Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions form an agreement between you and SmartCV regarding your use of the SmartCV website, application form, automated CV-generation process, preview service and PDF delivery.

You may not use the service where you do not agree to these terms or where you do not have authority to submit the information concerned.

SmartCV provides a guided digital service that collects information supplied by an applicant and organises it into a professional CV. The service may include:

• A guided CV application form.
• A choice between available SmartCV template designs.
• AI-assisted preparation of a professional profile.
• Automated formatting of education, experience, languages and skills.
• A secure online preview of the generated CV.
• PDF download and email-delivery options.

The Basic CV beta is designed mainly for students, school leavers, apprentices and entry-level applicants. Professional or Executive packages may be introduced separately in future.

During the current beta period, the SmartCV Basic CV service is offered at a price of R0. No payment is required to submit a Basic CV application or receive the beta Basic CV.

SmartCV may limit the number of beta applications, pause new applications, change the available features or end the free beta offer. Any future paid product will display its price and applicable terms before a user is asked to purchase it.

The beta may contain technical issues, incomplete features or temporary service interruptions. SmartCV will use reasonable efforts to correct material problems but does not promise that every beta application will be completed instantly.

You may submit an application for yourself or on behalf of another person where you have permission and lawful authority to do so.

Where the applicant is under 18, the application must be submitted with the prior consent of a parent, legal guardian or other competent person authorised to consent to the processing of the child’s personal information.

SmartCV may request reasonable confirmation of consent or authority before processing, correcting, releasing or deleting an application.

You agree to provide information that is accurate, current and truthful to the best of your knowledge. This may include:

• Your name, contact details, location and date of birth.
• Your career interests and preferred role.
• Your education, courses and qualifications.
• Your work, volunteer, practical or job-shadowing experience.
• Your languages, soft skills and technical skills.
• Your personal strengths, interests and achievements.
• An optional profile photograph or supporting document.

You must not submit false qualifications, fabricated experience, unlawful content or another person’s information without their permission.

SmartCV uses artificial-intelligence tools to assist with drafting parts of the CV, including the professional profile or “About Me” section.

The AI-generated content is based on information supplied in your application. SmartCV instructs the system not to invent qualifications, work experience, achievements or skills, but automated content can still contain mistakes, omissions, awkward wording or incorrect interpretations.

SmartCV’s AI system does not make recruitment or employment decisions. Employers and other third parties remain responsible for their own decisions.

SmartCV processes personal information for purposes connected with providing the CV service. These purposes may include:

• Receiving and validating the application.
• Generating the professional profile and CV content.
• Applying the selected CV design.
• Creating and storing a secure preview.
• Generating and delivering the PDF.
• Sending service messages or applicant-requested emails.
• Providing support and processing corrections.
• Maintaining service security and preventing abuse.

SmartCV may use trusted service providers for website hosting, email delivery, secure file storage, AI processing and PDF generation. These service providers may process only the information reasonably required to perform their function.

Where a service provider processes information outside South Africa, SmartCV will take reasonable steps to use appropriate safeguards as described in the Privacy and POPIA Notice.

Personal information will not be intentionally sold to advertisers. Joining any separate opportunity database must be subject to a separate, voluntary opt-in.

Where you upload a profile photograph, you give SmartCV permission to store, crop, resize and include that image in the generated CV.

Uploaded photographs and documents:

• Are used only for the SmartCV service and related support.
• May be stored with the related application and generated PDF.
• Are not intended to be published as publicly searchable website content.
• May be accessible to authorised SmartCV administrators and service providers.
• May be removed, deleted or de-identified when no longer reasonably required.

Do not upload identity documents, banking information, passwords, confidential employer documents or material that you do not have permission to use.

After submission, SmartCV may redirect you to a processing or preview page while the CV is being generated.

When processing is complete, the preview page may allow you to:

• Review the generated CV.
• Download the CV as a PDF.
• Request that the PDF be emailed to the submitted email address.

Preview links contain a unique access token. Anyone who receives the link may be able to view the CV, so you must keep the link private and avoid sharing it publicly.

Preview links normally expire after 14 days unless a different period is displayed on the preview page or in the delivery email. SmartCV may deactivate a link earlier for security, privacy or technical reasons.

Email delivery can be affected by spam filters, incorrect email addresses, mailbox limits or external mail-provider problems. SmartCV cannot guarantee that an email will reach every inbox immediately.

If you identify an error, you may submit a correction request through the SmartCV Contact page.

Include:

• Your full name.
• The email address used in the application.
• Your application or support reference, where available.
• A clear explanation of the information that must be corrected.

SmartCV may request verification before changing or releasing personal information. Correction requests should preferably be made before the preview link expires.

SmartCV may refuse a request that would insert false, misleading, unlawful or unverified information into a CV.

You are responsible for reviewing the complete CV before downloading, emailing, printing or submitting it to an employer.

You must specifically check:

• The spelling of your name and contact details.
• Your dates, education and qualifications.
• Your employment and practical-experience descriptions.
• Your skills and language ratings.
• The accuracy of the AI-generated professional profile.
• The quality and suitability of the uploaded photograph.

Downloading or using the CV does not mean that SmartCV has independently verified every fact contained in it.

SmartCV aims to process applications promptly, but generation may be delayed by high demand, maintenance, server problems, AI-service availability, email-service failures, malformed form data or other technical issues.

SmartCV may temporarily suspend or restrict the beta service to perform maintenance, correct errors, prevent abuse or protect applicant information.

Unless expressly confirmed otherwise, no specific completion or delivery time is guaranteed.

SmartCV provides CV-preparation and formatting assistance. It does not act as an employer, recruitment agency, educational institution or professional career adviser unless expressly stated otherwise.

A professionally formatted CV may support an application, but SmartCV does not guarantee:

• An interview.
• Employment or placement.
• Acceptance into a course or apprenticeship.
• A response from an employer.
• Compatibility with every employer’s recruitment system.

You retain rights in the personal information and original content that you submit. You give SmartCV a limited permission to process, format, reproduce and store that content only as reasonably required to provide and support the service.

SmartCV retains ownership of its website, software, automation, branding, template systems, layout code and other proprietary materials.

You may download, print and share your generated CV for personal education, employment and opportunity applications. You may not resell, copy or commercially distribute the SmartCV template system itself.

Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or limits any right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded under the Consumer Protection Act or other applicable South African law.

To the extent permitted by law, SmartCV is not responsible for loss arising from:

• False, inaccurate or incomplete information supplied by an applicant.
• Failure to review the CV before submitting it.
• An employer’s recruitment, interview or employment decision.
• A preview link being shared or accessed by someone authorised by the applicant.
• Email filtering, delivery failures or incorrect contact information.
• Temporary outages or third-party service interruptions outside SmartCV’s reasonable control.
• Indirect, consequential or speculative loss, including loss of opportunity.

SmartCV may update these terms as the beta service develops, new features are introduced, prices change or legal requirements are updated.

The revised version will display a new effective date. Material changes will apply to future use of the service and, where reasonably necessary, may be communicated on the website or by email.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Before starting formal proceedings, you should contact SmartCV and provide a reasonable opportunity to investigate and resolve the issue.

Nothing prevents a consumer from approaching a regulator, consumer protection body, competent court or other authority where entitled to do so.