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Mudiwa Terms of Service

On this page
  1. Key points before you start
  2. 1. Who we are
  3. 2. Agreeing to these terms
  4. 3. Who can use Mudiwa
  5. 4. Your account
  6. 5. The selfie check (verification)
  7. 6. Using Mudiwa: what you can and can't do
  8. 7. Messages, photos in chat and safety tools
  9. 8. Your content and the permission you give us
  10. 9. Meeting people in person: please read
  11. 10. When we warn, pause or ban, and how to appeal
  12. 11. Leaving Mudiwa
  13. 12. Payments
  14. 13. Ads
  15. 14. Our responsibility to you
  16. 15. Changes to these terms
  17. 16. Governing law and disputes
  18. 17. Other legal bits
  19. 18. Contact us

Version: 1.0 · Effective date: 26 October 2026

Welcome to Mudiwa. These terms are the agreement between you and us. We've written them in plain English because you should be able to understand what you're agreeing to. Please read them. The short version is at the top of each section.

Key points before you start

We show these on a "Before you agree" screen at sign-up, so nothing important is hidden in the small print.

  1. You must be 18 or older. No exceptions.
  2. You must be real. Your own name, your own recent photos and a selfie check before you can message.
  3. Mudiwa is free right now. There are no payments and no ads in this version. If that ever changes, we'll update these terms and tell you in the app first.
  4. Meeting someone in person is your choice and your risk. We give you safety tools, but we can't check everyone's background or control what happens offline. Please read our safety tips.
  5. Break the rules and we may warn, pause or ban you. Every action comes with a reason code (R1–R10) and you can appeal.
  6. Your data is sensitive and we treat it that way. Our Privacy Policy explains exactly what we collect and why.
  7. Zimbabwean law applies, and nothing in these terms takes away your rights under it, including your rights under the Consumer Protection Act [Chapter 14:44].

1. Who we are

Mudiwa is a dating app for people in Zimbabwe. It is run by the Mudiwa team, led by its founder ("Mudiwa", "we", "us").

You can reach us at any time:

Email (support, legal and privacy matters)kudzilenett@gmail.com
In the appHelp, then Contact support

2. Agreeing to these terms

Short version: by creating an account you agree to these terms, the Community Guidelines and the Privacy Policy.

  • You agree to these terms by tapping "I agree" when you create your account. We keep a record of which version you agreed to and when.
  • Our Community Guidelines (the 10 rules, R1–R10) and our Privacy Policy are part of this agreement.
  • Agreeing to these terms is separate from the consents we ask for to use your sensitive data. You give those on their own screen, one tick at a time, and you can withdraw them in Settings. See our Privacy Policy.

3. Who can use Mudiwa

Short version: adults, 18 and over, who are real and haven't been banned.

To use Mudiwa you must:

  • be at least 18 years old;
  • be legally able to enter into this agreement;
  • not have been banned from Mudiwa before, unless we have told you in writing that you may come back;
  • use only one account, for yourself.

You must not use Mudiwa to harm anyone. If we reasonably believe a member is a danger to others, we may remove them (see section 10).

Age checks. We ask for your date of birth and our selfie check estimates whether you look under 18. If you appear younger than 18, or someone reports that you may be under 18, we will pause your account and ask for proof of age (for example, a national ID or passport) reviewed by a person. If you are under 18, we will close your account. We take this seriously because the law protects children and young people, including under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] and the Children's Act [Chapter 5:06].

Who you can meet. At launch, Mudiwa offers matching between women and men. You choose who you'd like to see in Settings from the options available.

Women-first launch and the men's waitlist. Mudiwa is open across Zimbabwe, and first to women. Men can create an account and join a waitlist. We let people in from the waitlist in batches so the community stays balanced and safe. If you invite friends and they join and pass the selfie check, you move up the waitlist (each verified invite moves you up 50 places, and 3 verified invites let you straight in). Being on the waitlist doesn't cost anything and doesn't guarantee a date to join. This is a temporary measure.

Where. Mudiwa is for people in Zimbabwe. People outside Zimbabwe can join a list, but can't use Mudiwa yet.

4. Your account

Short version: you sign in with Google or an emailed code, and you're responsible for keeping your account safe.

  • How you sign in. You can continue with Google (on Android), with Apple (on iPhone, when it becomes available), or with a 6-digit code we send to your email. You don't need a phone number to sign in.
  • Keep your account safe. Don't share your sign-in codes or email access with anyone, including anyone who says they work for Mudiwa. We will never ask you for a code.
  • Your trusted contact. If you use our date-safety features, you may enter the name and phone number of a friend or family member. Please tell them first. We only use their details for the safety features you choose. See the Privacy Policy.
  • Accurate details. Keep your profile honest and up to date.

