Prohibited Products Policy

Creators may only list products that are legal to sell in South Africa and that comply with applicable consumer, safety, intellectual-property and product-specific laws.

The Holiday Village may reject or remove a product even where it is not specifically listed below if we reasonably believe that it creates a legal, safety, reputational or customer-protection risk.

You may not list or sell:

• products that are illegal to manufacture, possess, sell or distribute;
• stolen goods;
• smuggled goods;
• unlawfully imported goods;
• counterfeit goods;
• products intended to facilitate criminal activity; or
• products that otherwise violate South African law.

Products must not infringe another person's intellectual-property rights.

This includes:

• counterfeit branded products;
• unauthorised copies of branded merchandise;
• products using protected logos or trademarks without permission;
• copied artwork or illustrations;
• unauthorised reproductions;
• pirated media;
• copied product designs where protected; and
• photographs or graphics the creator does not have permission to use.

Creators are responsible for ensuring that they have the right to make, market and sell their products.

The following may not be sold through The Holiday Village:

• firearms;
• ammunition;
• explosives;
• firearm components;
• stun devices;
• prohibited weapons;
• weapons designed primarily to injure another person; and
• other products requiring licensing or regulation that The Holiday Village has not expressly approved.

Ordinary household or craft tools are not automatically prohibited simply because they have a blade or sharp edge, but we may review these listings individually.

You may not sell:

• illegal drugs;
• recreational drugs prohibited by law;
• controlled substances;
• drug paraphernalia intended primarily for unlawful drug use; or
• substances marketed for illegal or unsafe use.

Unless specifically approved by The Holiday Village, creators may not list:

• prescription medicines;
• scheduled medicines;
• medical devices requiring regulatory approval;
• products claiming to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure diseases; or
• products making unsubstantiated medical or therapeutic claims.

Ordinary wellness or self-care products may be accepted where lawful and appropriately described.

The Holiday Village does not permit the sale of:

• alcoholic beverages;
• cigarettes;
• cigars;
• tobacco products;
• vaping products;
• e-cigarettes;
• nicotine liquids; or
• other nicotine products.

Products containing dangerous substances may be restricted or prohibited.

This may include:

• explosives;
• highly flammable substances;
• toxic chemicals;
• corrosive materials;
• dangerous pesticides;
• radioactive materials; and
• products that cannot lawfully or safely be transported by ordinary courier.

Creators are responsible for understanding any transport restrictions that apply to their products.

Products must be reasonably safe for their intended use.

We may remove products that:

• present an unreasonable safety risk;
• lack legally required warnings;
• contain prohibited substances;
• have been recalled;
• do not comply with applicable safety standards; or
• are marketed in a way that hides a known safety risk.

Products intended for babies or children must be suitable and reasonably safe for the age group advertised.

Creators must clearly disclose relevant:

• age recommendations;
• small-part hazards;
• choking hazards;
• material information;
• care instructions; and
• safety warnings.

Products that create an unreasonable risk to children may be rejected.

Food or edible goods may only be listed where the creator complies with all applicable food-safety, labelling, hygiene and business requirements.

Where accepted, listings should clearly disclose relevant information such as:

• ingredients;
• allergens;
• storage requirements;
• expiry or best-before information; and
• other legally required information.

The Holiday Village may restrict categories of food or consumable products where appropriate.

Handmade soaps, bath products, skincare and similar goods may be permitted where lawful.

Creators are responsible for:

• safe formulation;
• appropriate labelling;
• ingredient disclosure;
• allergen information where relevant;
• suitable packaging; and
• avoiding false or misleading health claims.

The Holiday Village may request additional information before approving these products.

Candles, wax products and home-fragrance products may be sold where they are appropriately made, labelled and packaged.

Relevant safety information should be provided where appropriate, including burn and usage instructions.

Products containing restricted or unsafe substances may not be listed.

You may not list:

• live animals;
• illegally traded plants;
• protected wildlife;
• products made from protected or endangered species;
• ivory or prohibited wildlife products; or
• other products whose trade is restricted by conservation law.

The Holiday Village is a general-audience marketplace.

We may reject products containing explicit sexual content or products primarily intended for adult sexual use where they are not suitable for the marketplace's audience or brand.

Products may not promote or glorify:

• hatred;
• discrimination;
• violence against protected groups;
• terrorism;
• organised criminal activity; or
• abuse.

We may also remove products that contain threatening, severely abusive or intentionally harmful content.

