These Terms of Use, together with Next Narrative Africa’s Privacy Policy and Submission Release, set forth the terms and conditions (“Terms”) that apply to your access and use of the Next Narrative Africa website, located at https://www.nextnarrativeafrica.com/, https://www.nextnarrativeafricafund.com, and any other related websites or applications operated by us (collectively, the “Site”).  “Next Narrative Africa” (as well as “we” or “us”) includes Next Narrative Africa and its officers, directors, employees, consultants, affiliates, subsidiaries, and agents.  The Next Narrative Africa services may include, but are not limited to the programs, platforms, and activities offered by Next Narrative Africa, such as content development and production support, investment and grant funding, creative incubation and mentorship, strategic convenings and events, and other initiatives designed to support and promote African and diaspora storytellers across film, television, music, fashion, and gaming (collectively, the “Services”).

By using or accessing the Site you agree to these Terms, as updated from time to time in accordance with Section 15 below.  Because Next Narrative Africa provides a wide range of services, we may at times ask you to review and accept supplemental terms that apply to your interaction with a specific product or service.  These Terms state that any disputes between you and Next Narrative Africa must be resolved in arbitration or small claims court.

• Account Security.  To use the Site, you must (i) be at least eighteen (18) years of age; (ii) have not previously been suspended or removed from the Site/Services; and (iii) use the Site/ Services in compliance with any and all applicable laws and regulations. By using the Site, you represent and warrant that you are eighteen (18) years of age or older.
• Monitoring. Next Narrative Africa may monitor your use of and access to the Site to ensure compliance with these Terms and any other applicable rules, policies, deadlines and instructions. By using the Site, you expressly consent to such monitoring.
• User Responsibilities Regarding Information Submitted. When you submit information via our “Contact Us” form, sign up to join our mailing list, submit materials to us or otherwise get in touch with us, we may ask you to give us certain identifying information about yourself, including but not limited to your email address, name, and other contact information (“Registration Information”).  When providing any Registration Information, you agree to provide true, accurate, current, and complete information about yourself.  You also agree not to impersonate anyone, misrepresent any affiliation with anyone else, use false information, or otherwise conceal your identity from Next Narrative Africa for any purpose.  You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of your Registration Information.
• Specific Requirements for Certain Services.  Your use of the Site and/or Services constitutes your acknowledgment and acceptance of the following specific requirements and terms of use for certain of the Next Narrative Africa services. You agree not to:

