Introduction

1.1 These Terms & Conditions apply to all learners who register for, access, participate in or complete the FNB App Academy 2026.

1.2 By registering for the FNB App Academy, you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions.

1.3 The FNB App Academy is a free online learning programme designed to support aspiring app developers, innovators, coders and tech entrepreneurs.

1.4 The FNB App Academy forms part of the broader FNB App of the Year ecosystem, which includes the FNB App Academy, FNB AOTY Hackathon and FNB App of the Year Awards.

2. Programme organisers and partners

2.1 FNB is the headlines sponsor of the FNB App Academy, FNB AOTY Hackathon and the FNB App of the Year Awards. FNB is a division of FirstRand Bank Limited.

2.2 Creative Space Media owns the intellectual property rights of the FNB App Academy, FNB AOTY Hackathon, FNB App of the Year Awards. Creative Space Media coordinates the planning, coordination, communications, production and administration of the FNB App Academy.

2.3 The Johannesburg Business School Centre for Entrepreneurship, of the University of Johannesburg, is the content and academic partner for the selected UJ learning pathway.

2.4 Accenture is an alternative content partner for selected learners who are not allocated to the UJ learning pathway.

2.5 Cloud on Demand is a programme partner across the broader FNB App of the Year programme.

2.6 FNB may add, remove or replace programme partners, service providers, mentors, lecturers, platforms or delivery partners where needed.

3. Cost of participation

3.1 There is no registration fee or course fee to participate in the FNB App Academy.

3.2 You are responsible for your own data, internet access, device, electricity, software, transport, stationery and any other personal costs linked to your participation.

3.3 FNB and its partners are not responsible for any costs you incur while participating in the FNB App Academy, unless confirmed in writing.

4. Eligibility

4.1 The FNB App Academy is open to eligible learners across Africa, subject to platform access, programme capacity and applicable laws.

4.2 You do not need prior coding experience to register, unless a specific pathway, module, challenge or activity states otherwise.

4.3 You must provide accurate, complete and current information when registering.

4.4 If you are under 18, you must have permission from your parent or legal guardian to register and participate.

4.5 FNB may refuse, suspend or cancel your participation if you provide false information, misuse the platform, breach these Terms & Conditions, act unlawfully, or behave in a way that harms the programme, other learners, partners or staff.

5. Registration

5.1 Registration does not guarantee placement in a specific learning pathway.

5.2 Registration does not guarantee access to UJ systems, a UJ student number, a certificate, mentorship, employment, internship, bursary, funding, media exposure, prizes or entry into any FNB App of the Year event.

5.3 You must use your own details when registering. You may not register on behalf of someone else unless you have their consent and legal authority to do so.

5.4 FNB may verify your registration details and request supporting information where needed.

6. Learning pathways

6.1 The FNB App Academy may include more than one learning pathway.

6.2 Selected learners may be allocated to the UJ learning pathway, which is delivered with the Johannesburg Business School Centre for Entrepreneurship.

6.3 Learners who are not allocated to the UJ learning pathway may be channelled into a curated Accenture Skills Academy learning pathway.

6.4 Both learning pathways are intended to support skills development, confidence, employability and entrepreneurial thinking.

6.5 FNB and its partners may determine allocation based on registration date, completion of onboarding steps, eligibility, learner capacity, platform capacity, assessment results, participation, data consent, operational needs or other fair selection criteria.

6.6 Learners may not demand placement in a particular pathway.

7. UJ learning pathway

7.1 The UJ learning pathway is planned as a 12-week learning experience.

7.2 The planned UJ learning pathway includes:

a. Python technical skills, expected to run through a two-week masterclass format.

b. Entrepreneurship training, expected to cover the building of app-based and technology businesses.

c. Practical app development linked to learner ideation and business-building work.

7.3 The final curriculum, dates, timetable, assessments, lecturers, learning outcomes and completion requirements will be confirmed through the official course outline and programme communications.

