Terms and Conditions — docto.co.za

Last Updated: 22 June 2026

1. Introduction and Agreement

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") constitute a binding legal agreement between you ("User", "you", or "your") and Khula Information Systems cc., a close corporation registered in the Republic of South Africa ("Docto", "we", "us", or "our"), the operator of docto.co.za (the "Site") and all associated services (the "Services").

By accessing or using the Site and/or any of our Services, you signify that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you may not access or use the Site or Services.

If you are registering on behalf of another individual or entity, you represent that you are duly authorised by that individual or entity to accept these Terms on their behalf.

2. Description of Services

Docto is an online platform that enables patients and members of the public to search for, and book appointments with, registered healthcare providers, including but not limited to:

• General Practitioners (GPs)
• Medical and surgical specialists
• Dental practitioners
• Allied health professionals (including but not limited to physiotherapists, psychologists, dietitians, occupational therapists, and speech therapists)

(collectively referred to as "Providers")

The Services are provided as a scheduling and directory tool only. Docto does not provide, render, or participate in the provision of any medical, dental, psychological, or other healthcare services.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age to use the Site and Services. By accessing the Site, you warrant that you are 18 years of age or older. Individuals under 18 may only use the Site with the active involvement of a parent or legal guardian, who assumes full responsibility for compliance with these Terms.

4. No Medical Advice

Any information you obtain or receive from or via Docto — whether through the Site, through a Provider's profile, or otherwise — is for informational and scheduling purposes only. It does not:

• Create a healthcare professional/patient relationship between you and Docto;
• Constitute medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or any professional healthcare opinion;
• Replace consultation with a qualified and registered healthcare professional.

Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional for any medical, dental, psychological, or other health-related questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on the Site.

5. No Endorsement of Providers

Docto provides listings and profile information about Providers based on information submitted by those Providers and other criteria including geographic proximity and availability.

Docto does not:

• Recommend or endorse any Provider;
• Make any representations or warranties regarding the qualifications, quality, suitability, or fitness of any Provider;
• Conduct background checks, verification of credentials, or fitness-to-practice checks on any Provider listed on the Site;
• Guarantee that a Provider is appropriately qualified, registered, insured, or in good standing with their regulatory authority.

You are solely responsible for selecting a Provider appropriate for your needs. You are strongly encouraged to:

• Verify a Provider's registration and credentials directly with the relevant professional regulatory body (e.g., the Health Professions Council of South Africa ("HPCSA"), the South African Dental Association, the South African Society of Allied Health Professions, or other applicable body);
• Contact the Provider directly to confirm availability, costs, and any other relevant information before attending an appointment.

6. No Guarantee of Appointments

Docto has no control over and cannot guarantee:

• The availability of any Provider at any particular time;
• That a Provider will honour a booking made through the Site;
• The quality, safety, or outcome of any healthcare services provided by a Provider.

Docto will not be liable for cancelled, missed, or unfulfilled appointments, or for any loss, harm, or injury arising from or related to any such appointment or the services rendered by any Provider.

7. Fees and Charges

The Site and Services are currently provided free of charge to both patients and Providers. However:

• Providers listed on the Site may charge their standard professional consultation fees for services rendered. Docto is not responsible for Provider fees and has no involvement in any financial transaction between you and a Provider.
• Docto reserves the right to introduce fees for certain Services in the future. Any such changes will be communicated to you in advance and will be subject to updated Terms, which will be posted on the Site.

8. Protection of Personal Information (POPIA Compliance)

Khula Information Systems cc. processes personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and applicable data protection regulations in the Republic of South Africa.

8.1 Personal Information We Collect

When you use the Site, we may collect and process the following categories of personal information:

• Identity information: your name and surname;
• Contact information: email address, telephone number;
• Booking information: appointment details, chosen Provider, date and time of appointment;
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, and cookies.

We do not collect or store medical records, diagnoses, prescriptions, or other clinical health information through the Site.

8.2 Purpose of Processing

We process your personal information for the following lawful purposes:

• Facilitating the booking of appointments with Providers;
• Communicating with you regarding your use of the Services;
• Improving the Site and Services;
• Complying with our legal obligations;
• Preventing fraud and ensuring the security of the Site.

8.3 Sharing of Personal Information

We may share your personal information with:

• The Provider you have booked an appointment with, for the purpose of fulfilling the appointment;
• Our service providers and technology partners who assist in operating the Site, subject to appropriate data processing agreements;
• Regulatory or law enforcement authorities where required by law.

We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

8.4 Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal obligations;
• Object to the processing of your personal information;
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@docto.co.za.

8.5 Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law.

