Terms and Conditions

Last updated: 14 August 2026

These Terms & Conditions govern your use of the Maternal Village SA website and, where applicable, your participation as a health professional in our online directory and educational activities.

By using this website, submitting an enquiry, applying to join our professional directory, submitting content or participating in a Maternal Village SA webinar or educational event, you agree to these Terms & Conditions.

If you do not agree with these Terms & Conditions, please do not use the website or submit an application to our directory.

1. About Maternal Village SA

Maternal Village SA is an online educational platform providing:

  • Evidence-informed maternal health resources

  • Information and conversations relating to pregnancy, postpartum and parenting

  • Educational articles, guides and downloadable resources

  • Educational webinars, conversations and recordings

  • An online directory of appropriately qualified health and allied-health professionals

  • Opportunities for users to discover and contact health professionals directly

Maternal Village SA is not a healthcare provider and does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment, assessment or individual healthcare advice through the website.

2. Professional Directory

The Maternal Village SA Professional Directory is an online directory intended to help women and families discover and contact appropriately qualified health and allied-health professionals who may be able to provide relevant support.

Professionals who apply to be included in the directory may be required to provide information relating to their:

  • Qualifications

  • Professional registration, where applicable

  • Experience

  • Area of practice

  • Services

  • Professional contact details

  • Other information relevant to their directory profile

Maternal Village SA reserves the right to review applications and determine whether a professional meets our criteria for inclusion.

Directory inclusion is not an endorsement

Inclusion in the Maternal Village SA directory does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, accreditation or guarantee by Maternal Village SA of any professional, their qualifications, expertise, services, advice, treatment or outcomes.

Our review process is intended to determine whether an applicant meets our stated criteria for directory inclusion. It does not constitute an assessment of the professional's clinical competence, quality of care, suitability for a particular individual or likely treatment outcome.

Users are responsible for deciding whether a particular professional is appropriate for their individual circumstances.

3. Accuracy of Professional Information

By submitting an application or professional profile, you confirm that all information you provide to Maternal Village SA is:

  • True and accurate

  • Complete and not misleading

  • Current and up to date

  • Relevant to your professional practice

You are responsible for notifying Maternal Village SA if information on your profile changes, including your:

  • Contact details

  • Qualifications

  • Professional registration

  • Areas of practice

  • Services

  • Practice information

  • Other information displayed on your profile

You remain responsible for the accuracy of your professional profile at all times.

Maternal Village SA is not responsible for any loss, damage, claim or other consequence arising from inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or misleading information supplied by a professional.

4. Professional Qualifications and Registration

Each professional is responsible for ensuring that they hold all qualifications, registrations, licences, memberships and other professional requirements applicable to their area of practice.

Where applicable, professionals must maintain their registration and comply with the requirements of their relevant regulatory or professional body.

Maternal Village SA does not independently provide or supervise professional healthcare services and does not guarantee the ongoing registration, competence, suitability or professional conduct of any person listed in the directory.

5. Images, Photographs and Other Content

Professionals may be invited to provide photographs, logos, biographies, descriptions, written content, videos, links or other materials for use on their directory profile or in Maternal Village SA promotional or educational activities.

By submitting content to Maternal Village SA, you confirm that:

  1. You own the content or have obtained all necessary rights, permissions and licences to use and provide it to Maternal Village SA;

  2. You have the right to authorise Maternal Village SA to reproduce, publish and display the content;

  3. The content does not infringe any copyright, trademark, privacy, personality, intellectual property or other rights belonging to another person or organisation;

  4. Any person appearing in an image or other content has provided any necessary consent or permission for the content to be used;

  5. The content is accurate and not misleading; and

  6. The content does not breach any applicable law, professional requirement or regulatory standard.

You must not submit images, photographs, logos, graphics, text or other material that you have copied from another website, social-media account, photographer, organisation, publication or other source unless you have the necessary rights or permission to use that material.

You are solely responsible for ensuring that all content you provide to Maternal Village SA is legally permitted to be used.

6. Copyright and Intellectual Property Claims

If you provide Maternal Village SA with content that you do not have the right to use, and this results in a copyright, intellectual-property, privacy, trademark or other legal claim against Maternal Village SA, you will be responsible for the consequences of that claim to the extent permitted by law.

This may include reasonable costs, losses, damages, claims, demands, legal expenses or other liabilities arising from your breach of these Terms & Conditions or your failure to obtain the necessary rights or permissions.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Maternal Village SA, its owners, operators and representatives, to the extent permitted by law, against claims or losses arising from content you have supplied where you did not have the necessary rights or permissions to provide or authorise the use of that content.