5. The selfie check (verification)

Short version: everyone does a quick selfie check before they can message. It keeps fake profiles out.

  • Before you can send messages, you must complete a selfie liveness check. It confirms you're a real, live person and that you match your profile photos. It also gives us an estimate of your age.
  • Your selfie is never shown on your profile or to other members.
  • You can finish your profile and browse while your check is pending. Only messaging waits.
  • If the automatic check doesn't pass, a person on our team reviews it within 4 hours, between 07:00 and 23:00 every day. Checks that fail overnight are reviewed from 07:00. If we still can't approve it, we'll tell you why and how to try again.
  • The selfie check uses your biometric data, so we ask for your separate written consent first. See the Privacy Policy and the consent screen.
  • A "Photo verified" badge means you passed the selfie check. It doesn't mean we've checked anyone's identity documents, background, intentions or character.

6. Using Mudiwa: what you can and can't do

Short version: be kind, be real, be safe. The full rules are in the Community Guidelines.

You agree to follow the Community Guidelines. In particular, you must not:

  • pretend to be someone else or use photos that aren't you (R1, R10);
  • use Mudiwa if you're under 18, or try to contact anyone under 18 (R2);
  • harass, threaten, bully or humiliate anyone (R3);
  • ask for or offer money, airtime, data or gifts, or run any scam (R4);
  • offer, ask for or advertise sex for money or any transactional arrangement (R5);
  • share nude or sexual content in your profile, or share anyone's intimate images without their consent (R6);
  • post hate speech or attack people for who they are (R7);
  • put anyone at risk when meeting offline (R8);
  • spam, advertise, sell or use Mudiwa for business (R9);
  • use other people's content, names or brands without permission (R10).

You also must not:

  • break the law, or use Mudiwa to help anyone else break it;
  • try to get around a ban, pause or block, including by making new accounts;
  • scrape, copy or collect other members' data, or use bots or automation;
  • try to hack, overload, reverse-engineer or interfere with Mudiwa;
  • try to find out another member's phone number, address or exact location.

Some of this conduct is also a crime in Zimbabwe. For example, sharing intimate images of someone without their consent can be an offence under the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07] and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], and so can harassment, threats and fraud. We may report serious cases to the police where the law allows (see our Law Enforcement and Data Requests policy).

7. Messages, photos in chat and safety tools

  • Messaging includes text and voice notes (up to 30 seconds).
  • Photos in chat stay off until both people turn them on for that chat. Either of you can turn them off again at any time.
  • Photos our system thinks are likely to be explicit arrive blurred. You choose whether to view them.
  • Our system looks for signs of scams and money requests in chats and may show you a warning. These warnings are tools to help you; they are not accusations. A person reviews before we pause or ban an account for a rule break, except for the most serious risks (such as a suspected minor), where we may pause an account first and have a person review it straight after. See the Community Guidelines.
  • Likes are private. Only the person you like can see that you liked them, and only in their Likes list.
  • Share my date and check-ins. You can share your date plan with a trusted contact, using your own WhatsApp, and set check-ins. If you miss a check-in, we try to alert your trusted contact. We only share your location with that contact when you miss a check-in or choose to share it.
  • Safety tools are a help, not a guarantee. Messages can be delayed, phones die and networks drop. Never rely on Mudiwa alone in an emergency. If you're in danger, call the police on 995 or emergency services on 999.

8. Your content and the permission you give us

Short version: you own what you post. You give us permission to show it on Mudiwa and keep the app safe. We won't use your photos in ads.

  • You own your content. Your photos, prompts, messages and voice notes remain yours.
  • The permission you give us. By posting content on Mudiwa, you give us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, store, copy, resize, compress, blur, display and send your content, in Zimbabwe and in the countries where our service providers operate (mainly the European Union), only so we can:
    • run Mudiwa and show your profile to other members;
    • deliver your messages;
    • check content against our rules and keep members safe;
    • deal with reports, appeals and legal requests.
  • What we won't do. We won't sell your content, and we won't use your photos, name or words in advertising or marketing without asking you separately first.
  • When the permission ends. It ends when you delete the content or your account, except for: copies in backups for a short time; content that's part of a report, appeal or investigation (kept as set out in the Privacy Policy); and messages you've already sent, which may stay visible to the other person until the chat is deleted or ended.
  • You promise that you have the right to post what you post, and that it follows these terms and the Community Guidelines.
  • We may remove any content that breaks these terms or the law.

9. Meeting people in person: please read

Short version: most dates are lovely. But you are meeting a stranger, and we can't control what happens offline.