7.4 Selected learners may receive a UJ student number and access to relevant UJ resources, platforms or back-end systems.

7.5 Access to UJ platforms and systems must be used only for the FNB App Academy and any approved learning activity.

7.6 You must comply with all applicable UJ platform rules, academic rules, learner conduct rules, IT rules and assessment requirements.

7.7 A learner who successfully completes the UJ pathway may receive a branded certificate of completion endorsed by the Johannesburg Business School Centre for Entrepreneurship or the University of Johannesburg, depending on the final approved certificate wording.

7.8 Unless FNB and UJ state otherwise in writing, the FNB App Academy is not an NQF qualification and must not be represented as a degree, diploma, credit-bearing university qualification or formal university admission.

8. Accenture Learn to Earn pathway

8.1 The Accenture Learn to Earn pathway gives learners access to a curated set of online courses selected for the FNB App Academy.

8.2 The Accenture Earn to Learn pathway may include self-paced video learning, career skills, entrepreneurship skills, digital skills, technology skills, coding-related content and other relevant learning modules.

8.3 The Accenture Earn to Learn pathway is a valuable learning route for participants who are not placed in the UJ learning pathway.

8.4 Access to Accenture’s platform, content and learning resources may be subject to Accenture’s own platform terms, privacy terms, user rules and technical requirements.

8.5 Completion of the Accenture Earn to Learn pathway does not guarantee a job, internship, bursary, graduate programme, funding, mentorship or direct recruitment by Accenture, FNB or any partner.

9. Programme format

9.1 The FNB App Academy is delivered online.

9.2 The programme may includes live streams, recorded sessions, masterclasses, downloadable resources, assignments, quizzes, coding tasks, innovation challenges, surveys, mentorship sessions, discussion forums, interviews, events and other learning activities.

9.3 Session dates, times, speakers and content may change.

9.4 FNB and its partners may record live sessions and make those recordings available to learners.

9.5 You are responsible for checking official FNB App Academy communication channels for updates, deadlines, links and instructions.

10. Learner responsibilities

10.1 You agree to:

a. Participate honestly and respectfully.

b. Complete your own work.

c. Follow programme instructions and deadlines.

d. Keep your login details private.

e. Use programme platforms lawfully.

f. Treat lecturers, mentors, staff, partners and other learners with respect.

g. Not upload harmful, offensive, illegal, discriminatory, abusive, defamatory or misleading content.

h. Not disrupt live sessions, platforms, chats, forums or learning spaces.

i. Not attempt to hack, copy, scrape, reverse engineer, bypass, damage or overload any programme platform.

10.2 FNB may remove you from the programme if you breach these responsibilities.

11. Attendance and participation

11.1 Attendance, completion and participation requirements will be confirmed through official programme communications.

11.2 Some sessions may be compulsory for certificate purposes.

11.3 You are responsible for completing all required activities by the stated deadlines.

12. Assessments and completion

12.1 The FNB App Academy may include assessments, quizzes, assignments, coding exercises, project work, business ideation tasks, app development tasks, attendance tracking or platform activity tracking.

12.2 You must submit original work.

12.3 FNB and its partners may use reasonable tools and checks to detect plagiarism, copied work, AI-generated work that breaches assessment rules, duplicate submissions, impersonation or other misconduct.

12.4 Completion requirements may differ between the UJ pathway and the Accenture Skills Academy pathway.

12.5 FNB and its partners may withhold a certificate where a learner does not meet the completion requirements or breaches programme rules.

13. Certificates

13.1 Certificates will only be issued to learners who meet the applicable completion requirements.

13.2 Certificate names and learner details will be taken from the information submitted during registration or from verified learner records.

