Safety Centre
Practical guidance for buying and selling safely in South Africa. These are precautions — not guarantees. Use your own judgement in every transaction.
ListZar is operated by M and M Tembe Holdings.
Remember: ListZar connects you directly with other people. We don't hold your money, inspect goods, or guarantee anyone. Treat unusual requests as potential warning signs — not proof of guilt — and report anything that feels wrong.
ListZar Safety Guidelines
Meet safely
- •Arrange to meet in a busy, public, well-lit place for inspections and exchanges — like a shopping centre or a police station forecourt.
- •Bring someone with you, or let a friend know where you're going and when you expect to be back.
- •Don't meet at a private home for a first exchange unless you're confident it's safe.
Avoid payment scams
- •ListZar does not provide escrow or buyer protection. You arrange payment directly with the seller.
- •Potential warning sign: a request to pay outside normal arrangements, or to use an unusual app or 'agent'.
- •Potential warning sign: a buyer sends 'proof of payment' that hasn't cleared, then presses you to release the goods.
- •Wait for funds to clear in your account before handing over goods.
- •Be cautious of 'overpayment' — a buyer paying more and asking you to refund the difference.
Protect personal information
- •Never share passwords, one-time codes (OTPs), banking PINs, or other sensitive credentials with another user.
- •ListZar will never ask you for your password or OTP in a message.
- •Be cautious if someone asks for your ID number, banking details, or home address early in a conversation.
Watch for suspicious listings
- •Potential warning sign: a price that is far too good to be true for the item.
- •Potential warning sign: stock images or no real photos of the item.
- •Potential warning sign: a seller who refuses to show the item or answer basic questions.
- •Potential warning sign: 'guaranteed returns' or unrealistic investment claims.
- •When in doubt, report the listing and walk away.
Avoid pressure and urgency scams
- •Potential warning sign: pressure to pay immediately — 'someone else is on their way', 'pay now or lose it'.
- •A genuine seller or buyer gives you time to think and verify.
- •Take your time. A deal that vanishes because you waited a few hours was probably not worth it.
Verify goods before paying
- •Inspect the item in person before you pay, wherever possible.
- •Check that it matches the listing — condition, accessories, and serial or model numbers.
- •Potential warning sign: goods that cannot be inspected before payment.
- •For high-value items, meet at a place where you can test them (a charged outlet, a test drive, etc.).
Reporting suspicious behaviour
- •Report a listing from its detail page using the Report button.
- •Report a review from the review itself.
- •Choose a reason, add a short description, and submit. Reports go to ListZar's moderation team.
- •Reporting helps protect other users — don't assume someone else has already reported it.
What ListZar will and will not do
- •ListZar provides tools to list, search, message, review, and report — and to moderate reported content.
- •ListZar does not process payments, hold deposits, or guarantee transactions.
- •ListZar does not guarantee a seller's or buyer's legitimacy, product authenticity, or safety.
- •ListZar does not monitor private conversations between users.
- •A verified phone number or account reputation is a helpful signal, not a guarantee of trust.
Emergencies and criminal activity
ListZar is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger, or you suspect that a crime has been or is being committed, contact the South African Police Service on 10111 or your nearest police station. For other emergencies, contact the relevant emergency service. You can still report the matter to ListZar afterwards so we can take platform action where appropriate.
This guidance is general safety information, not legal advice. ListZar does not accuse specific users of wrongdoing based on these signs.