1. 1. 1. Use the Site for any illegal purpose, or in violation of any local, state, national, or international law;
      2. Violate or encourage others to violate the rights of Next Narrative Africa or any third parties, including intellectual property rights;
      3. Post, upload, or distribute any content that is unlawful, defamatory, libelous, inaccurate, or that a reasonable person could deem to be objectionable, profane, indecent, pornographic, harassing, threatening, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate;
      4. Interfere in any way with security-related features of the Site;
      5. Interfere with the operation or any user’s enjoyment of the Site, including by uploading or otherwise disseminating viruses, adware, spyware, worms, or other malicious code, making unsolicited offers or advertisements to other users, or attempting to collect personal information about users or third parties without their consent;
      6. Access, monitor, or copy any content or information of the Site using any robot, spider, scraper, or any other device, program, tool, algorithm or other automated means, or any manual process, for any purpose without Next Narrative Africa’s express written permission;
      7. Perform any fraudulent activity, including impersonating any person or entity, claiming false affiliations, accessing the accounts of other users without permission, or falsifying your identity or any information about you, including age or date of birth; or
      8. Remove, alter, cover or distort any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights notices on the Site.
5. Electronic Communications, Alerts, Notifications.  You may receive notifications, alerts, emails, or other types of electronic communications from us regarding the Site and/or Services.  You acknowledge and agree that you may receive communications from us electronically, such as via e-mail or through notices and messages on our Site. When you provide us with your telephone number, we may also respond to you via phone or text/SMS.  You agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.  Additionally, we may use third party vendors to communicate with you on our behalf. In connection with such communications, you should also refer to their terms of use.
6. Third Party Content.  The Site may contain links to third party websites and services.  Next Narrative Africa provides such links as a convenience, and does not control or endorse these websites and services.  You acknowledge and agree that Next Narrative Africa has not reviewed the content, advertising, products, services, or other materials that appear on such third party websites or services, and is not responsible for the legality, accuracy, or appropriateness of any such content.  Next Narrative Africa shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of any such third party websites or services.
7. Intellectual Property.  This Site is protected by applicable copyright and other intellectual property laws, and no materials from the Site may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way without our express permission.  All trademarks and service marks on the Site belong to Next Narrative Africa, except third-party trademarks or service marks, which are the property of their respective owners.
8. User Submissions. All submissions of content by you through the Site, including but not limited to creative suggestions, ideas, notes, photographs, screenplays, artwork, scripts, treatments, concepts, outlines, or other creative materials (collectively, “User Content”), are subject to our Submission Release, which is incorporated herein by reference. By submitting any User Content through the Site, you agree to comply with the terms and conditions outlined in the Submission Release.
9. Unsolicited Submissions.  Next Narrative Africa does not accept or consider any unsolicited materials, ideas, pitches, or proposals that are not submitted through the designated submission process on this Site. Any such materials submitted outside of this process will be deemed unsolicited and will be returned or deleted without review or response. By submitting any User Content through unauthorized channels, you acknowledge that such submission does not create any obligation, fiduciary or otherwise, on the part of Next Narrative Africa, and that you waive any claims arising from Next Narrative Africa’s use of any content that may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format, or other elements.
10. Feedback. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 8 and Section 9 above, if you provide any suggestions, ideas, inventions, innovations, improvement, or enhancement requests, feedback, recommendations, or other information to Next Narrative Africa regarding the Site or any of the Services provided by Next Narrative Africa, in whatever form, whether or not patentable or copyrightable or made or conceived solely or jointly with others (collectively, “Feedback”), your Feedback shall become the property of Next Narrative Africa, and you hereby transfer and assign all right, title and interest in the Feedback exclusively to Next Narrative Africa and any and all related patent, copyrights, trademarks, trade names and other intellectual property rights and applications therefor, in the United States and elsewhere. You agree that the obligations and undertakings stated in this Section 10 shall continue beyond the termination of these Terms.
11. Indemnification.  You agree that you will be personally responsible for your use of the Site, and you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Next Narrative Africa from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including attorneys’ and accounting fees and costs), arising out of or in any way connected with (i) your access to, use of, or alleged use of the Site and/or Services; (ii) your violation of the Terms or any applicable law or regulation; (iii) your violation of any third party right, including without limitation any intellectual property right, publicity, confidentiality, property, or privacy right; or (iv) any disputes or issues between you and any third party.  Next Narrative Africa reserves the right, at our own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, and in such case, you agree to cooperate with our defense of such claim.
12. Reliance on Information Posted.  The information presented on or through the Site is made available solely for general information purposes.  We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information.  Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk.  We disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on such information by you or any other visitor to the Site, or by anyone who may be informed of any of the Site’s contents.
13. No Investment Advice or Offer. The content on the Site is not intended as investment, legal, tax, or financial advice. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation regarding any security or investment strategy. References to specific portfolio holdings are for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not represent an offer to invest in the Next Narrative Africa Fund. Investing in private funds involves significant risks, and investors should consult with professional advisers before making investment decisions.
14. Termination.  If you violate these Terms, your permission to use the Site will automatically terminate.  In addition, Next Narrative Africa, in its sole discretion, may suspend or terminate some or all of your access to the Site and/or Services at any time, with or without notice to you.  After your access is terminated, information and content previously provided by you may no longer be accessible, but Next Narrative Africa may continue to store such information and content, and it may also be stored by third parties to whom it has been transferred through your use of the Site and/or Services.
15. Modification of the Terms.  Next Narrative Africa reserves the right at any time to modify these Terms and to impose new or additional terms or conditions on your use of the Site and the Services.  Such modifications and additional terms and conditions will be incorporated into these Terms and immediately effective upon incorporation.  We will make reasonable efforts to notify you of any material changes to the Terms, including, but not limited to, by posting a notice to our website or by sending an email to any address you may have provided to us.  Your continued use of the Site and/or Services following notice will be deemed acceptance of any modifications to the Terms.
16. Disclaimers of Warranties.  The Site is provided “as is” and on an “as available” basis, without warranty or condition of any kind, either express or implied.  Although Next Narrative Africa seeks to maintain safe, secure, accurate, and well-functioning services, we cannot guarantee the continuous operation of or access to our Site, and there may at times be inadvertent technical or factual errors or inaccuracies.  Next Narrative Africa specifically (but without limitation) disclaims (i) any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, quiet enjoyment, or non-infringement; and (ii) any warranties arising out of course-of-dealing, usage, or trade.  You assume all risk for any and all damages that may result from your use of or access to the Site and/or Services.  Next Narrative Africa does not guarantee the accuracy of, and disclaims all liability for, any errors or other inaccuracies in the information, content, recommendations, and materials made available through the Site and/or through the Services.
17. Limitation of Liability.  In no event will Next Narrative Africa be liable to you for any incidental, special, consequential, direct, indirect, or punitive damages, whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), statute, or any other legal theory, whether or not Next Narrative Africa has been informed of the possibility of such damage.  Some jurisdictions do not allow the disclaimer of warranties or limitation of liability in certain circumstances.  Accordingly, some of the above limitations may not apply to you.
18. Governing Law.  These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of New York without regard to conflict of law principles.  Subject to Section 21, which provides that disputes are to be resolved through binding arbitration or small claims court, to the extent that any lawsuit or court proceeding is permitted hereunder, you and Next Narrative Africa agree to submit to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the state courts and federal courts located within New York County, New York, for the purpose of litigating any such disputes.
19. Geographic Restrictions.  We operate the Site in the United States.  We make no representation that the Site or the Services are accessible or appropriate outside of the United States.  Access to the Site may not be legal by certain persons or in certain countries.  If you access the Site from outside the United States, you acknowledge and agree that you do so on your own initiative and at your own risk and that you are solely responsible for compliance with local laws.
20. Time Limitation for Claims. Subject to Section 21, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating in any way to the Site or your use of the Services, or the relationship between you and Next Narrative Africa, must be commenced within one year of the relevant events. A dispute is commenced if it is filed in an arbitration or, if the dispute is non-arbitrable, a court of competent jurisdiction, during the one-year period. If you or we provide notice of a dispute, the one-year period is tolled for 60 days following receipt of the notice of dispute (although for the sake of clarity, it may be further extended if your dispute, claim or controversy is part of a mass filing).
21. Dispute Resolution by Binding Arbitration.

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE OR PARTICIPATE IN A LAWSUIT IN COURT.

In the interest of resolving disputes between you and Next Narrative Africa in the most expedient and cost effective manner, you and Next Narrative Africa agree to resolve disputes through binding arbitration or small claims court instead of in courts of general jurisdiction (“Agreement to Arbitrate”).  Arbitration is more informal than a lawsuit in court.  Arbitration uses a neutral arbitrator instead of a judge or jury, allows for more limited discovery than in court, and is subject to very limited review by courts.  Arbitrators can award the same damages and relief that a court can award.  You acknowledge and agree that the arbitrator may award relief (including monetary, injunctive, and declaratory relief) only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief necessitated by that individual party’s claim(s).

Any arbitration or litigation under these Terms will take place on an individual basis; class arbitrations and class actions are not permitted. Any relief awarded cannot affect other users.

This Agreement to Arbitrate is made pursuant to a transaction involving interstate commerce, and shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16 (the “FAA”). Any arbitration will take place subject to the FAA, the National Arbitration and Mediation (“NAM”) rules and terms set forth in this Section 21.  If you are initiating arbitration, a copy of the demand shall also be emailed to admin@nextnarrativeafrica.com. If you have previously provided us with Registration Information, any demand initiating arbitration, whether filed by you or us, must include the contact information you included in the Registration Information.

The arbitration will be administered by NAM and conducted before a sole arbitrator in accordance with the rules of NAM, excluding any rules or procedures governing or permitting class or representative actions. The applicable NAM rules and procedures are available at www.namadr.com or by emailing National Arbitration and Mediation’s Commercial Dept at commercial@namadr.com.

For all U.S. residents, the arbitration shall be held (i) at a location determined under the applicable NAM rules and procedures that is reasonably convenient for you and is no more than 100 miles from your home or place of business; or (ii) at another location you and we agree upon. For non-U.S. residents, the arbitration shall be held in New York County, New York (unless otherwise agreed by the parties). The arbitrator shall apply New York law consistent with the FAA and applicable statutes of limitations, and shall honor claims of privilege recognized at law.

Notwithstanding the parties’ decision to resolve all through arbitration, each party retains the right to (i) elect to have any claims resolved in small claims court on an individual basis for disputes and actions within the scope of such court’s jurisdiction, regardless of what forum the filing party initially chose; (ii) bring an action in state or federal court to protect its intellectual property rights (“intellectual property rights” in this context means patents, copyrights, moral rights, trademarks, and trade secrets and other confidential or proprietary information, but not privacy or publicity rights) or for defamation; and (iii) seek a declaratory judgment, injunction, or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction regarding whether a party’s claims are time-barred or may be brought in small claims court. Seeking such relief shall not waive a party’s right to arbitration under this Agreement to Arbitrate, and any filed arbitrations related to any action filed pursuant to this paragraph shall automatically be stayed pending the outcome of such action.

1. 22. Modification of the Site/ Services.  Next Narrative Africa reserves the right to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, some or all of the Site and/or Services at any time without any notice or further obligation to you.  You agree that Next Narrative Africa will not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of any of the Site or Services. Next Narrative Africa may also, in the future, offer new features through the Site (including, but not limited to the release of new tools, content and resources). Such new features shall also be subject to these Terms.
   23. General.  
       1. 1. Entire Agreement.  These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Submission Release, constitute the entire and exclusive understanding and agreement between you and Next Narrative Africa regarding your use of and access to the Site, and except as expressly permitted above may only be amended by a written agreement signed by authorized representatives of the parties.
          2. No Waiver.  The failure to require performance of any provision shall not affect our right to require performance at any time thereafter, nor shall a waiver of any breach or default of the Terms constitute a waiver of any subsequent breach or default or a waiver of the provision itself.
          3. Paragraph Headers.  Use of paragraph headers in the Terms is for convenience only and shall not have any impact on the interpretation of particular provisions.
          4. Severability.  In the event that any part of the Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the unenforceable part shall be given effect to the greatest extent possible and the remaining parts will remain in full force and effect.

Notice to California Residents.  Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, you may contact the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite N-112, Sacramento, California 95834, or by telephone at (800) 952-5210 in order to resolve a complaint regarding the service or to receive further information regarding use of the service.

Last updated: July 6, 2025