CEO note of welcome
The company has had cash injections from various parties (myself, parents, mentors, colleagues, and friends) all of which I thank. However, the time has come to expand both in operations and product offerings. I am asking for your help to add value to Forge 97 by investing in the company.

I will be honest with everyone and say that this is not a 100% risk-free investment, that is why our interest rates are much higher per investment. I am interested in building relationships with people who believe in my dream; even if that means taking a risk.

“No one is ever really self-made.” I believe it took more than a village to build the Forge 97 brand. With that, the contract below sets out the rules and regulations that should be adhered to by the company and the investors. Should you be unclear of anything, kindly let me know so that it can be explained to you.

We all start somewhere…

Regards, 
Kgonego Mathithibala
CEO & Founder

Company background
Forge 97 is an online store which sells a range of smartphones, laptops, accessories and perfumes (Full Moon Perfumes). The company is registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and has a Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) certificate. The company is also verified on Google and has accounts on major social media platforms (WhatsApp Business, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook).

Company details
Name: Forge 97 (Pty) Ltd
Contact number: 081 491 9965
Email: investors@forge97.com 
Industry of operation: E-commerce website
CEO & Founder: Kgonego Mathithibala
Enterprise number: 2018/387313/07
BEE certificate number: 9216040802

Mission
Provide a wide range of products, and deliver excellent customer satisfaction everytime. 

Vision
To be a highly rated and preferred online store in South Africa.  

Core values 
While Forge 97 is a profit company, our core value is to continue to positively impact the lives of others in our different communities
- Forge 97 Foundation.

Terms and Conditions
The purpose of this contract is to increase business capital so that we can carry out various functions and operate at a much more efficient rate. No part of this contract can be reproduced, reused, or used in any manner whatsoever without any written notice from Forge 97 (Pty) Ltd. The investment is beneficial for both the investors and the company. Investors’ funds will be used to, amongst other things:

• Sales
  • Buying products
  • Warranty claims
  • Delivery
• Operations
  • Website maintenance
  • Email maintenance
  • Airtime, Data, Wi-Fi
• Advertising and promotions
  • Social media advertising
  • Absorb promotions and discounts (losses)
  • Branding
• Wages
  • Promoters
  • Referral programme

The investment contract does not serve as buying shares/security/stake/stock etc in Forge 97 (Pty) Ltd, any of its affiliated companies, and or subsidiary companies. Therefore, this means that the investor has no form of control in the company over any process. Forge 97 reserves the right to reject any submitted contract(s). It is the responsibility of the investor to ensure that they continuously check and keep up with communication from Forge 97 (Pty) Ltd.

As under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA, 2008), each entered contract can be cancelled/terminated/withdrawn without any penalties, within a period “cooling period “. Once the contract reaches its maturity, investors can reinvest, however, a new contract will have to be signed. Upon maturity, a representative from Forge 97 will contact the investor, be it via a phone call, email, text, etc to inform the investor that their investment has matured. Should an investor not respond nor get back to the company, their invested amount plus interest will continue to be held by the company until further instructions from the investor. This money will not gain any additional interest until a new contract has been signed and is legally binding. 

When paying out to investors, Forge 97 cannot be held liable for any bank charges. Interest is calculated from the time at which the contract is legally binding, and funds have reflected into our bank account. Please note that as an approved investor, you will be required to deposit funds into our bank account as per the agreement.

The company does not pay out dividends, as this contract does not constitute as buying equity in Forge 97 (Pty) Ltd. The investor, upon maturity, will be paid their invested principal amount plus interest.

Penalties
Should an investor be found guilty of breaching the contract or decide to pull out/withdraw/cancel their contract before its maturity, Forge 97 reserves the right to terminate the contract with immediate effect. A penalty of up to 15%  (fifteen) will be charged on the principal amount the investor invested. The investor will also forfeit their interest on the investment.

Confidentiality
Privacy is very important to the Forge 97, its suppliers, customers, partners, and its stakeholders. Under no circumstance, unless in writing, are you allowed to disclose any information about the company, any of its affiliate companies, partners, suppliers, customers, etc. In the event that you are not sure which information is regarded as confdential or not, kindly get in touch (investors@forge97.com) a representative from Forge 97 will assist. Disclosing sensitive/confdential information about the company may be deemed unlawful and may result in legal action taken against you (investor or not).

The company will not disclose any information regarding its suppliers, trade secret(s), customer (confidential or not), partner, other investors, and or company confidential information to any party. Information about the company includes but not limited to, finances, marketing tactics, future, trade secrets, internal and external affairs, business processes etc. should be treated with extreme confidentiality.

An investor or investors cannot own and or have shares of more than three percent, and or be related to anyone who has interest, or shares of more than five percent in a competing company, be it that the company is public company or not.

Non-disclosure agreement
I acknowledge that all information shared with me by the company is confidential and is strictly forbidden from being shared with any party. This is information includes but not limited to Forge 97 (Pty) Ltd. partners, affiliate companies, suppliers, customers, operations, deals, strategies (past, present, and future), and or trade secrets will be kept confidential. Disclosing such information is deemed to be in breach of the contract and may result in either a lawsuit, or this contract being terminated or both. This agreement is binding during the period of the investment and after the investment is terminated, matures and or ends.

Lawsuits
In a case of a lawsuit against an investor or any other party, that party/investor(s) / those parties will be liable to all fees incurred by the company, partners and or third parties. Such fees are; but not limited to:

• Attorney
• Other legal representatives
• Public relation representatives
• Representatives; be it that they are internal or external
• Any additional hours worked by company members or affiliates
• Extra operational costs
• Traveling expenditure
• Other expenses which may arise which have been unforeseen by the company

Interest on investment
The following brackets show interest on your investment calculated per year with a simple interest.

Declaration

I declare the following:

• That I am of a sober mind; not under any form of influence.
• That I am not forced by any party to enter this agreement.
• That the information I have submitted is true, correct and complete.
• I am fully aware of the penalties and consequences of breaching the contract.
• That if I needed any further clarification/assistance, a representative from Forge 97 has assisted me.
• I declare that I am aware of the full set of the terms and conditions of this contract and that Forge 97 has the right to reject any submitted contracts.
• I am aware and know my rights under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA, 2008) and all other relevant laws regarding this contract. 
• If I am married in community of property, I acknoledge that I have received permission from my spouse(s) to enter this contract and they have agreed.