You may not list products using:

• false claims;
• deceptive descriptions;
• fake certifications;
• misleading origin claims;
• incorrect materials;
• misleading images;
• false scarcity;
• false health claims; or
• other information likely to mislead a reasonable customer.

If a product is described as:

• handmade;
• hand-finished;
• locally made;
• locally designed;
• original;
• one of a kind; or
• made in South Africa,

that claim must be accurate.

Creators must not misrepresent imported, mass-produced or bought-in resale goods as genuinely handmade. Representing a creator you work with directly is fine — but the handmade claim must still be accurate.

Where a creator uses production partners or outsourced manufacturing beyond their small team or a creator they represent directly, this should be disclosed where material to the listing.

The Holiday Village is focused on curated independent creators and suitable complementary products.

Mass-produced resale products may be restricted where they do not fit the marketplace.

The Holiday Village may request information about:

• how a product is made;
• who makes it;
• where it is produced;
• whether production is outsourced; and
• the creator's involvement in the design or production process.

Approval remains at the discretion of The Holiday Village.

Personalised products must not include unlawful, threatening, hateful or infringing content.

The creator may refuse a customisation request that would breach this policy or applicable law.

Where digital products are permitted, creators must have the legal right to sell the files or content.

Prohibited digital products include:

• pirated files;
• stolen artwork;
• copyrighted material reproduced without permission;
• malicious software;
• illegal instructions or services; and
• digital content designed primarily to facilitate unlawful activity.

Creators may not independently list:

• cash equivalents;
• financial products;
• cryptocurrency;
• investment products;
• lending products;
• transferable monetary instruments; or
• unauthorised gift cards.

Any marketplace gift-card programme must be operated or expressly approved by The Holiday Village.

The Holiday Village is primarily a product marketplace.

Services may not be listed unless that category has been specifically approved.

This includes unrelated:

• consulting;
• professional services;
• financial services;
• subscriptions;
• bookings; and
• other non-product offerings.

Custom-made physical products are not considered prohibited services merely because they involve custom work.

Some products may be legal but still require licences, certifications, registrations, permits or specific labelling.

The creator is responsible for meeting these requirements.

The Holiday Village may request supporting documentation before allowing such a product to be listed.

A product may be prohibited from the marketplace if available courier providers cannot legally or safely transport it.

This may include products involving:

• dangerous chemicals;
• pressurised containers;
• explosives;
• certain batteries;
• highly flammable materials; or
• other restricted goods.

Creators must accurately disclose relevant product information so that appropriate shipping decisions can be made.

The Holiday Village may review listings before or after publication.

We may:

• request additional information;
• ask for supporting documents;
• require listing changes;
• temporarily hide a product;
• reject a product; or
• permanently remove a product.

Approval of one listing does not mean that similar products will automatically be approved.

Customers, creators or rights holders may report a product they believe violates this policy through the contact page.

We may request supporting information before taking action.

Where appropriate, the listing may be temporarily removed while the issue is investigated.

A creator who repeatedly lists prohibited or misleading products may have:

• individual listings removed;
• listing privileges restricted;
• payouts temporarily held where necessary to resolve affected orders;
• their stall suspended; or
• their seller account permanently removed.

Serious violations may result in immediate suspension.

Removing a listing or suspending a seller does not automatically cancel responsibilities relating to orders already placed.

The creator may still be required to:

• fulfil valid existing orders;
• cooperate with refunds;
• accept returns;
• resolve disputes; and
• meet other outstanding marketplace obligations.

The Holiday Village is a curated marketplace.

We may decide that a product is not suitable for the marketplace even where the product itself is legal.

Factors may include:

• marketplace fit;
• product quality;
• safety;
• customer expectations;
• authenticity;
• brand suitability;
• listing quality; and
• operational or courier limitations.

This allows us to maintain a consistent marketplace rather than accepting every product that is legally capable of being sold.

Approval by The Holiday Village does not transfer responsibility for a product to the marketplace.

The creator remains responsible for:

• the legality of the product;
• product safety;
• appropriate labelling;
• product claims;
• regulatory compliance;
• intellectual-property rights; and
• the accuracy of the listing.

We may update this Prohibited Products Policy as the marketplace grows, new product categories are introduced or legal and operational requirements change.

Material changes affecting existing sellers may be communicated through the platform or by email where appropriate.

If you are unsure whether a product is permitted, please contact creator support before listing it.

We would rather review an unusual product before it goes live than remove it after customers have started purchasing it.