Terms of Use

Welcome to Dishly ("we", "us", "the site"). By using the site or submitting content you agree to these Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Community Guidelines.

1. Who may use the site

You must be at least 13 years old to create an account. If you are under 18 you must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to use the site, submit content, or receive emails from us. By creating an account you confirm that you meet these requirements.

2. Accounts

• Provide accurate information and keep your login details safe.
• Don't impersonate anyone or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or organisation.
• You are responsible for activity on your account. Tell us at info@dishly.co.za if you think your account has been used without your permission.

3. Your content

You keep ownership of the recipes, blog posts, photos, comments, and reviews you submit ("your content"). By submitting your content you give Dishly a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to publish, store, display, format, edit, promote, and share it on the site and related channels (for example, an email newsletter or social media promoting the site). You can end this licence for future publication by deleting the content or asking us to remove it, but copies may remain in backups for a reasonable period.

4. Original content only

You may not submit recipes, photos, or blog posts that copy someone else's protected work from another website, cookbook, magazine, social media page, or AI tool without the right to use it. Recipes themselves are generally not copyrightable, but the wording, photos, and creative presentation are. Attribute inspiration where appropriate.

5. Reviews and comments

• Reviews must be honest and based on your real experience.
• No fake or paid reviews without clear disclosure.
• No personal attacks, harassment, defamation, or hate speech.
• No competitor sabotage or coordinated review campaigns.

6. Moderation

We may edit, reject, hide, re-categorise, or remove any content, and suspend or close any account, with or without notice, if content or behaviour breaks these Terms or our Community Guidelines. We are not obliged to keep any content available.

7. Food safety disclaimer

Recipes are shared by members of the community. We do not test every recipe and we do not guarantee that any recipe is safe, allergen-free, nutritionally accurate, or suitable for every person or situation. You are responsible for checking ingredients, allergens, cooking temperatures, storage, and food-safety practices before preparing or serving any dish.

8. Allergies

Recipes may contain common allergens including nuts, peanuts, dairy, eggs, gluten, wheat, soy, sesame, shellfish, and fish. Ingredient lists may be incomplete or use different names for the same ingredient. If you have an allergy or intolerance, read every label yourself and consult a healthcare professional if unsure.

9. Health and nutrition

Content on Dishly is for general information only. It is not medical, dietary, or professional advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from a qualified doctor or dietitian. We do not allow strong medical claims (for example, "cures diabetes" or "safe for all heart patients") in user submissions.

10. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, Dishly is not responsible for loss, injury, illness, or damage arising from your use of the site, from following or misusing a recipe, from ingredient substitutions, from allergic reactions, from comments made by other users, or from third-party links.

11. Copyright and takedown

If content on the site infringes your copyright, privacy, or reputation, please use the Report Content page or email info@dishly.co.za. Include the URL, the nature of the complaint, and your contact details so we can investigate.

12. Third-party links

The site may link to other websites we don't control. We are not responsible for their content, privacy practices, or availability.

13. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Changes take effect when posted on this page. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when they last changed.

14. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any dispute is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts.

15. Commercial services (future)

The site currently does not sell goods or services. If we introduce paid features (memberships, courses, ebooks, sponsored listings), additional terms compliant with the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA) and the Consumer Protection Act will be added and shown before you purchase.

16. Contact

Dishly · South Africa · info@dishly.co.za