13.3 You are responsible for making sure your details are correct before certificates are issued.

13.4 FNB and its partners are not required to reissue certificates where incorrect details were submitted by you.

13.5 Certificates are not transferable.

14. No employment or commercial guarantee

14.1 Participation in the FNB App Academy does not guarantee employment, contract work, internships, bursaries, graduate programme placement, business funding, prize money, procurement opportunities, media coverage or admission to any further programme.

14.2 FNB and its partners may share opportunities with learners, but learners remain responsible for applying and meeting the relevant criteria.

15. Mentorship, panels and speaking sessions

15.1 The programme may include mentors, guest speakers, fireside chats, masterclasses, panels and partner-led sessions.

15.2 Advice shared during these sessions is general learning content. It is not legal, tax, financial, investment, academic or business advice.

15.3 You remain responsible for your own decisions, submissions, business ideas, app development work and career choices.

16. Learner ideas, app concepts and intellectual property

16.1 You remain the owner of your original app ideas, business concepts, code, designs and project work, unless you separately agree otherwise in writing.

16.2 FNB, UJ, Accenture, Cloud on Demand, Creative Space Media and their service providers do not claim ownership of your original learner work only because you participate in the FNB App Academy.

16.3 You grant FNB and its partners a limited right to view, assess, test, display and discuss your submitted work for programme delivery, assessment, mentorship, reporting, judging, publicity and related FNB App of the Year activities.

16.4 You must not submit confidential information, trade secrets or sensitive business information unless you are willing for the relevant programme team, mentors, lecturers, judges and partners to view it.

16.5 You are responsible for protecting your own intellectual property.

16.6 If you enter an app, prototype, business idea, hackathon, challenge, awards category or competition, separate rules may apply.

17. Third-party content and programme materials

17.1 All course content, videos, slides, recordings, templates, logos, names, marks, training material, platform content and partner material belong to FNB, UJ, Accenture, Cloud on Demand, Creative Space Media, their licensors or their service providers.

17.2 You may use programme materials only for your own participation in the FNB App Academy.

17.3 You may not copy, sell, publish, distribute, record, upload, adapt or commercially use programme materials without written permission.

18. Brand use

18.1 You may not use the names, logos, marks or branding of FNB, FirstRand, UJ, Johannesburg Business School, JBSCE, Accenture, Cloud on Demand, Creative Space Media or FNB App of the Year without written permission.

18.2 You may state that you participated in the FNB App Academy only if the statement is true and not misleading.

18.3 You may not state or imply that FNB, UJ, Accenture, Cloud on Demand or Creative Space Media has endorsed your app, business, product, service or profile unless you have written approval.

19. Media, publicity and content use

19.1 FNB and its partners may invite learners to participate in interviews, videos, photographs, social media content, case studies, testimonials, press releases, event content or other publicity.

19.2 You have the right to decline publicity participation.

19.3 If you agree to take part in publicity, you allow FNB and its partners to use your name, image, voice, story, app name, business name, testimonial and submitted public-facing information for FNB App Academy and FNB App of the Year communication, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

19.4 Any publicity consent may be handled through a separate consent form.

20. Communication

20.1 FNB, Creative Space Media and programme partners may contact you about the FNB App Academy by email, SMS, WhatsApp, phone, platform message or other digital channels.

20.2 Programme communication may include onboarding, schedules, links, reminders, assessments, feedback, certificates, opportunities, events, surveys and learner support.

20.3 You are responsible for keeping your contact details accurate.

20.4 FNB is not responsible if you miss a communication because your details are incorrect, your inbox is full, your phone is unavailable, your spam filter blocks a message, or you do not check the relevant communication channel.

• Surveys, reporting and analytics

21.1 You may be asked to complete surveys or feedback forms.

21.2 FNB and its partners may use learner data, survey results, assessment data, platform data and completion data to measure the reach, progress, impact and performance of the FNB App Academy.

21.3 Reports may include aggregated and anonymised information, including registration numbers, participation rates, completion rates, demographic trends, learning activity, pathway allocation, certificate numbers and learner feedback.