9. Your Responsibilities and Acceptable Use

By using the Site and Services, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering or making bookings;
• Use the Site solely for lawful, non-commercial purposes;
• Keep your login credentials confidential and be responsible for all activity under your account;
• Only book appointments you genuinely intend to attend;
• Treat Providers and other users with respect.

You agree that you will not:

• Use the Site in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair our servers or networks;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Site, user accounts, or computer systems through any means, including hacking or password mining;
• Copy, modify, reverse-engineer, or decompile any part of the Site or its underlying software;
• Use any automated tools, bots, scrapers, or data extraction methods to access or index any portion of the Site;
• Create user accounts by automated means or under false or fraudulent pretences;
• Collect, store, or use personal information of other users of the Site without their consent;
• Use contact details obtained via the Site to send unsolicited communications (spam);
• Remove any copyright, trademark, or proprietary rights notices from the Site;
• Post, transmit, or distribute any unlawful, harmful, defamatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable content;
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.

We reserve the right to take any legal or technical action to prevent violation of this clause and to enforce these Terms.

10. User-Submitted Content

Where the Site permits you to submit reviews, feedback, or other content ("Posted Content"), you agree that:

• You are solely responsible for any Posted Content you submit;
• Your Posted Content will be honest, accurate, and based on your genuine experience;
• Your Posted Content will not contain inappropriate, offensive, defamatory, obscene, or harassing material;
• Your Posted Content will not infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party;
• Your Posted Content will not falsely suggest sponsorship or endorsement by Docto;
• Your Posted Content will not promote or facilitate illegal activity.

By submitting Posted Content, you grant Docto an irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, publish, adapt, and display such content in connection with the Site and Services.

Docto reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove or decline to publish any Posted Content without notice or liability.

11. Intellectual Property

All content on the Site, including but not limited to text, images, graphics, logos, icons, software, and data compilations, is the property of Khula Information Systems cc. or its licensors and is protected by South African and international intellectual property laws.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Site for personal, non-commercial purposes only. You may not reproduce, distribute, republish, sell, modify, or exploit any part of the Site or its content without our prior written consent.

12. Third-Party Links

The Site may contain links to third-party websites. These links are provided for convenience only. Docto does not endorse, control, or accept responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or accuracy of any third-party website. Your use of any linked third-party website is at your own risk.

13. No Warranties

The Site and Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without any warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Without limiting the foregoing, Docto does not warrant that:

• The Site or Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from viruses or other harmful components;
• The information on the Site is accurate, complete, current, or reliable;
• Any specific results will be obtained from use of the Site or Services.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable South African law, Khula Information Systems cc., its directors, members, employees, agents, and contractors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive loss or damages arising from:

• Your use of, or inability to use, the Site or Services;
• Any reliance placed on information obtained through the Site;
• Any healthcare services rendered (or not rendered) by a Provider;
• Any cancelled, missed, or unfulfilled appointments;
• Any unauthorised access to or alteration of your personal information;
• Any other matter relating to the Site or Services.

Nothing in these Terms shall limit liability that cannot be excluded under applicable South African law.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Khula Information Systems cc., its members, directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees on an attorney and own client basis) arising from or related to:

• Your use of the Site or Services;
• Your violation of these Terms;
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation;
• Your infringement of any third-party rights;
• Any Posted Content you submit through the Site.

This indemnity extends to any third party using your login credentials. This clause survives termination of these Terms.

16. Changes to These Terms

Docto may amend these Terms at any time. The revised Terms will be posted on the Site with an updated "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of amended Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes. If you do not agree to any amended Terms, you must cease using the Site.

17. Termination

Docto reserves the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Site and Services at any time, with or without notice, if:

• You have breached any provision of these Terms;
• We are required to do so by law;
• Your account has been inactive for an extended period.

Upon termination, your right to use the Site ceases immediately. Clauses that by their nature should survive termination (including Clauses 12, 14, 15, and 18) shall continue to apply.

18. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

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

Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms, including any question regarding their existence, validity, or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa ("AFSA") under AFSA's expedited rules, before one arbitrator appointed in accordance with those rules. Nothing in this clause shall prevent either party from seeking urgent interim relief from a competent court.

19. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed from the remaining Terms, which shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be replaced by a valid provision that most closely reflects the original intent.

20. Assignment

Docto may assign or transfer its rights and obligations under these Terms at any time without notice. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without Docto's prior written consent.

21. Waiver

Docto's failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

22. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Khula Information Systems cc. regarding your use of the Site and Services, and supersede all prior written or oral agreements relating to the same subject matter.

23. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or notices under these Terms, please contact:

Khula Information Systems cc. Trading as Docto Website: docto.co.za Email: legal@docto.co.za

For POPIA-related queries: privacy@docto.co.za

These Terms and Conditions were last updated on 22 June 2026.