Legal

Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern your application to, and participation in, the Pula Pitch programme. By submitting an application you agree to be bound by them. They cover eligibility, intellectual property, your likeness on camera, the equity investment prize, confidentiality, and the limits of our liability — please read them carefully.

Last updated · 5 June 2026

Clause 01

Definitions

  1. 1.1In these Terms, “Pula Pitch”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean Dialektos Investments (Proprietary) Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of Botswana, trading as Pula Pitch.
  2. 1.2“Applicant” means the natural person or business submitting an application. “Contestant” means an Applicant selected by us to participate in a Season.
  3. 1.3“Application Materials” means any document, text, image, video, audio, business plan, financial projection, pitch deck or other content you submit to us at any stage of the application, audition or competition.
  4. 1.4“Show” or “Programme” means the Pula Pitch television production and all related media — episodes, trailers, social cuts, behind-the-scenes content, podcasts and any successor or derivative formats.
  5. 1.5“Season” means a single broadcast cycle of the Show. “Prize” means the BWP 250,000 equity investment described in clause 12.

Clause 02

Eligibility

  1. 2.1Applicants must be citizens of Botswana, or hold lawful permanent residency in Botswana.
  2. 2.2Applicants must be eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of application.
  3. 2.3The business must already have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), working prototype, or demonstrable proof of concept. Pure ideas are not accepted.
  4. 2.4The business must be registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA), or have an active registration application on file.
  5. 2.5A business may nominate up to two representatives — a primary contestant and one team member. Both must satisfy these eligibility requirements.
  6. 2.6Officers, employees, contractors, judges, mentors and immediate family members of Pula Pitch, Dialektos Investments, the production house and any Season sponsor are not eligible to apply.
  7. 2.7We may refuse or revoke eligibility at our reasonable discretion, including where an Applicant is subject to unresolved insolvency, regulatory sanction or a material legal dispute that we believe could affect participation.

Clause 03

Application Process

  1. 3.1Applications must be submitted through Venture Pulse OS, our official application platform, and must include all components listed in the Call for Applications for the relevant Season.
  2. 3.2Incomplete applications will not be considered.
  3. 3.3Application deadlines are published per Season on our website and official channels. Applications received after the published deadline will not be considered.
  4. 3.4Submission of false, misleading or materially incomplete information will result in immediate disqualification and may give rise to further legal action.
  5. 3.5We may request additional information, documents or verification from any Applicant at any stage of the selection process.

Clause 04

Application Components

  1. 4.1Business Plan Summary — a concise overview of the venture's MVP, prototype or proof of concept, the problem it solves, the proposed solution and the target market.
  2. 4.2Impact Statement — the venture's potential societal, environmental and economic impact in Botswana and the region.
  3. 4.3Financial Projections — three-year forward-looking projections covering start-up costs, revenue and profitability.
  4. 4.4Team Profile — information on each team member, their skills, experience and role in the venture.
  5. 4.5Compliance Evidence — proof of CIPA registration (or pending application) and any sector-specific licences or permits applicable to the business.
  6. 4.6Interview — shortlisted Applicants will be invited to an interview to elaborate on the venture and answer questions from our panel.

Clause 05

Representations and Warranties

  1. 5.1By submitting an application you represent and warrant that all information and Application Materials supplied are true, accurate, complete and not misleading.
  2. 5.2You warrant that you (and/or the business on whose behalf you apply) are the sole and rightful owner of, or hold all necessary licences and assignments in respect of, every innovation, product, service, prototype, MVP, technology, brand, design, code, content and Background IP presented to Pula Pitch as part of the Show. No co-founder, employee, contractor, university, employer, investor or other third party retains an undisclosed claim that would prevent you from participating, granting the rights set out in these Terms, or completing the equity investment contemplated by clause 12.
  3. 5.3You warrant that you have full authority to make the application on behalf of the business, to represent and commercialise the innovation in the competition and in any resulting investment, and to grant every right and licence set out in these Terms.
  4. 5.4You warrant that your Application Materials, business, products and services do not infringe any third-party intellectual property, confidentiality, privacy or other rights, and that you hold all licences, consents and clearances necessary for their use as contemplated by these Terms.
  5. 5.5You warrant that your participation will not place you in breach of any contract, employment obligation, fiduciary duty, restraint of trade or applicable law.
  6. 5.6You warrant that you have disclosed to us any existing third-party investor rights, options, convertible instruments, security interests, encumbrances or rights of first refusal that affect, or could affect, the equity contemplated by clause 12.
  7. 5.7You acknowledge that we are relying on these representations and warranties in selecting Contestants, awarding the Prize and entering into any investment, and that any breach is a material breach of these Terms.

