Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: 8 September 2026

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These terms govern all engagements between AetherForge Designs and our clients. By commissioning work from us or making payment, you confirm that you have read and agree to these terms. If anything is unclear, please contact us before proceeding.

1. About Our Business

These terms govern all services and digital products offered by SEMPER VIRENS (Pty) Ltd (Reg. 2026/615551/07), a South African registered company operating the following brands:

  • AetherForge Designs (aetherforgedesigns.com), a web design, branding and digital product agency serving businesses and professionals across South Africa and internationally
  • Spesh (speshplus.app), a South African consumer and merchant discount platform available as a mobile application on iOS and Android

Payment processing across all brands and products is handled by PayFast on behalf of SEMPER VIRENS (Pty) Ltd. By making a payment through any of our platforms, you agree to these terms and to PayFast's payment processing terms.

AetherForge Designs operates under the Forge Method: Discover, Design, Build and Optimise. All client projects are individually scoped and confirmed in writing before work commences.

2. Comprehensive Description of Goods and Services

SEMPER VIRENS (Pty) Ltd offers the following goods and services across its brands. All offerings are digital in nature. No physical goods are sold or shipped.

AetherForge Designs, Web Design and Digital Agency Services:

  • Custom website design and development, hand-coded HTML, CSS and PHP websites built for performance, mobile-first delivery and lead conversion. Suited to professionals, specialists, consultants and service businesses. Pricing from R6,500 for small business sites to R50,000+ for complex professional or multi-page builds
  • Brand identity design, logo design, colour system development, typography selection, brand guidelines and visual identity packages for businesses establishing or refreshing their brand presence
  • Landing pages and campaign pages, single-purpose conversion pages designed around a specific offer, audience or campaign. Built for speed and clarity of action
  • Digital automation systems, enquiry capture and auto-response flows, online booking and scheduling integrations, client onboarding sequences, CRM connections and post-project follow-up automation. Built using tools such as Zapier, Make, Cal.com and email service providers
  • Mobile application design and development, cross-platform mobile apps built using React Native for iOS and Android. Covers UI/UX design, frontend development, API integrations and App Store or Google Play submission
  • Ongoing retainer and maintenance packages, monthly support, content updates, performance monitoring and iterative improvements for existing websites and digital systems

Spesh, Consumer and Merchant Discount Platform:

  • Merchant subscription plans, subscription fees paid by South African businesses to list their deals, promotions and discounts on the Spesh platform. Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually and grant access to the merchant dashboard, deal creation tools and consumer-facing visibility on the app
  • Consumer app features, the Spesh app is available as a free download. Premium consumer features or subscriptions, where applicable, provide access to exclusive deals, early notifications and enhanced discovery features
  • Platform access fees, transactional or access fees associated with the use of Spesh platform features by merchants or consumers, as set out in the Spesh terms of service at speshplus.app

All prices are quoted and charged in South African Rand (ZAR). Digital deliverables are provided electronically. No physical goods are manufactured, stocked or shipped under any brand operated by SEMPER VIRENS (Pty) Ltd.

3. Quotes and Project Briefs

All quotes are valid for 14 days from the date of issue. Proceeding with a project after a quote has lapsed may require a revised quote to be issued. A signed or written acceptance of the project brief, combined with payment of the deposit, constitutes the start of the engagement.

Any scope changes requested after the project brief has been approved will be assessed individually. Material changes to scope may result in revised timelines or additional fees, which will be communicated and agreed before implementation.

4. Payment Terms

All prices are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR) unless otherwise stated in the project brief.

Standard payment structure: A deposit of 50% of the total project fee is required before any work begins. The remaining 50% is due upon project completion and prior to final file handover or website launch.

Payment methods accepted:

  • EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer), bank details provided on invoice
  • PayFast, our secure online payment portal, currently being activated and available shortly

Invoices are due within 5 business days of issue unless otherwise agreed. Late payment may result in project work being paused until the outstanding balance is settled. AetherForge Designs reserves the right to charge interest on overdue amounts in accordance with the Prescribed Rate of Interest Act.

5. Revisions and Feedback

Each project includes a specified number of revision rounds as set out in the project brief. Revisions within scope are included in the project fee. A revision is defined as a set of consolidated feedback submitted in a single round, not individual changes submitted separately over time.

Additional revision rounds beyond those agreed in the brief will be quoted and billed at our standard hourly rate. We will always confirm additional costs before proceeding.

Feedback must be provided in a timely manner. Delays in feedback that affect the project timeline are the client's responsibility and may result in revised delivery dates.

6. Intellectual Property

All work created by AetherForge Designs remains our intellectual property until full payment has been received. Upon receipt of the final payment, ownership of all custom-designed assets, code and deliverables transfers to the client in full.

AetherForge Designs retains the right to display completed work in our portfolio, on our website and in marketing materials unless the client requests confidentiality in writing prior to project completion.

The client warrants that all content, images, copy, logos and materials supplied to us for use in the project are either owned by the client or used with appropriate permission. AetherForge Designs will not be held liable for any intellectual property infringement arising from client-supplied materials.