Maternal Village SA reserves the right to remove any content where we receive a complaint or reasonably believe that the content may infringe another person's rights.

7. Permission to Use Submitted Content

By submitting content to Maternal Village SA for your professional profile, educational participation or related promotional purposes, you grant Maternal Village SA a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, publish, display, format, edit for presentation and distribute that content for the purpose of operating, promoting and maintaining the Maternal Village SA website, directory and related educational activities.

This may include displaying or sharing your:

  • Professional profile

  • Photograph

  • Professional biography

  • Logo

  • Contact details

  • Website links

  • Approved professional information

  • Approved contributions to Maternal Village SA educational content

You continue to own your original content and intellectual property.

You may request that particular content be updated or removed, subject to any applicable contractual, legal or technical requirements.

8. Professional Contact Details

By joining the Maternal Village SA professional directory, you understand and agree that the professional contact details you provide may be published publicly on your directory profile.

This allows website visitors to contact you directly regarding your professional services.

You are responsible for ensuring that the contact details you provide are appropriate for public display and that you have the right to publish those details.

Maternal Village SA is not responsible for communications, enquiries, bookings, consultations or other interactions that occur directly between users and listed professionals.

9. Links to Professional Profiles

Professionals may share a direct link to their Maternal Village SA profile on their own website, social-media accounts, email signature or other appropriate platforms.

You may link directly to your Maternal Village SA profile provided that the link:

  • Does not falsely suggest that Maternal Village SA endorses or sponsors another service or organisation;

  • Does not misrepresent the relationship between you and Maternal Village SA; and

  • Does not use the Maternal Village SA website in a misleading or inappropriate manner.

Maternal Village SA reserves the right to request the removal of a link where we believe it is misleading, inappropriate or damaging to the reputation of Maternal Village SA.

10. Directory Term and Renewal

A professional directory listing is valid for 12 months from the date of activation, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

At the end of the 12-month period, the listing may expire unless it is renewed.

The Maternal Village SA directory is currently free to join.

As the directory develops, Maternal Village SA may introduce annual listing or renewal fees and/or optional paid profile features.

Where applicable, professionals will be informed of any fees before they become payable.

Maternal Village SA reserves the right to change directory pricing and renewal fees from time to time.

Failure to renew a listing, where renewal fees apply, may result in the profile being removed from the public directory.

11. Removal or Suspension of a Profile

Maternal Village SA reserves the right to suspend, edit, hide or remove a professional profile where we reasonably believe that:

  • Information provided is inaccurate, misleading or outdated;

  • A professional no longer meets the requirements for directory inclusion;

  • A professional's relevant registration or qualification has expired, been suspended or withdrawn;

  • Content may infringe copyright or another person's rights;

  • The professional has breached these Terms & Conditions;

  • The professional has engaged in conduct that may negatively affect the safety, trust or reputation of Maternal Village SA; or

  • Removal is otherwise reasonably necessary to protect Maternal Village SA, its users or the integrity of the directory.

Where appropriate, we may request clarification or supporting information before removing a listing.

12. Healthcare and Educational Disclaimer

Maternal Village SA provides an educational platform and professional directory only.

Information on the website is provided for general educational and informational purposes. It is not medical advice and does not replace individual assessment, diagnosis, treatment or other professional intervention.

Every person, pregnancy, postpartum experience and family is different. Information that may be appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another.

Users should seek individual advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional regarding their own circumstances.

Maternal Village SA does not assess, diagnose, treat or provide healthcare to users.

We do not guarantee the quality, suitability, safety, effectiveness or outcome of any healthcare service provided by a professional listed in our directory.

Maternal Village SA is not responsible for any assessment, consultation, treatment, intervention, advice, healthcare service, professional conduct, outcome or experience arising from a user's interaction with a professional listed on the website.

Any healthcare relationship established through the directory is directly between the user and the healthcare professional.

13. Educational Webinars, Conversations and Recordings

Maternal Village SA may offer live webinars, educational conversations, workshops and recorded educational content featuring appropriately qualified professionals.

These sessions are provided for general educational and informational purposes only.

Participation in a webinar, conversation or recording does not constitute individual medical, psychological, occupational therapy, nutritional, physiotherapy or other professional advice, assessment, diagnosis or treatment.

