Terms & Conditions

About these terms and who we are

These terms are an agreement between you and Diamond Tours (Pty) Ltd ("Diamond Tours", "we", "us" or "our"). They apply to your use of diamondtours.co.za and to every enquiry and booking. When you make a booking, these terms, your quote and your booking confirmation together form our agreement. If your booking confirmation contains a specific term that differs from these terms, the term in your booking confirmation applies to that booking.

"You" means the person who uses the website, makes an enquiry or makes the booking (the "lead traveller"), and, where it makes sense, everyone travelling on the booking. The lead traveller confirms that they are at least 18 years old, that they have authority to accept these terms for everyone on the booking, and that they will share these terms with them.

As required by section 43 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, our details are:

Full name and legal status

Diamond Tours (Pty) Ltd, a private company registered in South Africa

Registration number

2026/805009/07

Physical address and address for legal notices

47 Belgravia Road, Athlone, Cape Town, 7764, South Africa

Telephone

+27 82 395 6964

Email

info@diamondtours.co.za

Website

https://diamondtours.co.za

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal information, and forms part of these terms.

Using our website

• Information. We take care to keep the website accurate, but descriptions, timings, inclusions, images and prices can change, and errors can occur. Images are often illustrative and may not show the exact venue, vessel, vehicle or reserve. Your quote and booking confirmation set out what your journey includes.
• Diamond Academy and guidance. Articles about diamonds, history and buying are general information, not professional, financial or gemmological advice, and not a valuation of any stone.
• Intellectual property. The website's content, design, text, logos and the Diamond Tours name belong to us or our licensors. You may view and share pages for personal, non-commercial use. Travel partners and press may use the material in our media kit to present Diamond Tours accurately, following its guidelines. Any other use needs our written permission.
• Acceptable use. You may not use the website unlawfully, submit false enquiries, send spam or harmful code, try to gain unauthorised access, or copy content in bulk by automated means.
• Other websites. Links to other websites are for convenience. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content.
• Availability. We may change, suspend or withdraw any part of the website without notice.

Enquiries, quotes and prices

• Enquiries. Sending an enquiry, or using Build Your Journey, does not create a booking and costs nothing. A Diamond Concierge replies with a proposed itinerary and quote.
• Quotes. A quote is valid for the period stated on it, or for seven days if no period is stated. Quotes depend on availability, which we confirm when you book. Prices on the website and in Build Your Journey are indicative until we confirm your quote.
• Currency. Our prices are set in South African rand (ZAR). Amounts shown in US dollars or euros are converted at a recent exchange rate as a guide. We invoice in the currency agreed in your quote, and you carry any difference caused by your bank's exchange rate or fees.
• Price basis. Unless stated otherwise, prices are per adult for the group size shown, or per couple on our couples' experiences. Children and other group sizes are quoted individually. Some attraction fees are based on international visitor rates; if you are a South African or SADC resident, tell us when you enquire.
• What is included. Your quote lists what is included. Meals, tastings and refreshments are included up to the amount stated. Unless your quote says otherwise, prices exclude flights, accommodation, travel insurance, gratuities, additional drinks, personal purchases, and all jewellery, diamonds and gemstones.
• Taxes. Prices include VAT where we are required to charge it.
• Price changes. Once your booking is confirmed, we do not increase the price, except to pass on increases in government taxes or official fees (such as park or attraction fees) made after confirmation, or where you change your booking. If an increase is more than 10% of the booking price, you may cancel without a cancellation fee.
• Pricing errors. If a price is clearly wrong because of an obvious error, we will tell you as soon as we notice and you may accept the correct price or cancel with a full refund.

Booking and payment

• Confirmation. A booking is confirmed when we send you a written booking confirmation and receive the deposit stated on your quote. Until then, we are not obliged to hold any date, partner or price.
• Balance. The balance is due by the date on your invoice and in any case before your experience starts. For bookings made close to the travel date, we may ask for full payment to confirm.
• How to pay. You can pay by bank transfer (EFT), or by card where we offer it. Your invoice shows any card or transfer fee before you pay. You pay your own bank's charges, and we must receive the full amount invoiced.
• Late payment. If the deposit or balance is not paid on time, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you after giving you reasonable notice, and the cancellation fees in section 6 apply.
• Partner bookings. Some partners, such as boat operators, ticketed attractions and event suppliers, require payment when we book them. Your quote tells you if any part of your journey has stricter terms.
• Cooling-off. The seven-day cooling-off period in section 44 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act does not apply to leisure and transport services booked for a specific date (section 42(2) of that Act). Your cancellation rights are set out in section 6.

