Accountability Page

Trust and Accountability

Africastart’s mission is to help bring African projects to life worldwide.

To that aim, we strive to provide a safe and reliable platform where creators can connect with backers to receive funding, and where backers can discover and support all types of creative work.

Being a creator or backer on Afrikastart requires trust in each other and in our platform, so we’ve outlined the responsibilities and information each of us needs in order to participate.

Here’s an overview:

• It is Afrikastart’s responsibility to provide a safe and reliable platform for users.
• It is the backer’s responsibility to determine if backing a project is right for them.
• It is the creator’s responsibility to communicate their progress and deliver rewards.
• If a project funds and the creator is successful at creating the object of the campaign, backers will be able to redeem their proof of pledge for their reward.
• Redemption of a proof of pledge for a reward and/or a refund is not guaranteed by Afrikastart or the creator.

Africastart’s responsibilities

Afrikastart is responsible for providing a safe and reliable platform for our users. This includes creating clear rules for creators and backers who use Afrikastart, and monitoring our site for compliance with those rules. When we learn of users or projects that are violating our Terms of Use, it’s our job to take action by removing content and/or restricting user access.

We do not assess the viability of a creator’s project, monitor how they use funds, or reimburse backers if creators violate their agreement with backers, or are unable to fulfill rewards as planned.

To build trust, we encourage open communication between creators, backers, and Afrikastart. In some cases, we notify backers when we have taken action against a creator or project, such as restricting the creator from launching projects on the platform.

 

What Afrikastart and backers expect from creators

Creators are responsible for following our rules and fulfilling their promises to backers (as outlined in our Terms of Use). This includes providing backers with a high standard of effort, communicating honestly throughout the creative process and during fulfillment, using funds appropriately, and protecting backers’ personal information. Creators must also deliver completed rewards as promised, provide backers with a refund (where possible), or give a clear, honest explanation detailing why rewards will not be fulfilled. Creators should never go several months without communicating with their backers, even if unexpected delays occur.

If creators do not live up to these expectations, Afrikastart holds them accountable, sometimes by restricting their ability to launch projects again.

While it’s difficult to deliver bad news, creators owe this to the people who have shown them support—honesty brings backers along on the creative journey and helps them understand when things don’t go as planned.

Unlike sellers on eCommerce sites, creators on Afrikastart do not automatically breach their contract with backers if they do not fulfill their rewards or provide users with a full or partial refund.

However, if a creator fails to communicate progress updates or delays, does not address backer questions or concerns, or otherwise breaches their agreement with backers, the creator may be subject to legal action from backers.

 

Creators are also expected to follow our platform rules and use extreme caution when inviting collaborators or other third parties to participate in their projects. We hold creators accountable for the misuse of their accounts, and may suspend or terminate their access.

 

What Afrikastart and creators expect from backers

 

Backers are responsible for vetting projects, reporting site violations, and, when they choose to support a project, supporting that project, regardless of the outcome.

Afrikastart provides backers with an opportunity to support creative work at an early stage of development. By doing that, backers are telling the creator they think their work is worth making—and they may even be helping to make culture-shaping, world-changing work a reality. They are also taking a risk, and it’s important they do it knowingly.

 

Unlike items on an eCommerce site, projects on Afrikastart are not finished products. It is the responsibility of all backers to thoroughly review the description, risks and challenges, comments, and updates for anything vague or overly ambitious before backing a project. Commenting is only available to backers, but anyone can message a creator in the FAQ section. We encourage backers to search beyond Afrikastart for more context, and to ask questions of the creator and community.

If backers observe or experience any violations of our rules, our terms, or abusive content or behavior, we expect them to report those to us (there’s a link at the bottom of every project page), so that we can take appropriate action.

 

If a creator is unresponsive or doesn’t fulfill a reward, we encourage backers to message the creator directly and ask for a project update. In all communications, it’s important to remain respectful—making something new is hard, and there’s a person on the other side working to bring their project to life. If a backer feels the creator has breached the agreement between them, the backer may take steps outside of the Afrikastart platform, including legal action, to enforce the agreement.