Choto Terms & Conditions

Updated: 1 July 2026

1. Introduction

Choto operates a digital marketplace that enables customers to access renewable energy services through independently operated local energy hubs. Customers use the Choto platform to rent portable batteries, purchase water, access shared cold storage and use other renewable energy services offered through participating agents.

These Terms & Conditions (the Terms) form a contract between you and Galactic Renewables, trading as Choto Energy (referred to as Choto, we, us or our), the provider of the Choto website, mobile application and digital platform and the services accessible through them (collectively, the Choto Service or the Platform).

By registering an account, accessing the Platform, or accessing or purchasing any energy service through Choto, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms. In these Terms, you refers both to you as an individual and to any entity you represent. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Choto Service. If you violate any of these Terms, we reserve the right to suspend or cancel your account or block access to the Platform without notice.

These Terms apply to the entire Platform and to any email or other communication between you and Choto.

2. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms:

Agent / Local Agent - an independent business that operates a physical energy hub and delivers one or more energy services to customers through the Choto Platform.
Amanzi - Choto's solar-powered water kiosk service.
Company - Galactic Renewables (54 Jason Moyo Ave, Harare, Zimbabwe), the entity responsible for the Choto Service and for your information under these Terms.
Country - Zimbabwe, where Choto and the owners/founders of Choto are based.
Cookie - a small amount of data generated by a website and saved by your web browser, used to identify your browser, provide analytics, and remember information such as your language preference or login details.
Device - any internet-connected device, such as a phone, tablet or computer, that can be used to access the Platform and use the Services.
Energy Hub - a community-operated location, run by an Agent, at which Choto energy services are delivered.
Freeze Hub - Choto's shared cold storage rental service.
Platform / Choto Service - the Choto website, mobile application and digital Energy-as-a-Service system, together with all associated features and functionality.
Scan & Go - Choto's portable battery rental and battery-swapping service.
Service(s) - the renewable energy services made available through the Platform, as described in Section 4.
Third-Party Service - advertisers, sponsors, marketing partners and other providers whose content, products or services are made available through or linked from the Platform.
Wallet - the prepaid balance held in your Choto account and used to pay for Services.
You - a person or entity registered with Choto to use the Services.

3. Eligibility & Accounts

To use the Choto Service you must be able to form a legally binding contract in Zimbabwe and must provide accurate registration information. Where a Service carries an age or location restriction, you are responsible for confirming your eligibility before using it.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify us promptly of any unauthorised use of your account. Choto is not liable for any loss arising from your failure to safeguard your credentials.

We grant you a revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited licence to register an account and use the Platform strictly in accordance with these Terms.

4. The Choto Services

Choto operates a digital Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) platform that connects customers with community-operated renewable energy hubs. The Services currently available through the Platform include:

Scan & Go - portable battery rental and battery swapping;
Amanzi - solar-powered purified water dispensing;
Freeze Hub - shared cold storage rental;
future renewable energy services introduced by Choto from time to time.

The availability of any Service depends on the participating Agents and Energy Hubs in your area. Choto may add, modify, suspend or withdraw any Service at any time in accordance with Section 9.

5. Scan & Go Battery Service

Scan & Go allows you to rent portable batteries and swap depleted batteries for charged ones at participating Energy Hubs. Batteries remain the property of Choto or the relevant Agent at all times; renting a battery grants you temporary use only, not ownership.

When you rent a battery through Scan & Go, you agree to:

return the battery in good working condition;
return or swap the battery within the applicable rental period;
not tamper with, open, dismantle, modify or attempt to repair the battery;
not use the battery for any purpose for which it is not intended;
report a lost, damaged or malfunctioning battery immediately; and
pay any applicable late, replacement or repair fees where loss or damage results from misuse, neglect or failure to return the battery.

Rental fees, deposits (if any) and late charges are shown on the Platform at the time of rental and may vary by Energy Hub.

6. Amanzi Water Service

Amanzi provides solar-powered water dispensing at participating Energy Hubs. Water is sold subject to availability and may be limited by hub capacity, solar generation and demand.

You should use clean, food-safe containers when collecting water.
You are responsible for the safe transport, storage and handling of water once it leaves the dispensing point.
Choto and its Agents are not liable for the condition or safety of water after it has been dispensed and has left the dispensing point, including any contamination caused by your containers or handling.
The Amanzi Service is provided subject to applicable local health and water regulations.

7. Freeze Hub Storage Service

Freeze Hub provides shared cold storage that you may rent at participating Energy Hubs. Freeze Hub rents storage space; it does not purchase, insure or take ownership of your goods.

You rent storage space only - the goods you store remain your property and your responsibility at all times.
You must not store prohibited, illegal, hazardous, perishable-beyond-labelling or unlawful items. Choto and its Agents may refuse or remove any item that breaches this rule.
You must collect stored goods by the applicable collection deadline. Storage fees continue to accrue until collection.
Spoilage, deterioration or loss caused by late collection is your responsibility.
Choto and its Agents are not liable for spoilage or loss of perishable goods beyond their reasonable control, including power interruptions outside their control.