Changes you ask for

Tell us as early as possible if you want to change your date, timing, group size or itinerary. We will do our best to help, subject to availability. Changes may change the price, and any non-refundable costs we have already paid to partners for the original arrangements. Changes on the day, such as extra hours or stops, are subject to availability and are charged at our quoted rates. Reducing your group size or moving to a later date more than once may be treated as a cancellation of the affected part.

You may transfer your booking to another person, if you tell us at least seven days before the experience and the partners involved allow it. You and the new traveller remain jointly responsible for any amount still due and any costs of the transfer.

Cancellation by you

You may cancel a booking at any time by emailing us. Cancellation takes effect when we receive your email. Section 17 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 allows us to charge a reasonable cancellation fee. Unless your booking confirmation says otherwise, the fee is a percentage of the total booking price, based on how long before the experience starts we receive your cancellation:

• Non-refundable partner costs. Some arrangements cannot be refunded once booked, such as tickets for a fixed sailing or session, private charters, and bespoke arrangements like photographers, venues and floral design. Your quote identifies these. If you cancel, we deduct them from any refund, but your total cancellation fee is never more than the higher of these costs and the percentage above.
• Death or hospitalisation. We do not charge a cancellation fee if you cannot travel because of the death or hospitalisation of the person for whom the booking was made, as section 17(5) of the Consumer Protection Act provides. We may ask for reasonable proof.
• Reasonable fees. If we are able to recover a partner cost or resell the date, we take that into account and reduce the fee accordingly.
• Unused parts. We do not refund parts of a journey you choose not to use on the day, for example if you leave early or skip a stop.
• Refunds. We pay refunds to the account or card that paid us, within 30 days of agreeing the amount, in the currency in which you paid. We are not responsible for exchange-rate differences or bank charges.

Travel insurance that includes cancellation cover may let you recover these fees (section 11).

Changes and cancellation by us

• Small changes. The order and timing of the day can change because of traffic, weather, opening times, city events or your pace. Your driver-guide may also substitute a stop of a similar standard if one is unavailable. These are not significant changes.
• Weather and sea conditions. Cableway, boat, cruise, ferry and outdoor activities run only when operators judge conditions safe. If one cannot run, we offer an agreed alternative on the day where possible or, if no reasonable alternative is available, we refund the cost of that part of the experience.
• Significant changes. If, before you travel, we must make a significant change to a confirmed booking, such as a different date or the loss of a main element, we will tell you as soon as possible. You may accept the change, choose a comparable alternative, or cancel with a full refund of what you have paid us.
• Cancellation by us. We may cancel a booking if we cannot deliver it safely or as agreed, or because of an event described in section 17. We then refund everything you have paid us, or offer a new date if you prefer.
• Conduct. We may end an experience without refund if a guest's behaviour endangers or seriously disturbs others, damages property, breaks the law or ignores safety instructions.

Our responsibility for changes and cancellations is limited to the remedies in this section and in section 13. We are not responsible for costs you incur separately from your booking with us, such as flights, accommodation or visas, so we strongly recommend travel insurance.

Experiences delivered by our partners

We design and arrange each journey, and parts of it are delivered by independent partners: transport operators, diamond workshops and jewellers, wine estates, restaurants, attractions, reserves, boat and cruise operators, photographers and event suppliers. We choose partners with care, and we arrange transport only with operators who hold the permits the law requires.

• Partners may have their own terms, rules and safety requirements, which apply to you while you are with them. These can include identity or security checks at diamond workshops, limits on photography, dress codes and age limits.
• Some elements are shared with other guests, such as ferries, cruises, the Wine Tram and game drives. Your vehicle and driver-guide are private to your party.
• Wildlife is wild. Sightings of whales, penguins, game or any other animals cannot be guaranteed, and there is no refund if animals are not seen.
• Seasonal experiences, such as whale watching, are available only in season, and sailing times change through the year.

Diamonds, jewellery and purchases

Diamond Tours does not sell diamonds, gemstones or jewellery. Buying is always optional, and no tour price includes jewellery.

• Your purchase is with the jeweller. If you buy anything from a jeweller, workshop or shop during your journey, the contract of sale is between you and that seller alone. The seller is responsible for the item, its description, grading report, valuation, price, payment, guarantees, repairs, returns, delivery, insurance and any VAT refund paperwork. We are not a party to the sale and, to the extent the law allows, we accept no liability for it.
• Commission. Some partner jewellers and workshops pay us a commission or referral fee when a guest makes a purchase. You are never obliged to buy, and we never pressure guests to do so.
• Your budget. We never share your jewellery budget or ring preferences with a jeweller without your permission.
• Before you buy. We recommend asking for an independent grading report, a written receipt describing the item, and written terms for delivery and returns. Bespoke pieces usually take two to three weeks to make, so they may not be ready before you leave.
• Taking items home. Export requirements, import duties and taxes in your home country, and insurance for items in transit, are your responsibility and the seller's. The seller can advise you on the VAT refund available to foreign visitors.