Professionals participating in Maternal Village SA educational events are responsible for providing information within the scope of their professional qualifications, training and applicable professional requirements.

Questions submitted during webinars or educational events should be general in nature. Maternal Village SA and participating professionals cannot provide individual assessment, diagnosis or treatment through these sessions.

Where a participant has concerns about their own health, their pregnancy, postpartum recovery, child or family, they should seek individual advice from an appropriately qualified professional.

The opinions or information expressed by a guest professional during an educational event are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Maternal Village SA.

Featuring a professional in a webinar, conversation, article or recording does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of that professional or their services.

14. No Guarantee or Endorsement

Being featured, listed or mentioned on Maternal Village SA does not mean that Maternal Village SA:

  • Endorses the professional;

  • Guarantees their qualifications or expertise;

  • Guarantees the quality or effectiveness of their services;

  • Recommends a particular treatment or intervention;

  • Guarantees any healthcare outcome; or

  • Accepts responsibility for the professional's actions or services.

Likewise, being featured in an article, conversation, webinar, recording or resource does not constitute an endorsement of every opinion, service or statement made by a featured professional.

15. Website Content

We aim to provide accurate, useful and evidence-informed information.

However, we do not guarantee that all information on the website is complete, current, accurate or suitable for every person or circumstance.

Research, clinical guidance and professional recommendations can change over time.

You use the educational information provided on the website at your own discretion and should obtain appropriate professional advice for your individual circumstances.

16. Third-Party Websites and Services

The Maternal Village SA website may contain links to third-party websites, including professional websites, social-media pages, healthcare organisations and other resources.

These websites are operated independently of Maternal Village SA.

We do not control and are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, security, products, services, advice or conduct of third-party websites.

A link to another website does not necessarily mean that Maternal Village SA endorses or recommends that website or its services.

17. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Maternal Village SA, its owners, operators, employees, contractors and representatives will not be liable for any loss, damage, claim, cost or expense arising from or connected with:

  • Your use of the website;

  • Your reliance on information provided on the website;

  • Your interaction with a professional listed in the directory;

  • Any healthcare assessment, consultation, treatment, intervention or service provided by a listed professional;

  • The conduct, qualifications, services or advice of a listed professional;

  • Information supplied by professionals for their profiles;

  • Copyright, intellectual-property or other claims relating to content supplied by professionals;

  • Your participation in or reliance on information provided through an educational webinar, conversation, workshop or recording;

  • Third-party websites or services; or

  • Any interruption, error, technical failure or unavailability of the website,

except to the extent that such liability cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions is intended to exclude or limit any liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited under South African law.

18. Indemnity

By submitting content to Maternal Village SA or participating in the professional directory, you agree, to the extent permitted by law, to indemnify and hold harmless Maternal Village SA, its owners, operators, employees and representatives from claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs and reasonable legal expenses arising from:

  • Your breach of these Terms & Conditions;

  • Your inaccurate or misleading information;

  • Your professional services or conduct;

  • Content you submit to Maternal Village SA;

  • Your failure to obtain necessary copyright, image, privacy, trademark or other permissions; or

  • Any claim that content you provided infringes another person's rights.

19. Website Use

You agree not to use the website:

  • For unlawful or fraudulent purposes;

  • To submit false or misleading information;

  • To upload content that infringes another person's rights;

  • To interfere with the operation or security of the website;

  • To attempt to gain unauthorised access to accounts or systems;

  • To copy, reproduce or commercially exploit Maternal Village SA's content without permission; or

  • In any way that could damage Maternal Village SA, its users or its reputation.

20. Maternal Village SA Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, content created by Maternal Village SA, including its branding, logo, written content, graphics, website design and original resources, belongs to Maternal Village SA or is used with permission.

You may not reproduce, copy, modify, distribute, sell or commercially exploit Maternal Village SA content without our prior written permission.

21. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time to reflect changes to our services, directory, website, educational activities or legal requirements.

The updated version will be published on the website with a revised “Last updated” date.

Your continued use of the website or participation in the directory after updated Terms & Conditions have been published will constitute acceptance of the updated terms, subject to applicable law.

22. Governing Law

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

Any dispute arising in connection with these Terms & Conditions will be subject to the jurisdiction of the applicable courts of South Africa.

23. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms & Conditions, the Maternal Village SA directory or our educational activities, please contact us at:

Maternal Village SA
info@maternalvillage.co.za

By submitting an application to the Maternal Village SA professional directory, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms & Conditions.