit a formal takedown request to legal@nameshame.co.za with:
We will review all takedown requests within 14 business days and respond with our decision. Submitting a false or vexatious takedown request is itself a breach of these Terms.
We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, if we believe you have breached these Terms, submitted false content, or are using the Platform in a way that is harmful to others or to us. You may close your account at any time by contacting info@nameshame.co.za.
These Terms are governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts. The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, and the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) all apply. The Platform is operated by Getron SA PTY Ltd, a company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of South Africa (Registration No. 2018/034826/07).
We may update these Terms at any time. We will notify registered users by email of material changes. Continued use of the Platform after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.