Clause 06

Intellectual Property

  1. 6.1You retain ownership of all intellectual property in your Application Materials and in the underlying business, technology and creative works that you bring to the Show (your “Background IP”).
  2. 6.2You grant Pula Pitch, Dialektos Investments and our authorised production, broadcast and promotional partners a perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free, sub-licensable licence to use, reproduce, edit, adapt, translate, publish, broadcast, stream, distribute and display your Application Materials, business name, logo and Background IP, in any media now known or later developed, for the production, distribution, archival and promotion of the Show.
  3. 6.3The Show — its format, episodes, edits, branding, music, sets and scripts — and all derivative content are and remain our exclusive property. Nothing in these Terms transfers any of those rights to you.
  4. 6.4To the extent permitted by law, you waive any moral rights in your Application Materials as used in the Show.

Clause 07

Likeness, Recording and Publicity Release

  1. 7.1You consent to being recorded, filmed, photographed and audio-recorded throughout the application, audition, training, filming and promotional cycle of the Show.
  2. 7.2You grant Pula Pitch a perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free, sub-licensable right to use your name, voice, image, likeness, biographical information and performance in connection with the Show, its promotion, and any successor or derivative production, in any and all media.
  3. 7.3All recordings, footage, photographs and edits are and remain our exclusive property. You waive any claim to ownership, royalties or further compensation in respect of such material.
  4. 7.4We may continue to exhibit, broadcast, distribute and archive material containing your likeness after a Season ends and after any participation by you has concluded.

Clause 08

Selection Process

  1. 8.1Applications are reviewed by a panel of judges and reviewers appointed by Pula Pitch.
  2. 8.2Shortlisted Applicants will be invited to interviews, and selected Contestants will participate in the televised competition stages.
  3. 8.3Each Season features a defined cohort and a series of elimination stages. Contestants may be eliminated at any stage based on performance, panel scoring or breach of these Terms.
  4. 8.4Decisions of the judging panel are final and binding. No correspondence will be entered into in respect of panel decisions.
  5. 8.5We may, in our reasonable discretion, modify the cohort size, stage structure, scoring methodology or production format of any Season, including in response to broadcast, regulatory or operational requirements.

Clause 09

Confidentiality and NDA

  1. 9.1We will treat Application Materials with reasonable confidentiality, subject to the licences granted in these Terms.
  2. 9.2You acknowledge that your Application Materials may be reviewed by judges, mentors, sponsors, partner organisations, production crew, broadcasters and our professional advisers, each of whom will be subject to confidentiality obligations.
  3. 9.3Contestants will be exposed to confidential business information of other Contestants. By participating, each Contestant agrees to sign and comply with a separate Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) covering such information, and undertakes not to use, disclose, replicate or commercialise it for any purpose.
  4. 9.4Breach of the NDA or of this clause may result in immediate disqualification and gives rise to liability for damages.

Clause 10

Data Protection

  1. 10.1We process personal data in accordance with the Botswana Data Protection Act, 2018 and any other applicable data-protection law. Our Privacy Policy explains in detail what we collect, why, how it is shared and your rights as a data subject.
  2. 10.2By submitting an application you consent, where consent is the relevant lawful basis, to the processing of your personal data for selection, production, partnership delivery, marketing communications and the legitimate operation of the Show.

Clause 11

Participation Obligations

  1. 11.1Contestants must attend and complete all pre-competition masterclasses, training, rehearsals and filming sessions notified by the production. Failure to attend, without prior written consent from us, will result in disqualification.
  2. 11.2Contestants must arrive on time, follow the directions of the production crew, and conduct themselves professionally on and off set.
  3. 11.3Where a Contestant is unable to attend a scheduled session, the registered second team representative may attend in their place if eligible.
  4. 11.4Contestants may bring an independent legal adviser to the equity negotiation described in clause 12 at their own cost.

Clause 12

Prize and Equity Investment

  1. 12.1The Prize is a contemplated equity investment of BWP 250,000 from Pula Pitch (via Dialektos Investments or a designated affiliate, fund, vehicle or co-investor) into the winning Contestant's business, on terms to be negotiated in good faith between the parties.
  2. 12.2The equity percentage will be negotiated based on an agreed valuation of the winning business and will not be less than five percent (5%) nor more than thirty percent (30%) of the issued share capital of the company on a fully diluted basis.
  3. 12.3Pula Pitch and Dialektos Investments reserve the sole and absolute right to decide whether to proceed with any investment in the winning Contestant. Selection as winner does not, of itself, create a binding obligation on Pula Pitch or Dialektos to invest, and no investment is binding until definitive transaction documents have been signed by all parties.
  4. 12.4Any investment is conditional on: execution of definitive transaction documents (typically including a subscription agreement and shareholders' agreement) on customary terms acceptable to Pula Pitch and Dialektos; completion of legal, financial, technical and operational due diligence to our reasonable satisfaction; receipt of all required regulatory, corporate and third-party consents; and the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties given by the winning Contestant under clause 5.
  5. 12.5The parties will negotiate in good faith for a period of ninety (90) days from the date the winner is declared (which may be extended by written agreement). If, despite good-faith efforts, the parties are unable to agree on the terms of the investment within that period, either party may withdraw from the negotiations by written notice without liability, and Pula Pitch may, in its discretion, withhold the Prize, reallocate it to another Contestant, retain it for a future Season, or apply it to alternative founder-support initiatives.
  6. 12.6Where Pula Pitch or Dialektos elects not to proceed with the investment for reasons of due diligence findings, regulatory considerations, portfolio fit or commercial judgement, no compensation, damages or consolation prize is owed to the Contestant beyond any non-monetary benefits already provided (such as mentorship, exposure and incubation).
  7. 12.7The Prize is an equity investment, not a grant, salary or loan, and is administered through our incubation partner.
  8. 12.8All taxes, duties and statutory charges arising from the Prize or the investment are the sole responsibility of the winning Contestant and their business.