21.4 No personal information will be included in public reporting unless you have agreed to this or the law allows it.

22. Platform access and technical issues

22.1 FNB and its partners will make reasonable efforts to provide access to the relevant online platforms.

22.2 FNB does not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free or always-available access.

22.3 Access may be affected by maintenance, technical issues, internet failures, power outages, third-party systems, cybersecurity incidents or events outside FNB’s control.

22.4 FNB may suspend platform access for maintenance, security, system updates or operational reasons.

• Changes to the programme

23.1 FNB may change the programme structure, dates, partners, speakers, curriculum, learning pathways, platforms, selection criteria, certificates, assessments or completion requirements.

23.2 FNB will communicate material changes through official programme channels where practical.

23.3 FNB may cancel, postpone or suspend the programme, or part of the programme, where needed.

• Disqualification and suspension

24.1 FNB may suspend or remove you from the FNB App Academy if you:

a. Submit false or misleading information.

b. Breach these Terms & Conditions.

c. Abuse, threaten, harass or discriminate against another person.

d. Disrupt programme activity.

e. Commit plagiarism or academic misconduct.

f. Misuse programme platforms, content, systems or data.

g. Break the law.

h. Damage the reputation, safety or integrity of the programme.

24.2 FNB may also withhold certificates, remove platform access, cancel participation or report misconduct to relevant parties where needed.

• Limitation of liability

25.1 You participate in the FNB App Academy at your own risk.

25.2 To the extent allowed by law, FNB, UJ, Accenture, Cloud on Demand, Creative Space Media and their officers, employees, contractors, lecturers, mentors, service providers and partners are not liable for any loss, damage, injury, claim, cost or expense linked to your participation, platform access, technical issues, missed communication, learning outcomes, business decisions, app development work, career decisions or use of programme content.

25.3 Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes liability that cannot be excluded under South African law.

• Indemnity

27.1 You agree to indemnify FNB, UJ, Accenture, Cloud on Demand, Creative Space Media and their partners against claims, losses, damages, costs or expenses arising from:

a. Your breach of these Terms & Conditions.

b. Your misuse of programme content or platforms.

c. Your unlawful conduct.

d. Your infringement of another person’s rights.

e. Your submitted app, idea, code, content or project work.

28. Third-party platforms and links

27.1 The programme may include links to third-party websites, platforms, learning systems, video platforms or tools.

27.2 Third-party platforms may have their own terms, privacy policies and user rules.

27.3 FNB is not responsible for third-party platform content, availability, security, rules or decisions.

• Complaints and support

28.1 Learner support queries must be sent through the official FNB App Academy support channels.

28.2 FNB may refer partner-specific queries to UJ, Accenture, Cloud on Demand or another relevant partner.

• FNB will make reasonable efforts to respond to queries, but response times may vary.

29. Governing law

29.1 These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

29.2 Any dispute linked to these Terms & Conditions will be handled by the courts or other legally recognised dispute resolution bodies in South Africa, unless another process is required by law.

31. Severability

31.1 If any part of these Terms & Conditions is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining parts will continue to apply.

32. Updates to these Terms & Conditions

32.1 FNB may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time.

32.2 The latest version will apply from the date it is published or communicated.

32.3 Continued participation in the FNB App Academy after an update means you accept the updated Terms & Conditions.

33. Contact

33.1 FNB App Academy support: production@creativespaceedia.co.za

34. Acceptance

34.1 By registering for the FNB App Academy, you confirm that:

a. You understand these Terms & Conditions.

b. You agree to follow the programme rules.

c. The information you provided is accurate.

d. You understand that placement in a specific pathway is not guaranteed.

e. You understand that certificates are subject to completion requirements.

f. You understand that employment, internships, bursaries, funding and business opportunities are not guaranteed.

g. You consent to the processing of your personal information for programme participation, subject to your privacy rights and communication choices.