Company and e-commerce disclosure

The company you are dealing with

The Cattle Exchange is the seller in respect of every order placed on the site, and these particulars are confirmed again on your order and on your invoice. We are not a member of any self-regulatory body, and we do not subscribe to a code of conduct beyond the law and the policies published on this site.

What we sell

We sell live animals across South Africa: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, ostriches, horses and rabbits. Each listing describes the individual animal or lot offered, including its breed, type, sex, age, weight and condition, the province and farm it comes from, and whether it may be collected, delivered, or both.

Where offered, slaughter and cutting are optional services provided, for your own use, on animals you have already bought. Any meat that results belongs to you and is not for resale, slaughter takes place only at an abattoir registered under the Meat Safety Act 40 of 2000, and cutting only at a facility holding a Certificate of Acceptability. We do not sell meat as a product, and we do not engage in export or in any international movement of animals.

Prices, VAT and payment

Prices are shown in South African Rand and are inclusive of value-added tax at the rate in force when your order is priced. VAT is contained within the price rather than added at checkout, and the VAT portion of your total is shown to you before you pay and again on your order and invoice. The full amount payable, including any delivery and any processing services, is confirmed on your order before payment is taken.

Payment is made to The Cattle Exchange by card or instant electronic funds transfer through PayFast, our payment provider. Card details are entered within PayFast’s own secure environment, are transmitted over an encrypted connection, and never reach or are stored on our systems. We hold no card data, and we will never ask you for a card number by email or telephone. Payment is treated as made only once PayFast confirms it to us directly.

Delivery, collection and timing

You may collect your order or ask us to arrange delivery, which is quoted and confirmed with you before it is charged. We agree a collection or delivery date with you once your payment is confirmed, and we keep you informed as your order moves. Timings are estimates given in good faith, because livestock movement depends on weather, roads, suitable transport and animal health requirements. The full arrangements are in our delivery and collection policy.

Cancellation, refunds and returns

You may cancel a paid order before the animals are handed over to you and before an animal is delivered to an abattoir for slaughter, with costs already committed on your behalf deducted and itemised. Live animals and meat are goods that by their nature are likely to deteriorate rapidly, and the cooling-off right in section 44 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 accordingly does not apply to them. Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 apply in addition to our terms. The full position is set out in our returns and cancellations policy.

Complaints and dispute resolution

Any complaint may be directed to us using the details above, or through our contact page. We acknowledge a complaint within two business days and give a substantive answer within ten. If a matter cannot be resolved between us, you are entitled to approach the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud or the National Consumer Commission at no cost to you, and nothing in our terms prevents you from approaching a court.

Security and your information

The site is served over an encrypted connection. Passwords are stored only as a one-way hash and are never readable by us, payment card details never reach our systems, and the identity and ownership documents our partners upload are held in a private store with every access recorded. How we handle your personal information, and the rights you have over it under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, are set out in our privacy policy.

The record of your transaction

Your order, the terms you accepted, the version of each document in force when you accepted it, and your invoice are recorded and are available to you through your account or through the tracking link sent to you if you ordered as a guest. We keep those records for at least five years. If you need a copy of anything at any time, ask us and we will send it.