7. Client Responsibilities

The success of a project depends on collaboration. The client agrees to:

  • Provide all required content, images, copy and information within agreed timeframes
  • Ensure a single designated point of contact is available for feedback and decisions
  • Respond to design reviews, approval requests and feedback within 5 business days
  • Ensure all supplied materials are legally cleared for use
  • Review and approve deliverables within the agreed project timeline

Failure to meet these responsibilities may result in delayed delivery, revised timelines or additional fees. AetherForge Designs will not be held responsible for project delays caused by the client's failure to provide required input.

8. Service Delivery Policy

AetherForge Designs provides digital services only. No physical products are shipped or delivered. All deliverables are provided electronically as described below.

How deliverables are delivered:

  • Completed website files, code and assets are delivered as a compressed (.zip) package via secure file transfer link, email attachment or a shared cloud folder
  • Design files (where applicable) are delivered in the agreed format, such as PDF, PNG or editable source files
  • Hosting-ready packages are prepared and documented for deployment on the client's chosen hosting platform (typically Hostinger)
  • Access to staging or preview environments is provided via a private link during the build phase for review and approval
  • Automation setups, booking integrations and third party connections are configured and tested before handover

Typical delivery timeframes by service type:

  • Single landing page: 5 to 10 business days from content approval
  • Small business website (up to 5 pages): 2 to 4 weeks from project kickoff
  • Professional or specialist website: 3 to 6 weeks depending on scope and complexity
  • Brand identity package: 1 to 3 weeks from brief approval
  • Automation and booking systems: 1 to 2 weeks depending on integrations required

All timeframes are confirmed in the written project brief before work commences. Timelines assume the client provides content, feedback and approvals within the agreed schedule. Delays caused by the client will result in revised delivery dates. Rush or priority delivery may be available at an additional fee, subject to capacity.

Final delivery of all files and assets takes place only after the final payment has been received in full.

9. Cancellation Policy

Either party may cancel an engagement by providing written notice via email to connect@aetherforgedesigns.com. The following conditions apply depending on the stage at which cancellation occurs:

Before work begins: If a cancellation request is received within 48 hours of deposit payment and before any work has commenced, a full refund of the deposit will be issued.

After work has commenced: Once work has begun, the deposit is non-refundable. Any work completed beyond the deposit value will be invoiced at a pro-rata rate calculated against the total project fee. That invoice is due within 5 business days of the cancellation date.

After final approval: No cancellation or refund is available for any deliverable that the client has reviewed and approved in writing.

If AetherForge Designs cancels a project for reasons on our side, the client will receive a full refund of any amounts paid that relate to work not yet delivered.

In the event of non-payment or a material breach of these terms by the client, AetherForge Designs reserves the right to suspend or terminate the engagement immediately, with the deposit and any amounts invoiced for work completed remaining due and payable.

10. Refund Policy

AetherForge Designs provides professional creative and technical services. Because our work involves the investment of skilled time and expertise, refunds are handled as follows:

When a refund is available:

  • A full refund of the deposit is available if cancellation is requested within 48 hours of payment and before any work has started
  • A full refund of amounts paid for work not yet commenced is available if AetherForge Designs cancels the project
  • A partial refund may be considered at our discretion where work is at an early stage and the client can demonstrate a valid reason for the request

When a refund is not available:

  • Once work has commenced, the 50% deposit is non-refundable
  • No refund will be issued for deliverables that have been approved by the client, whether verbally or in writing
  • No refund will be issued for the final payment once files have been delivered and the project has been completed
  • Change of mind after project commencement does not qualify for a refund

How to request a refund:

Refund requests must be submitted in writing to connect@aetherforgedesigns.com with the subject line "Refund Request" and your project name. Include your reason for the request and any relevant supporting information.

Refund processing timeframes:

  • Approved refunds for EFT payments will be processed within 5 to 7 business days to the original bank account
  • Approved refunds for PayFast payments will be processed within 5 to 10 business days, subject to PayFast's processing timelines
  • We will notify you by email once a refund has been initiated

12. Warranties and Limitation of Liability

AetherForge Designs delivers work with professional care and in accordance with good industry practice. However, we do not guarantee specific business outcomes such as enquiry volumes, conversion rates or revenue increases. Website performance is influenced by many factors outside our control, including hosting, content, traffic sources and market conditions.

AetherForge Designs will not be held liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, our services or deliverables. Our total liability in any matter is limited to the total fees paid for the specific project or service in question.

13. Hosting, Maintenance and Third Party Services

Unless otherwise agreed, AetherForge Designs does not provide hosting services. We deliver website files ready for deployment on the client's chosen hosting platform. The client is responsible for managing their own hosting account, domain and any associated subscription fees.

We may recommend or integrate third party services such as payment gateways, booking systems or email platforms. These services are governed by their own terms and privacy policies. AetherForge Designs is not responsible for the ongoing performance, availability or pricing of third party services.

14. Confidentiality

Both parties agree to keep confidential any proprietary information, business strategy or sensitive data shared during the course of the engagement. This obligation continues after the project has been completed or terminated.

15. Governing Law

These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes arising from or related to these terms or any project engagement will be subject to the jurisdiction of the South African courts.

16. Changes to These Terms

AetherForge Designs reserves the right to update these terms of service from time to time. The current version will always be published on this page. Continued engagement with our services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about these terms or need clarification before committing to a project, please reach out: