Terms & Conditions

Suzanne Steyn Design Studio (Pty) Ltd – Standard Terms & Conditions

  1. General

These Terms and Conditions replace all previously issued terms and apply to all services provided by Suzanne Steyn Design Studio (Pty) Ltd (“the Company”). The Company reserves the right to amend rates, packages, and terms from time to time without prior notice. Acceptance of any quotation, retainer, invoice, or commencement of work constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

All concepts, designs, layouts, visuals, illustrations, strategies, and creative work remain the intellectual property of the Company until full payment has been received and written transfer of rights has been agreed.

  1. Professional Conduct

The Company operates in accordance with the International Code of Advertising and Marketing Communication Practices and maintains professional standards of integrity, diligence, and ethical conduct.

  1. Acceptance, Scope & Cancellations

Quotations may be accepted via email, WhatsApp, or SMS and are deemed binding once accepted in writing.

All retainers and quotations are based strictly on the agreed scope of work. Any work requested outside the original scope, including additional revisions, platforms, features, or time, will be billed separately and may result in an adjusted retainer or quotation.

Cancellations after acceptance will incur a termination fee to recover allocated resources, planning, subscriptions, and setup costs:

  • Up to 50% of the quoted value for early-stage cancellations
  • Up to 70% once production, setup, development, or subscriptions have commenced

Termination fees are applied against any deposits paid.

  1. Quotations

Quotations are valid for 30 days unless otherwise stated. Pricing may be revised if there are changes to scope, delays caused by the client, or extended timelines.

  1. Payments & Charges

An 80% deposit is required upon acceptance of a quotation, unless otherwise agreed in writing. The balance is payable prior to final delivery, publishing, or handover.

All invoices are payable within 3 to 7 calendar days from the date of invoice, depending on the service or agreement type.

All buyouts, third-party purchases, printing, hosting, domains, licenses, subscriptions, advertising spend, or physical goods must be paid in full and upfront before any orders are placed or services activated.

If client delays exceed 30 working days, the Company reserves the right to request a 15% milestone payment to continue work.

Late or outstanding payments will result in an immediate pause of all work. Persistent late payment may lead to cancellation of agreements, forfeiture of warranties, and suspension of services.

  1. Client-Supplied Materials

The Company is not responsible for quality issues arising from client-supplied content, logos, images, or files that are not provided in suitable or usable formats. Proofing and final approval of content remain the client’s responsibility.

  1. Preliminary & Exploratory Work

All work requested by the client, including concepts, drafts, testing, or experimental work, is billable whether or not it is used in final deliverables.

  1. Subcontracting

The Company reserves the right to subcontract work, in whole or in part, where required.

  1. Delivery & Timelines

Delivery dates are estimates only and not guaranteed. Delays caused by late content, incomplete information, approvals, feedback, or third-party dependencies will result in revised timelines.

  1. Website Development Timelines

Website timelines are dependent on the client supplying all required content upfront in a complete and usable format.

Where the client supplies:

  • Finalised written content in a single document
  • Correctly named and organised images
  • Final sitemap and page structure
  • Payment gateways linked and approved
  • Courier and shipping integrations finalised
  • Domain, hosting, and access credentials provided

The Company can complete a standard informational or e-commerce website within approximately 3 weeks, subject to prompt feedback and approvals.

Standard website projects typically require 3 to 8 weeks, depending on scope, revisions, and integrations.

Database-driven, custom functionality, or complex e-commerce websites may require up to 12 weeks or longer, depending on data quality, system dependencies, and third-party integrations.

  1. Copyright & Ownership

Clients warrant that all materials supplied are owned or properly licensed. The Company retains ownership of original design work unless otherwise agreed in writing after full payment.

  1. Images & Stock Assets

The Company endeavours to use reputable royalty-free or licensed stock sources. The client remains responsible for any copyright infringement arising from materials they provide.

  1. Proofing & Approvals

All designs must be approved by the client prior to production or publishing. The Company is not liable for errors once final approval has been given.

  1. Alterations & Revisions

Changes requested after final approval or outside the agreed scope will be billed separately.

  1. Licensing & Usage Rights

Clients receive usage rights to completed deliverables in print-ready or digital formats for the agreed purpose only.

Original, editable, or source files remain the property of the Company and may not be altered without written consent. Access to editable files is subject to a once-off licensing fee of R4,500 per project or design.

  1. Social Media Management

Monthly social media packages include a defined number of posts, reels, and management services for specified platforms.

Content expires after 30 days if unused and may not be carried over, refunded, or repurposed.

Social media services rely on subscription-based software billed in advance. All agreements are standard 12-month fixed-term contracts due to annual subscription commitments.

Accounts must be paid in full before the last calendar day of each month. Work will be paused if payment is not received. Cancellations require 30 days’ written notice.

Clients with outstanding balances will not receive handovers, login access, or content delivery. Failure to comply with payment terms voids all warranties.

  1. Data Formats & Quality Standards

All text, images, and assets must be supplied in the required formats. Time spent converting, correcting, or sourcing replacements will be billed.

  1. Project Duration

Estimated project durations are indicative only. Client-related delays will extend timelines accordingly.

  1. Default on Payment

Accounts unpaid after 30 days are considered in default. All discounts, warranties, and promotional offers become void. The Company may withhold services, files, access, and credentials until payment is received. Legal and collection costs will be recovered from the client.

  1. Design Credits & Portfolio Use

The Company reserves the right to include design credit on completed work and to display work on its platforms for portfolio and marketing purposes, including paused or cancelled projects.

  1. Communication & Record Keeping

Email remains the primary and legally recognised communication channel for all instructions, approvals, scope changes, timelines, and contractual matters.

WhatsApp may be used for standard day-to-day communication, updates, coordination, and non-binding discussions.

WhatsApp voice notes, calls, or messages may not be used for legal instructions, approvals, scope changes, or binding decisions, as these cannot be reliably recorded, named, or archived for audit purposes.

All legally binding instructions, approvals, and confirmations must be provided in writing via email.

  1. Confidentiality

All client information is treated as confidential. The Company retains the right to apply general knowledge and experience gained in the course of work.

  1. Termination

Either party may terminate an agreement with 30 days’ written notice. All outstanding amounts must be settled before any handover of materials or access.

  1. Jurisdiction

This agreement is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. All disputes will be subject to the jurisdiction of South African courts.

  1. Staff & Contractor Solicitation

Clients may not directly employ, contract, or solicit any Company staff or freelancers during the agreement or for 24 months thereafter.

  1. Disclaimers

The Company is not liable for delays, failures, suspensions, or losses arising from third-party platforms, hosting providers, software vendors, payment gateways, couriers, internet service providers, or social media networks. The Company is not responsible for indirect, incidental, or consequential losses, including loss of revenue, data, reputation, or profits.

  1. Indemnity

The client indemnifies and holds harmless Suzanne Steyn Design Studio (Pty) Ltd, its directors, employees, contractors, and service providers against any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

  • Content, images, videos, trademarks, logos, data, or materials supplied by the client
  • Breach of copyright, trademark, POPIA, consumer protection, or any other applicable law by the client
  • Instructions, approvals, or decisions made by the client
  • Use, publication, or distribution of work once approved or delivered
  • Third-party claims related to advertising content, social media campaigns, websites, or online stores

This indemnity survives termination of the agreement and applies whether the claim arises during or after completion of the services.

  1. Pricing, Rates & Service Structures

All services are billed in accordance with the Company’s official Price List in force at the time of service, unless otherwise agreed in a signed written quotation.

26.1 Labour & Creative Rates

The following standard labour categories apply:

  • Design, layout, conceptualisation, editing, and general creative services
  • Coding, PHP/HTML development and advanced technical services
  • Retainer-based services (minimum monthly commitment applies)
  • Day rates where services are bundled or difficult to separate
  • Rush jobs performed after hours, weekends, or public holidays at premium rates

Rates vary by skill level, urgency, and complexity. Retainer rates apply only when the minimum monthly hour threshold is met; otherwise, standard labour rates apply.

26.2 Time-Based Billing

All work is tracked via time sheets. Invoicing reflects the actual time spent. Projects that progress efficiently due to clear direction, complete content, and prompt feedback will incur lower costs than projects delayed by indecision, missing assets, or multiple revisions.

Non-creative or low-skill tasks (including resizing, file conversions, stock sourcing, formatting, or repetitive admin tasks) are billable at reduced labour rates.

26.3 Graphic Design Services

Graphic design services are priced according to project demand:

  • Simple or low-demand projects where content, CI, and direction are supplied upfront
  • Complex or high-demand projects requiring concept development, CI creation, content sourcing, or extensive revisions

Quoted prices include only the specified number of concepts and revisions. Additional revisions or scope changes are billed separately.

26.4 Website Services

Website pricing is based on scope and complexity and may include:

  • One-page or landing-page websites
  • Multi-page static or dynamic websites
  • E-commerce and online shops
  • Database-driven or custom functionality websites

Package pricing assumes all content is supplied digitally by the client. Higher pricing applies where content, CI, integrations, or approvals are incomplete or delayed. Hosting, maintenance, third-party software, and subscriptions are excluded unless stated.

26.5 Website Maintenance & SLA Packages

Website maintenance packages are billed monthly on 12-month terms and may include:

  • WordPress updates
  • Backups, security, performance monitoring
  • Allocated monthly change hours (where applicable)

Unused maintenance hours do not roll over unless expressly agreed in writing.

26.6 Hosting, Domains & Cloud Services

Hosting, domains, SSL certificates, antivirus, email, and cloud services are billed monthly or annually in advance, depending on the service.

Support levels vary by hosting package and are limited to business hours unless otherwise specified. After-hours support, weekends, and public holidays are billed at standard after-hours labour rates.

26.7 Buyouts, Third-Party Costs & Disbursements

All third-party costs, including printing, advertising spend, stock assets, hosting, licenses, domains, software, hardware, courier services, and production costs, are treated as buyouts and must be paid in full before any orders are placed or services rendered.

26.8 Price Validity

Unless otherwise stated, prices are subject to change without notice. Written quotations are valid only for the period stated therein and override the price list for that duration only.

Annual Pricing Adjustments

After the initial 12-month period, all pricing adjustments will be applied automatically unless otherwise governed by a signed, written quotation or fixed-term agreement.

Annual increases apply to, but are not limited to:

  • Social media packages
  • Labour rates and hourly services
  • Hosting, domains, software, and subscription-based services

Pricing adjustments take effect from the anniversary date of the first payment.