  • We don't run criminal background checks, and we can't confirm what people tell you about themselves (their job, age, relationship status or intentions). A "Photo verified" badge only means the person passed our selfie check.
  • Meeting people carries real risks, which can include serious harm. You are responsible for your own decisions and safety when you talk to, and meet, other members.
  • Please follow our safety tips: meet in a busy public place, tell someone you trust, use Share my date and check-ins, arrange your own transport, don't send money, and leave if you feel uncomfortable.
  • If anything goes wrong, report it in the app and, if a crime may have happened, to the police. We take reports seriously and will help the police where the law allows (see our Law Enforcement and Data Requests policy).

10. When we warn, pause or ban, and how to appeal

Short version: we tell you what happened, which rule, and how to appeal. We answer appeals within 48 hours.

  • If you break the terms or the Community Guidelines, we may: remove content; give you a warning; pause your account for a set time; or ban you permanently.
  • Every action comes with a reason code (R1–R10) that matches a numbered rule in the Community Guidelines, and a short explanation. We don't silently delete accounts.
  • For serious risks (for example, a suspected minor, threats of violence, or intimate images shared without consent), we may pause an account straight away while we review.
  • Appeals. You can appeal any warning, pause or ban in the app within 30 days. A person on our team reviews it, and we answer within 48 hours. If we got it wrong, we'll restore your account and remove the warning.
  • We may refuse to explain some details if that would put another member at risk, reveal who reported you, or interfere with a police investigation. We'll still give you the reason code.
  • If a ban is about a serious crime, we may keep limited information to stop you from coming back (see the Privacy Policy).

11. Leaving Mudiwa

  • You can pause your profile at any time, which hides you from Discover.
  • You can delete your account in Settings in a few taps. Your profile is hidden immediately, and your data is erased within 30 days, apart from limited records we must keep by law or for safety investigations. The Privacy Policy explains exactly what and for how long.
  • We may close the service, or stop serving a city, with reasonable notice in the app, unless the law or a safety emergency means we must act sooner.

12. Payments

Mudiwa is free in this version. There is nothing to buy and we don't take payments. If we introduce paid features later, we'll update these terms and tell you in the app before anything paid goes live. We'll show the full price and what you get before you pay, and your rights under the Consumer Protection Act [Chapter 14:44], including any cooling-off right, will apply.

13. Ads

There are no ads in this version. If we introduce ads later, we'll update these terms and the Privacy Policy and tell you in the app first.

14. Our responsibility to you

Short version: we'll run Mudiwa with reasonable care and skill. We're not responsible for what other members do. Nothing here takes away your rights under Zimbabwean law.

  • What we promise. We'll provide Mudiwa with reasonable care and skill, keep your data secure as the law requires, and handle reports and appeals in the times we've published.
  • What we can't promise. We can't promise that Mudiwa will always be available or free of bugs, that you'll find a match, or that other members are who they say they are or will behave well.
  • Other members. We aren't responsible for the conduct of other members, online or offline, except where our own negligence or breach of these terms contributed to the harm.
  • Fair limits. To the extent the law allows, we aren't liable for losses that were not reasonably foreseeable, or for losses caused by things outside our control, such as network or power failures.
  • What we never limit. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for:
    • gross negligence or deliberate wrongdoing by us or anyone acting for us;
    • death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
    • fraud;
    • our duties under the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07];
    • any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act [Chapter 14:44] or any other law that can't be excluded.

15. Changes to these terms

  • We may update these terms, for example when the law changes or we add features.
  • For important changes, we'll tell you in the app (with a notice) at least 30 days before they apply, and ask you to agree again where the law requires it. Changes for legal or safety reasons may apply sooner.
  • If you don't agree, you can delete your account before the change applies.
  • Every version is dated and kept in the app's Help Centre.

16. Governing law and disputes

  • These terms are governed by the laws of Zimbabwe.
  • Talk to us first. Most problems can be fixed quickly. Contact us at kudzilenett@gmail.com or through Help in the app. We'll acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to resolve it within 14 days.
  • If we can't resolve it, you may contact the Consumer Protection Commission or, for privacy matters, POTRAZ as the Data Protection Authority.
  • Any dispute may be taken to the competent courts of Zimbabwe. Nothing in these terms stops you from going to court or to a regulator.
  • If any part of these terms is found to be unlawful, the rest still applies.
  • Whole agreement. These terms, the Community Guidelines and the Privacy Policy are the whole agreement between you and us about Mudiwa.
  • Transfer. We may transfer this agreement to another person or company if Mudiwa is sold or restructured. We'll tell you first, and your data will stay protected under the Privacy Policy and the law.
  • No waiver. If we don't enforce a rule straight away, we can still enforce it later.
  • Language. These terms are in English. If we publish Shona or Ndebele versions, we'll make sure they say the same thing.
  • Notices. We'll contact you in the app or by email. You can contact us at the details in section 1.

18. Contact us

  • Email (support, legal and privacy matters): kudzilenett@gmail.com
  • In the app: Help, then Contact support
  • Emergencies: police 995, all emergencies 999