Community Guidelines

Be a good neighbour. Naartjie works because real neighbours treat each other with honesty and respect. These guidelines are part of our Terms of Use — breaking them can get your listing removed or your account suspended.

Community Guidelines

Last updated: 1 October 2026

The spirit of Naartjie

Naartjie is your suburb online — a place to buy, sell, ask, recommend and help out. Behave the way you would face-to-face with a neighbour: be kind, be honest, and keep it local.

What good looks like

Describe items accurately, with real photos you took yourself.
Set fair prices and honour what you agree in chat.
Reply politely and on time, even if the answer is “no”.
Meet at a public safe spot and rate honestly afterwards.
Keep community posts useful, relevant and friendly.

What's not allowed

Harassment & hate — no threats, bullying, or content that demeans people based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality. Hate speech is prohibited under South African law and on Naartjie.
Scams & fraud — no fake listings, advance-fee schemes, phishing, or requests to move payment off-platform to defraud.
Prohibited & illegal items — see the prohibited & restricted items list.
Spam — no bulk reposting, irrelevant promotion, or multiple accounts to evade limits or bans.
Impersonation — don't pretend to be someone else or misrepresent a business.
Adult & harmful content — no pornography, graphic violence, or content harmful to minors.
Intimate images without consent — sharing an intimate image of someone without their consent ends your account immediately.
Off-topic listings — list items in the right category and your real area.

Honest listings

Misleading titles, stock photos passed off as your own, hidden faults, or bait-and-switch pricing are not allowed. If an item is damaged or used, say so. Honesty protects your Ripeness Level and the whole community.

Use your own photos. Photos taken from shops or other listings can be removed, and three confirmed copyright infringements lead to suspension.

Respect privacy

Do not post other people's personal information (phone numbers, addresses, ID numbers, photos) without consent. Keep conversations in-app; do not screenshot and publish private chats to shame someone. Doxxing and sharing personal data unlawfully may breach POPIA.

Please don't include children's faces in photos. A child cannot consent to being posted, and a face next to a suburb name is enough to find them. Photo the clothes, the pram or the toy instead. This applies to lost & found posts too — describe the child, don't show them.

Reporting

See something off? Use the report control on any listing, profile, chat or community post, or email support@naartjie.co.za. Reports are confidential. If someone is in immediate danger, contact the SAPS on 10111 first.

If someone has shared an intimate image of you without your consent and you don't have an account, email legal@naartjie.co.za. We review this within 24 hours, holidays included. Copyright and other legal notices go to the same address — see section 8 of the Terms of Use.

How we enforce

Depending on severity and history, we may: add a warning, remove content, limit features, suspend an account, or permanently ban a user. Illegal activity may be reported to the South African Police Service or other authorities. We aim to act proportionately and consistently.

Appeals

If you think we got it wrong, appeal in the app from Appeals within 30 days of our notice. If you can't sign in, email appeals@naartjie.co.za.