Terms of Use

1. The service

AmaCare is a WhatsApp-based AI health assistant that provides general health information and symptom triage support to adult users in South Africa. AmaCare uses an AI system to interpret what you describe and respond with one of three outcomes:

• Self-care guidance for mild concerns;
• A prompt to speak to an AmaCare doctor where AmaCare decides clinician review is appropriate;
• An instruction to seek urgent emergency care where symptoms may be serious.

You interact with AmaCare exclusively through the WhatsApp Business Platform.

2. Who can use AmaCare

AmaCare is available only to:

• Individuals who are 18 years of age or older;
• Located in the Republic of South Africa;
• Asking about their own health, not on behalf of another person.

By using AmaCare you confirm that you meet these eligibility criteria.

3. Medical disclaimer

You should never disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional because of something AmaCare has said. Your reliance on any information from AmaCare is at your own risk.

4. Emergencies

AmaCare is not an emergency service. If you are experiencing a medical emergency — including but not limited to chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, fainting, signs of stroke, severe bleeding, suspected poisoning or overdose, severe allergic reaction, or any situation where you feel in immediate danger — you must:

• Call 112 in South Africa immediately, or
• Go to your nearest emergency unit.

5. How triage works

AmaCare reviews your concern and decides whether your case is suitable for self-care, requires speaking to an AmaCare doctor, or requires urgent emergency action. You do not request escalation yourself. AmaCare may prompt you in chat to reply with a specific message (for example, "Speak to Amacare doctor") when it has decided clinician review is appropriate.

AmaCare's triage decisions are made on the basis of the information you share. Incomplete or inaccurate information may affect the guidance you receive.

6. Acceptable use

When using AmaCare you agree not to:

• Use the service for or about any person other than yourself.
• Use the service for any unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful purpose.
• Submit information you know to be false, misleading, or designed to manipulate triage outcomes.
• Attempt to disrupt, overload, reverse-engineer, or interfere with the service or its underlying systems.
• Use the service to harass, threaten, or impersonate any person.
• Use the service in a way that breaches WhatsApp's own terms.

We may suspend or end your access to AmaCare if we reasonably believe you have breached these terms.

7. Your responsibilities

• Provide accurate and current information in your health profile.
• Read AmaCare's responses carefully, including any safety-net warnings.
• Seek in-person medical care if your symptoms worsen, persist, or do not match the guidance provided.
• Keep your WhatsApp account and device secure.

8. Service availability

AmaCare is delivered over the WhatsApp Business Platform and depends on third-party systems including WhatsApp, internet connectivity, and AI processing infrastructure. We do not guarantee that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or available at any particular time. AmaCare is not a substitute for in-person care during downtime or outages.

9. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2008:

• No indirect loss. AmaCare and its affiliates, suppliers, and personnel are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive loss or damage arising out of or in connection with your use of, or reliance on, the service.
• Aggregate cap. Where liability cannot be excluded by law, our total aggregate liability for any claim relating to the service is limited to the amount you have paid to AmaCare in the twelve (12) months before the event giving rise to the claim — which, for free users, is zero.
• Mandatory carve-outs. Nothing in these terms limits any liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including for death or personal injury caused by gross negligence, fraud, or any other liability that may not be excluded under South African law.

10. Changes to the service and these terms

We may update, modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the service at any time. We may also update these terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, notify you through the WhatsApp channel. Continued use of AmaCare after changes take effect means you accept the updated terms.

11. Governing law and dispute resolution

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. You agree that the courts of South Africa have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or in connection with these terms or your use of AmaCare, subject to your statutory rights as a consumer.

Before commencing any formal proceedings, we ask that you contact us first at info@amacare.co.za so we can try to resolve the matter directly.

12. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Use, contact:

• Email: info@amacare.co.za
• Subject line: "Terms of Use query"