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About Urban Choices

Platform Structure & Information

(Sales Professionals)

1. Purpose of the Agreement

This agreement defines the relationship between the South African Furniture Initiative (SAFI), the Urban Choices Catalogue, and the Associate Member (Sales Professional). It outlines access, responsibilities, conduct, and operational frameworks for engaging with SAFI platforms and participating manufacturers.

2. Eligibility and Membership Scope

Associate Membership is reserved exclusively for furniture sales professionals, individuals and businesses actively engaged in selling or intending to sell locally manufactured furniture. Members must demonstrate a working knowledge of the industry and a commitment to promoting South African furniture across various markets.

3. Platform Usage and Ordering

Associate Members are granted access to:

      • The SAFI Industry Catalogue (Urban Choices), including all product listings, specifications, and protected manufacturer information.

      • SAFI’s broader digital ecosystem: Business Directory, Tender Bulletin, Employment Portal, Export Market Finder, Training System and the Industry Catalogue (Urban Choices).

      • Customisable marketing assets, digital catalogues, and authorised product datasets.

      • Forums, communications, networking events, and sales support resources.

4. Manufacturer Engagement and Sales Relationships

While SAFI accredits the Associate Member, all commercial and sales relationships are established directly between the Sales Professional and the participating Manufacturer.

      • Accounts are opened directly with the Manufacturer, and terms of trade (e.g., pricing, payment, logistics) are determined by the Manufacturer.

      • SAFI does not mediate these arrangements and assumes no responsibility for negotiations or fulfilment of orders.

      • Sales professionals are required to adhere to the brand and service expectations of each Manufacturer they represent.

5. Intellectual Property and Product Data Protection

All product data, including specifications, images, documents, and marketing assets, remain the property of the Manufacturer. SAFI curates and presents this information on behalf of the Manufacturer and their brands.

      • Product data may only be used by authorised sales professionals with active relationships with the respective Manufacturer.

      • Product information may not be shared, republished, or used outside of authorised sales activities without written consent.

      • Under no circumstances may Associate Members replicate, reverse-engineer, or commission the production of similar products with other manufacturers based on catalogue listings.

      • Only original manufacturers may fulfil listed products under their name to ensure warranty and quality assurance.

      • Any product sold using a SAFI Product ID and listed specifications must be manufactured by the respective accredited manufacturer to ensure warranty and quality assurance.

6. Confidentiality and POPI Compliance

SAFI adheres to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and takes all reasonable measures to:

      • Protect personal and business data

      • Prevent unauthorised access, distribution, or modification

      • Maintain confidentiality of account and transactional information.

Associate Members agree to uphold the same standards and treat all SAFI and Manufacturer information as confidential.

7. Professional Conduct and Acceptable Use

All Associate Members must:

      • Act with professionalism, integrity, and honesty

      • Represent Manufacturer products fairly and accurately

      • Engage respectfully with other members, clients, and SAFI staff

      • Not misuse the platform for unauthorised advertising or off-platform transactions

      • Avoid conduct that undermines the objectives or reputation of SAFI or Urban Choices

      • Settle their account with SAFI on a 30 day basis, without deduction or set-off.

SAFI reserves the right to suspend or revoke membership for breaches of this agreement.

8. Manufacturer Responsibility

All South African furniture manufacturers registered as SAFI members are also registered with a relevant furniture bargaining council. While SAFI proudly supports its members, please note that we do not endorse individual products or workmanship and do not accept responsibility for our members’ operations. In the unlikely event of a complaint, we encourage retailers or consumers to contact the manufacturer for assistance and resolution. Although great care has been taken to provide accurate information, the accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

(Manufacturers)

1. Purpose of the Agreement

This agreement defines the relationship between the South African Furniture Initiative (SAFI), the Urban Choices Catalogue, and the participating Manufacturer. It sets out the responsibilities, data requirements, usage terms, and expectations for listing products on the SAFI platforms.

