These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Ferguson Media website located at fergusonmedia.co.za and all related pages, content, features, and services (collectively, the "Platform"), operated by Ferguson Media (Pty) Ltd, a company registered in South Africa. By accessing or using the Platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.
Acceptance of Terms
By visiting, browsing, submitting content to, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference. These Terms constitute a binding legal agreement between you and Ferguson Media (Pty) Ltd.
By using this Platform, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old, or that you have the necessary legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement. If you are under 18, you may only use this Platform with the involvement and consent of a parent or legal guardian.
If you are using the Platform on behalf of an organisation or company, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms, and references to "you" include that entity.
Your continued use of the Platform after any changes to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. We recommend reviewing these Terms periodically.
Who We Are
Ferguson Media (Pty) Ltd is a South African media-technology company registered under the Companies Act 71 of 2008. We are a youth-driven company dedicated to transforming South Africa's creative economy through innovation, storytelling, and data-driven communication. Our three core pillars — the Good News Portal, Community Media Hub, and Creative Hub — connect organisations and communities through credible, impact-focused content.
Our registered address is 35 Ferguson Road, Illovo, Sandton, Johannesburg, 2196. You can reach us at info@fergusonmedia.co.za or on 011 084 1100.
Use of the Platform
You may use the Platform for lawful, personal, and non-commercial purposes, subject to these Terms. You agree that you will:
- Only access the Platform in a manner consistent with all applicable South African laws and regulations
- Not attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Platform, its servers, or any systems connected to it
- Not use automated tools (such as scrapers, bots, or crawlers) to extract content from the Platform without our prior written consent
- Not attempt to interfere with, disrupt, or overload the Platform's infrastructure
- Not misrepresent your identity or affiliation when using the Platform
Ferguson Media reserves the right to restrict, suspend, or terminate your access to the Platform at any time, without notice, if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms or acted in a manner harmful to our interests or those of other users.
Intellectual Property
All content published on the Platform — including but not limited to written articles, stories, editorial copy, photographs, video content, audio recordings, graphics, logos, and the Ferguson Media brand identity — is the exclusive property of Ferguson Media (Pty) Ltd or its licensors, and is protected by South African and international copyright, trademark, and intellectual property law.
What you may do:
- Read, view, and share links to our content on social media for non-commercial purposes
- Quote brief excerpts from our articles, provided you clearly attribute Ferguson Media and include a link to the original source
- Print single copies of articles for personal, non-commercial reference
What you may not do:
- Reproduce, republish, copy, distribute, or transmit any substantial portion of our content without prior written permission
- Use our content for commercial purposes, advertising, or in any way that implies endorsement by Ferguson Media without written authorisation
- Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices on any content
- Create derivative works based on our content without written consent
- Use the Ferguson Media name, logo, or brand in any way that could cause confusion or misrepresentation
Requests for content licensing, republication rights, or commercial use should be directed to info@fergusonmedia.co.za.
User Submissions
The Platform may allow you to submit story tips, news leads, contact enquiries, partnership proposals, or other content ("Submissions"). By making a Submission, you:
- Confirm that you have the right to share the information and that it is, to the best of your knowledge, accurate, truthful, and not defamatory
- Grant Ferguson Media a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, edit, publish, translate, and distribute your Submission for editorial and journalistic purposes
- Acknowledge that Ferguson Media retains full editorial discretion over whether to publish, modify, or decline any Submission
- Confirm that your Submission does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party
Submitting a story tip does not guarantee publication. Our editorial team independently verifies all stories before publication. You will be contacted if your submission is selected for development.
Ferguson Media will handle any personal information included in your Submission in accordance with our Privacy Policy and POPIA.
Prohibited Conduct
When using the Platform, you agree not to engage in any conduct that is unlawful, harmful, or objectionable. The following are expressly prohibited:
- Submitting content that is false, misleading, defamatory, obscene, threatening, or harassing
- Submitting content that promotes or glorifies violence, discrimination, or hate on any basis including race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation
- Impersonating any person, organisation, or entity, including Ferguson Media staff or partners
- Attempting to reverse-engineer, decompile, or extract source code from any part of the Platform
- Using the Platform to send unsolicited commercial communications (spam)
- Engaging in any conduct that could damage the reputation of Ferguson Media, its partners, or the subjects of our stories
- Attempting to introduce malware, viruses, or any other malicious code to the Platform
Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate termination of your access to the Platform and may be referred to law enforcement authorities where applicable South African law has been broken.
Third-Party Links & Content
The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, partner organisations, external news sources, and other resources. These links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only.
Ferguson Media does not endorse, control, or accept responsibility for any content, products, services, or practices of third-party websites. We are not responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of any third-party site. We encourage you to read the terms and privacy policies of any external site you visit.
Disclaimer of Warranties
The Platform and all content provided on it are offered on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without any warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.
Ferguson Media does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted or error-free, that the information on the Platform is complete or current, or that any defects will be corrected. While we strive to maintain the accuracy and integrity of our editorial content through rigorous journalistic standards, all information is provided in good faith for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice of any kind.
To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, Ferguson Media disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable South African law, Ferguson Media (Pty) Ltd, its directors, employees, agents, partners, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or in connection with your use of, or inability to use, the Platform or its content — including any loss of revenue, profit, data, or goodwill.
Nothing in these Terms shall limit or exclude our liability for fraud, gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or any liability that cannot be excluded under South African law (including the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 where applicable).
Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Ferguson Media (Pty) Ltd and its directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in any way connected with:
- Your use of or access to the Platform
- Your violation of these Terms
- Your violation of any applicable law or third-party right, including any intellectual property or privacy right
- Any content you submit to the Platform that causes damage to a third party
Governing Law & Disputes
These Terms and any dispute arising from them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
You agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.
Before initiating any formal legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt to resolve disputes in good faith through direct negotiation. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, either party may pursue their legal remedies.
Changes to These Terms
Ferguson Media reserves the right to modify, update, or replace these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. The date at the top of this page indicates when the Terms were last revised.
Where changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to notify users — for example, by posting a prominent notice on the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes have been posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.
If you do not agree with any changes, you should discontinue use of the Platform.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms of Use, or if you wish to report a concern about content on the Platform, please contact us:
- Ferguson Media (Pty) Ltd
- 35 Ferguson Road, Illovo, Sandton, Johannesburg, 2196
- Email: info@fergusonmedia.co.za
- Phone: 011 084 1100
For privacy-related enquiries and data subject access requests, please also refer to our Privacy Policy.