Your responsibilities

• Accurate information. Give us complete and accurate details, including names, contact numbers, pickup points, and dietary, medical, mobility and access needs, early enough for us to plan around them. We cannot guarantee arrangements we were not told about.
• Documents. You are responsible for valid passports, visas, health requirements and any identification that partners request.
• Health and fitness. Some experiences involve long days, walking on uneven ground, steps, boats or open vehicles. Make sure everyone travelling is fit to take part and tell us about anything that may affect them.
• Timing. Please be ready at the agreed time. If you are more than 30 minutes late, the day may need to be shortened. If we cannot reach you within one hour of the agreed collection time, we may treat the booking as a no-show.
• Alcohol. By South African law, only guests aged 18 and over may be served alcohol. Partners may ask for proof of age. Your driver-guide does not drink while on duty, and drinking is at your own risk.
• Children. Children must travel with, and remain the responsibility of, a parent or guardian. Tell us their ages when you enquire, so we can arrange suitable seats and check partners' age rules.
• Respect. Please follow your driver-guide's and partners' instructions, respect residents and communities, such as in the Bo-Kaap, and respect workshop and venue rules.
• Damage. You are responsible for loss or damage you or your party cause to vehicles, venues or partners' property, other than normal wear.

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is not included in our prices. We strongly recommend that everyone travelling holds comprehensive insurance covering cancellation, medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation, personal belongings and valuables, including any jewellery you buy.

Health, safety and risk

Your driver-guide may change or stop an activity if they believe it is unsafe. Please keep valuables with you or in your hotel safe; we are not responsible for personal belongings left unattended, except where loss is caused by our negligence.

Our liability

1. We will provide our services with reasonable care and skill, and in the manner agreed. If a service we provide is not performed as agreed, please tell us immediately so we can put it right. Where we cannot, we will refund a fair part of the price for the affected service.
2. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for the acts or omissions of independent partners, for events beyond our reasonable control (section 17), or for loss caused by you or a member of your party.
3. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, such as missed flights or connections, loss of earnings, or loss of enjoyment, beyond the price of the affected service.
4. To the extent the law allows, our total liability to you for any claim connected to a booking is limited to the total price you paid us for that booking.
5. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for gross negligence, fraud or wilful misconduct, or any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act or other law that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

Indemnity

Photographs, reviews and surprises

• Photographs. We use photographs or video of you in our marketing only with your written consent. Where a photographer is part of your experience, the images are for your personal use, and the photographer's terms apply to ownership and delivery.
• Reviews. If you share a review with us, we may publish it with your first name and country only with your permission, and may shorten it without changing its meaning.
• Surprises and proposals. When you plan a surprise, we contact only the people you name. Please tell us how to reach you discreetly. We are not responsible if a surprise is revealed by someone else.

Complaints

If something is not right during your journey, tell your driver-guide or your concierge straight away, so we can try to fix it there and then. If it is still not resolved, please write to info@diamondtours.co.za within 30 days of your experience. We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days and aim to resolve it within 20 working days.

If we cannot agree, you may refer the matter to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, the National Consumer Commission or another alternative dispute resolution process available under the Consumer Protection Act, and you keep any other right you have by law.

Events beyond our control

We are not responsible for failing to perform, or for delays, caused by events beyond our reasonable control. These include severe weather, natural disasters, fire, epidemics, government action or travel restrictions, civil unrest, strikes, failures of power (including load-shedding) or communications, road closures, and the closure of attractions or partners. If such an event prevents your experience, we will offer a new date or an alternative. If neither suits you, we refund what you have paid us, less any partner costs we cannot recover, which we will show you.

General

• Governing law. These terms are governed by the law of the Republic of South Africa. Subject to your rights as a consumer, the courts of South Africa have jurisdiction, and we each consent to the jurisdiction of the Magistrate's Court for any matter that falls within it.
• Whole agreement. These terms, your quote and your booking confirmation are the whole agreement between us about your booking. A change is valid only if we confirm it in writing, which includes email.
• Notices. We may send notices to the email address you give us. Legal notices to us should be sent to our address in section 1, with a copy by email.
• Severability. If any part of these terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the rest remains in force.
• No waiver. If we do not enforce a right immediately, we do not give it up.
• Assignment. We may transfer our rights and obligations to another company that takes over our business, without reducing your rights.
• Changes to these terms. We may update these terms from time to time. The version in force when your booking is confirmed applies to that booking.
• Language. These terms are written in English. If we provide them in another language and there is a difference, the English version applies.