Clause 13

Code of Conduct

  1. 13.1Contestants and Applicants must not engage in harassment, discrimination, intimidation, threats, violence, intoxication on set, or any conduct that brings the Show, Pula Pitch, the broadcaster or any partner into disrepute.
  2. 13.2Contestants must not misappropriate the intellectual property or confidential information of other Contestants, mentors, judges or partners.
  3. 13.3Breach of this Code is a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate removal from the Show, disqualification from the Prize and reputational reporting at our discretion.

Clause 14

Disqualification and Removal

  1. 14.1We may disqualify an Applicant or Contestant at any time for breach of these Terms, the NDA, our Privacy Policy, the Code of Conduct, or for any other conduct that, in our reasonable view, is incompatible with continued participation.
  2. 14.2A disqualified Contestant immediately forfeits any claim to the Prize, ongoing participation and any rights that would otherwise have accrued from continued participation.
  3. 14.3Forfeiture and disqualification do not extinguish the rights we have already acquired in respect of Application Materials, footage and likeness under clauses 6 and 7. We may continue to exhibit, broadcast and archive that material.

Clause 15

Indemnity

  1. 15.1You indemnify, defend and hold harmless Pula Pitch, Dialektos Investments, our broadcasters, sponsors, partners, judges, mentors, directors, officers, employees and agents from and against any claim, loss, liability, damage, cost or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from or connected with: (a) any breach by you of these Terms, the NDA or the Code of Conduct; (b) the inaccuracy of any representation or warranty given by you; (c) your Application Materials, business, products or services, including any claim that they infringe a third party's intellectual property, privacy, publicity or other rights; or (d) any statement, act or omission made by you during the application, production or post-broadcast cycle of the Show.

Clause 16

Limitation of Liability

  1. 16.1To the maximum extent permitted by law, Pula Pitch will not be liable to any Applicant or Contestant for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, opportunity, goodwill, data or anticipated savings, however arising.
  2. 16.2Our total aggregate liability in connection with these Terms and your participation is capped at BWP 5,000 or the total amount actually received by us from you (if any), whichever is the greater.
  3. 16.3Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or for death or personal injury caused by our gross negligence, where such limitation is not permitted by law.

Clause 17

Independent Status

  1. 17.1Participation in the Show does not create any employment, agency, partnership, joint venture or franchise relationship between Pula Pitch and any Applicant or Contestant.
  2. 17.2Contestants are not entitled to wages, benefits or expenses except where expressly agreed in writing.

Clause 18

Force Majeure

  1. 18.1We will not be liable for any delay, modification, suspension or cancellation of any Season, stage, event, filming, training or Prize ceremony caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control — including acts of God, severe weather, fire, flood, epidemic or pandemic, war, civil unrest, government action, regulatory intervention, broadcaster failure, technical failure or labour disruption.
  2. 18.2We may postpone, modify, abridge or cancel any element of a Season for such reasons without liability.

Clause 19

Changes to These Terms

  1. 19.1We may modify these Terms from time to time. The current version will be published on our website with the “last updated” date amended.
  2. 19.2Material changes will be communicated to Applicants and Contestants through our official channels. Continued participation following such notice constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

Clause 20

General

  1. 20.1If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, that provision will be severed and the remaining provisions will continue in full force.
  2. 20.2Failure or delay by us in enforcing any provision will not be a waiver of that or any other provision.
  3. 20.3These Terms, together with the NDA, the Privacy Policy and any Season-specific Call for Applications, constitute the entire agreement between you and us in respect of the Show, and supersede any prior understandings or arrangements.
  4. 20.4We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms to any affiliate, successor or transferee of our business. You may not assign your rights or obligations without our prior written consent.
  5. 20.5Notices to us must be given in writing to the contact details below.

Clause 21

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

  1. 21.1These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Botswana.
  2. 21.2The courts of Botswana have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or your participation in the Show.

Clause 22

Contact

  1. 22.1Legal notices and questions about these Terms should be sent to Pula Pitch at pula@pulapitch.com.
  2. 22.2Postal notices may be sent to Dialektos Investments (Pty) Ltd at our registered office in Botswana — address available on request.

Acknowledgement

By submitting an application to Pula Pitch, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.