Terms & Conditions

1. About StudioCore

StudioCore is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform owned and operated by StudioCore SA (Pty) Ltd, a company incorporated in South Africa (“StudioCore”, “we”, “us”, “our”). We provide project management, client portal, schedule and procurement management, and billing tools designed for architecture and interior design studios.

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) are a legally binding agreement between you and StudioCore. “You” means the individual using the platform or, if used on behalf of a business, that business. If using on behalf of a business you represent you have authority to bind it to these Terms. By creating an account or using the platform, you agree to these Terms in full. We may update them from time to time — continued use after any update constitutes acceptance.

2. Accounts & Access

You must provide accurate and complete information when registering, including your legal name and valid email address. You must be at least 18 years old. You are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account. Login credentials must not be shared — each user must have their own account.

Firm owners are responsible for managing access permissions for team members and clients. StudioCore reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that breach these Terms, are used fraudulently, or where we reasonably suspect unauthorised access. We are not liable for any loss resulting from your failure to secure your credentials.

3. Subscription & Payment

StudioCore is offered on a subscription basis. Pricing is in South African Rand (ZAR) unless stated otherwise. Subscriptions are billed in advance on a monthly or annual basis. By subscribing, you authorise StudioCore to automatically charge your payment method on a recurring basis until you cancel.

If payment fails we may retry. Fees unpaid for 28 days may result in account suspension; 60 days may result in termination. Suspension does not relieve payment obligations. Except where required by the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, all fees are non-refundable. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. All fees are exclusive of VAT where applicable. StudioCore may change pricing with reasonable advance notice — continued use after a change constitutes acceptance.

4. Users & Permissions

The account owner is responsible for all activity conducted through the account, including by any team members or clients granted access. Each user must comply with these Terms. Clients invited to your workspace have access only to content you choose to share with them. You are solely responsible for the accuracy of what you share and for any obligations arising from those interactions.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree to use StudioCore only for lawful purposes. You must not: use the platform to transmit harmful, defamatory, or fraudulent content; reverse-engineer, copy, or reproduce any part of the platform; use automated tools to scrape data without authorisation; upload malware or harmful code; resell or sublicense access without our written consent; upload content that infringes third-party intellectual property; impersonate any person or entity; harass or threaten StudioCore staff or other users; or interfere with the security or performance of the platform. StudioCore may suspend or terminate accounts that breach these restrictions.

6. Your Data & Content

You retain ownership of all content and data you upload (“Materials”). By uploading Materials, you grant StudioCore a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, process, and display them solely to provide the service. You represent that you own or have all necessary rights to your Materials and that they do not infringe third-party rights.

We do not sell your data to third parties or use it for any purpose other than operating and improving the platform. You are responsible for maintaining your own backups — StudioCore is not responsible for data loss.

7. Your Clients’ Data

If you use StudioCore to manage your clients’ personal information, you are the responsible party under POPIA. You must have a lawful basis for collecting and storing that information and ensure your clients are aware it is stored on a third-party platform. StudioCore acts as an operator of that data on your behalf and processes it only as necessary to provide the service.

Any contract or obligation between you and your clients is solely between you and them. StudioCore is not a party to those relationships and is not responsible for your service delivery, disputes, or obligations to your clients.

8. Intellectual Property

All intellectual property in the StudioCore platform — including design, features, source code, and branding — is owned by StudioCore SA (Pty) Ltd. Nothing in these Terms transfers any IP rights to you. You may not use our name, logo, or branding without prior written consent. Any feedback you provide is given voluntarily; you grant StudioCore a perpetual, royalty-free licence to incorporate it into the platform without restriction or compensation.

9. Third-Party Services

The platform may integrate with third-party services whose own terms apply. StudioCore is not responsible for the performance, availability, or actions of any third-party provider. You use third-party integrations at your own risk. Where integration requires sharing your data with a third party, you authorise StudioCore to do so only to the extent necessary to provide the integration.

10. Confidentiality

Each party agrees to keep the other’s confidential information private and to use it only as necessary to fulfil obligations under these Terms. StudioCore will never share your confidential business information with third parties except as required by law or to operate the platform.

11. Disclaimers

The platform is provided “as is” and “as available”. To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, StudioCore makes no warranties, express or implied, including any warranties of uninterrupted operation, fitness for a particular purpose, or accuracy of any outputs. We strongly recommend maintaining independent backups of all critical data.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, StudioCore shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, business, or goodwill. Our total cumulative liability for any claims under these Terms shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to StudioCore in the six (6) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 or other applicable South African law.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless StudioCore and its directors, employees, contractors, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your breach of these Terms, your Materials, your use of the platform, your interactions with your clients, or your violation of any applicable law or third-party rights.

14. Service Availability & Changes

We aim for high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the platform at any time with reasonable notice where possible. We are not liable for loss resulting from planned or unplanned downtime.

15. Termination

You may cancel your account at any time through account settings. Upon termination, your data is retained for 30 days for export and then permanently deleted. We may terminate accounts immediately for material breach. You are responsible for exporting records before termination. Obligations relating to confidentiality, IP, and limitation of liability survive termination.

16. International Users & GDPR

StudioCore serves users globally. If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or any jurisdiction subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the following applies in addition to the terms above:

• Lawful basis: We process your personal data on the basis of contractual necessity (to provide the service), legitimate interest (to improve the platform and prevent fraud), and your consent (where explicitly given, e.g. marketing communications).
• Data controller: StudioCore SA (Pty) Ltd acts as the data controller for personal data collected through the platform. Where firms use StudioCore to process their clients’ data, the firm is the data controller and StudioCore acts as the data processor.
• Your rights: You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, data portability, and object to processing of your personal data. You may exercise these rights by contacting us at hello@studiocore.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.
• Data transfers: Your data may be transferred to and stored on servers outside the EEA, including in South Africa. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers in accordance with GDPR requirements.
• Data retention: We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active. Upon account deletion, data is permanently removed within 30 days (with a 14-day reinstatement window).
• Right to complain: If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
• Data Protection Officer: For data protection enquiries, contact hello@studiocore.co.za.

17. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. For users in the EEA or UK, nothing in these Terms affects your rights under GDPR or local consumer protection laws. Disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts relevant to your location, or South African courts where applicable. The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and POPIA apply to South African users where relevant.

18. General

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and StudioCore. If any provision is invalid or unenforceable the remaining provisions remain in force. Failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver. You may not assign your rights without our prior written consent.

19. Contact

For questions about these Terms contact us at hello@studiocore.co.za.

StudioCore SA (Pty) Ltd, South Africa