8. Payments & Wallets

Services are paid for through the Platform, which may include a prepaid Wallet, mobile money, card or other supported payment methods. Prices for each Service are displayed on the Platform at the point of transaction and may vary by Energy Hub and over time.

Funds loaded into your Wallet may be used to pay for any Service available through the Platform. You are responsible for ensuring that payment details you provide are accurate and that you are authorised to use the chosen payment method. Choto provides payment processing and transaction management for Services accessed through the Platform.

We reserve the right to change prices and to revise fees at any time. Any change will apply to transactions made after the change takes effect.

9. Independent Agents & the Agent Network

Choto operates a digital platform that connects customers with independently operated Energy Hubs.

Local Agents are independent businesses. Each Agent is responsible for:

the operation of its physical facilities and equipment;
customer service at its location;
the equipment and goods under its custody; and
compliance with all laws applicable to its operations.

Choto provides the technology platform, payment processing and transaction management, but does not employ Local Agents unless expressly stated. Agents are not authorised to act as agents of Choto beyond delivering the Services made available through the Platform.

10. Marketplace Disclaimer

Choto provides the digital platform through which customers access services offered at participating Energy Hubs. While Choto establishes operating standards and monitors platform performance, the physical delivery of each Service is carried out by the participating Agents.

Accordingly, Choto's role is that of a marketplace and technology provider. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Choto is not responsible for the acts, omissions, conduct or service quality of any Agent, and any dispute concerning the physical delivery of a Service is between you and the relevant Agent, subject to the dispute resolution provisions in these Terms.

11. Customer Responsibilities & Restrictions

You agree to use the Platform and the Services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to, and will not permit others to:

licence, sell, rent, lease, assign, distribute, transmit, host, outsource, disclose or otherwise commercially exploit the Platform, or make it available to any third party except as expressly permitted;
modify, make derivative works of, disassemble, decrypt, reverse-compile or reverse-engineer any part of the Platform;
remove, alter or obscure any proprietary notice (including any copyright or trademark notice) of Choto or its affiliates, partners, suppliers or licensors;
misuse, damage or tamper with any battery, dispenser, cold-storage unit or other equipment provided through the Services;
use the Platform or Services to store, transport or facilitate any illegal or prohibited item; or
interfere with, disrupt or attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Platform, its servers or any connected systems.

12. Platform Availability, Modifications & Updates

Choto reserves the right to modify, suspend or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Platform or any Service to which it connects, with or without notice and without liability to you.

You acknowledge and agree that Choto may stop (permanently or temporarily) providing the Choto Service, or any feature within it, to you or to users generally at its sole discretion, without prior notice. You may stop using the Service at any time.

Choto may from time to time provide enhancements or improvements to the Platform, including patches, bug fixes, updates, upgrades and other modifications (Updates). Updates may modify or remove certain features. You agree that Choto has no obligation to provide any Update or to continue to provide or enable any particular feature. All Updates form an integral part of the Platform and are subject to these Terms.

13. Refunds & Cancellations

Refunds for prepaid Services are evaluated according to the nature of the Service purchased.

Completed battery rentals, water already dispensed, and cold-storage services already consumed may not be refundable, except where required by law or where service delivery failed due to a Platform error attributable to Choto.

If you are not completely satisfied with any Service, please contact us using the details in Section 22, and we will discuss the issue with you. Where a refund is due, it will be issued to your original payment method or Choto Wallet.

14. Intellectual Property

The Platform and its entire contents, features and functionality (including all information, software, text, displays, images and the design, selection and arrangement thereof) are owned by Choto, its licensors or other providers of such material, and are protected by Zimbabwean and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret and other intellectual property laws. The Choto name, the names Scan & Go, Amanzi and Freeze Hub, and related logos are marks of Choto.

The material may not be copied, modified, reproduced, downloaded or distributed in any way, in whole or in part, without the express prior written permission of Choto, except as expressly provided in these Terms. Any unauthorised use of the material is prohibited.

15. Your Suggestions & Submissions

Any feedback, comments, ideas, improvements or suggestions (Suggestions) you provide to Choto regarding the Platform or the Services shall remain the sole and exclusive property of Choto. Choto is free to use, copy, modify, publish or redistribute the Suggestions for any purpose without credit or compensation to you.

If you submit or post any ideas, creative suggestions, designs, information or proposals, you agree that such submissions will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary and will become the sole property of Choto, which may use them for any purpose in any medium without compensation or credit to you.

16. Third-Party Services & Links

The Platform may display, include or make available third-party content, or provide links to third-party websites or services (Third-Party Services). Choto is not responsible for any Third-Party Services, including their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, validity, legality, quality or any other aspect.

Third-Party Services and links are provided solely for your convenience. You access and use them entirely at your own risk and subject to those third parties' own terms and conditions. When you follow a link away from the Platform, these Terms no longer apply.

17. Promotions

Choto may from time to time run contests, promotions or similar activities (Promotions) that require you to submit information about yourself. Promotions may be governed by separate rules containing eligibility requirements, such as restrictions on age or geographic location. You are responsible for reading the applicable rules and confirming your eligibility, and by entering you agree to comply with them.