2. Eligibility and Membership Scope

Only South African furniture manufacturers that are vetted SAFI Members are eligible to list products. Each Manufacturer must:

      • Be registered with a recognised Furniture Bargaining Council.

      • Be actively engaged in the production of furniture locally.

      • Comply with all applicable South African labour, quality, and safety standards.

3. Product Listing & Data Requirements

To ensure accurate and professional representation, manufacturers are required to provide the following for each listed product:

      • Product name and description

      • Brand name, if applicable

      • Manufacturer product code

      • Specifications (e.g., dimensions (mm), weight (kg),materials, use case)

      • Local Content Value – Excl VAT – (Selling price -Imported content)/ Selling price

      • Manufacturing Lead Times

      • Guarantee and/or Warranty details (including component-specific if applicable)

      • Product images (minimum resolution standards apply)

      • Product attributes and variation options (e.g., wood finishes, colours)

      • Care / maintenance instructions and assembly documentation

      • Manufacturer business profile and reseller engagement outline.

Products submitted will be reviewed for completeness and quality before being listed. Each vetted and accepted product will be assigned a SAFI Product ID, which serves as a unique identifier within the Urban Choices platform.

4. Product Availability and Fulfilment

Manufacturers are responsible for:

      • Ensuring product availability as listed.

      • Fulfilling orders accurately based on the specifications and terms agreed with the sales professional.

      • Informing SAFI of any discontinued or updated products.

Only the original manufacturer may produce and fulfil products listed under their SAFI Product ID.

5. Sales Channels, Ordering and Distribution

Manufacturers benefit from exposure to a wide network of SAFI-accredited Sales Professionals (Associate Members), who manage marketing, quoting, client interaction, installation, and order processing.

      • Orders and quote requests are submitted via the Urban Choices platform.

      • The manufacturer is responsible for account setup and commercial terms (pricing, payment terms, lead times) directly with each Associate Member.

      • SAFI does not interfere or intervene in any manner with individual business arrangements between manufacturers and resellers.

6. Intellectual Property and Product Protection

All product information remains the intellectual property of the Manufacturer. However, by submitting listings, you grant SAFI a non-exclusive licence to:

      • Curate and publish the product content on Urban Choices and other SAFI-aligned channels.

      • Distribute data to accredited Associate Members for promotional and sales purposes.

Manufacturers are protected as follows:

      • Product datasets may only be accessed by authorised users with active manufacturer relationships.

      • Products may not be replicated or reverse-engineered by Associate Members or third parties.

      • If a product is quoted using the SAFI Product ID and specifications, it must be fulfilled only by the listed Manufacturer to uphold warranty and quality guarantees.

7. Confidentiality and POPI Compliance

SAFI complies fully with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and ensures secure data handling. Manufacturers agree to:

      • Provide accurate information for product listings and profiles.

      • Protect the confidentiality of reseller and platform information.

      • Ensure compliance with data security when interacting with the platform.

8. Manufacturer Conduct and Accountability

Manufacturers listed on SAFI platforms are expected to:

      • Act with integrity, transparency, and professionalism.

      • Provide accurate product data and honour commercial terms with sales professionals.

      • Respond promptly to order enquiries, complaints, or dispute resolution requests.

All South African furniture manufacturers registered as SAFI members are also registered with a relevant furniture bargaining council. While SAFI proudly supports its members, please note that we do not endorse individual products or workmanship and do not accept responsibility for our members’ operations. In the unlikely event of a complaint, we encourage retailers or consumers to contact the manufacturer for assistance and resolution. Although great care has been taken to provide accurate information, the accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

9. Product Listing Removal or Suspension

SAFI reserves the right to remove or suspend product listings under the following circumstances:

      • Product no longer available or inaccurately represented.

      • Complaints relating to quality, non-fulfilment, or false advertising.

      • Breach of this agreement or SAFI’s industry standards.