18. Cookies

Choto uses cookies to identify the areas of the Platform you have visited and to enhance its performance and functionality. Most web browsers can be set to disable cookies; however, if you disable them, certain functionality may become unavailable or you may be required to enter your login details each time you visit. We never place personally identifiable information in cookies.

19. Typographical Errors

If a Service is listed at an incorrect price or with incorrect information due to a typographical error, we have the right to refuse or cancel any order placed at the incorrect price, whether or not the order has been confirmed and payment taken. If payment has already been taken and the order is cancelled, we will promptly issue a credit to your payment account or Choto Wallet in the amount charged.

20. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Platform and the Services are provided as is and as available, with all faults and defects and without warranty of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Choto, on its own behalf and on behalf of its affiliates, licensors and service providers, expressly disclaims all warranties, whether express, implied, statutory or otherwise, including all implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement.

Choto makes no representation or warranty that the Platform will meet your requirements, achieve any intended result, operate without interruption, be secure, or be free of viruses or other harmful components, or that any information provided through the Platform is accurate, reliable or current. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you.

21. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the entire liability of Choto and its suppliers under these Terms, and your exclusive remedy, shall be limited to the amount you actually paid to Choto for the relevant Service.

In no event shall Choto or its suppliers be liable for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages whatsoever (including damages for loss of profits, loss of data, business interruption, personal injury or loss of privacy) arising out of or related to your use of, or inability to use, the Platform or the Services, even if Choto has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you.

22. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Choto and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, employees, agents, partners and licensors harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of your: (a) use of the Platform or the Services; (b) violation of these Terms or of any law or regulation; or (c) violation of any right of a third party.

23. Term & Termination

These Terms remain in effect until terminated by you or by Choto. Choto may, in its sole discretion and at any time, suspend or terminate your access with or without prior notice, including immediately and without notice if you fail to comply with any provision of these Terms.

You may terminate these Terms at any time by ceasing to use the Platform and deleting your account. Upon termination, you must cease all use of the Platform and return any Choto equipment (such as rented batteries) in your possession. Termination does not limit any of Choto's rights or remedies at law or in equity for any breach by you.

24. Copyright Infringement Notice

If you are a copyright owner, or an owner's agent, and believe that material on the Platform infringes your copyright, please contact us with the following: (a) a physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or an authorised person; (b) identification of the material claimed to be infringing; (c) your contact information, including address, telephone number and email; (d) a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorised; and (e) a statement that the information in the notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are authorised to act on behalf of the owner.

25. Dispute Resolution

Agreement to arbitrate

This section applies to any dispute, except that it does not include a dispute relating to claims for injunctive or equitable relief regarding the enforcement or validity of your or Choto's intellectual property rights. Dispute means any dispute, action or controversy between you and Choto concerning the Services or these Terms, whether in contract, warranty, tort, statute, regulation or any other legal or equitable basis, and is given the broadest meaning allowable under law.

Notice of dispute

In the event of a dispute, you or Choto must give the other a written Notice of Dispute setting out the name, address and contact information of the party giving it, the facts giving rise to the dispute, and the relief requested. You must send any Notice of Dispute by email to choto.energy@gmail.com. Choto will send any Notice of Dispute to your postal or email address on file. You and Choto will attempt to resolve the dispute through informal negotiation within sixty (60) days from the date the Notice is sent. After sixty (60) days, either party may commence arbitration.

Binding arbitration

If the dispute is not resolved by informal negotiation, it will be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the applicable commercial arbitration rules. By agreeing to arbitration, you give up the right to litigate the dispute in court before a judge or jury, and the right to participate as a party or class member in any class proceeding. Either party may seek interim or preliminary injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction as necessary to protect its rights pending arbitration.

26. General Provisions

Governing law

Choto operates and controls the Choto Service from its offices in Zimbabwe. These Terms are governed by the laws of Zimbabwe. The Service is not intended for use in any jurisdiction where such use would be contrary to law; those who access it from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be changed and interpreted to accomplish its objectives to the greatest extent possible under applicable law, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Waiver

No failure to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right or power under these Terms operates as a waiver of that right or power, nor does any single or partial exercise preclude any further exercise. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorised representative of Choto to be effective.

Entire agreement

These Terms, together with the Choto Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published by Choto, constitute the entire agreement between you and Choto concerning the Choto Service and supersede all prior agreements. You may be subject to additional terms that apply when you use certain Services, which Choto will provide at the relevant time.

Limitation period

You and Choto agree that any cause of action arising out of or related to the Services must commence within one (1) year after the cause of action accrues; otherwise it is permanently barred, except where a longer period is required by applicable law.

27. Changes to These Terms

Choto reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will provide at least 30 days' notice before the new terms take effect; what constitutes a material change is determined at our sole discretion. Unless otherwise required by law, we will notify you (for example, through the Platform) before changes take effect and give you an opportunity to review them.

By continuing to access or use the Platform after revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, you are no longer authorised to use Choto and may delete your account.

28. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms or the Choto Service, please contact us:

Email: choto.energy@gmail.com

Web: www.chotoenergy.co.zw

Operator: Galactic Renewables, 54 Jason Moyo Ave, Zimbabwe