Terms &
Conditions

01 Parties, acceptance and the documents that apply

1.1 Who we are

These terms are issued by Mister Afrikana International (“MAI”, “we”, “us”, “our”), a global competition platform for men of African descent, with its head office in Accra, Ghana. We operate across 111 territories in six regions.

1.2 When these terms bind you

These terms form a binding agreement between you and us from the moment you do any of the following:

• use this website, or any site, form or platform we operate;
• submit an application to compete, or an application for a National Director licence;
• are appointed, or act, as a National Director, judge, volunteer, contractor or supplier;
• attend, take part in, or are accredited for any round, camp, national final, international final or event;
• accept any licence, credential, ticket, prize, bursary or accreditation from us.

By doing any of those things you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted these terms in full. If you do not accept them, do not use this website and do not apply or take part.

1.3 Capacity

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding contract. If you are under 18 you may not apply, compete, hold a licence or contract with us in any capacity.

1.4 Other documents that form part of the agreement

These terms sit alongside, and must be read with:

• our Privacy Policy;
• our Code of Conduct;
• the rules, briefings, handbooks, schedules and scoring criteria published for each round or event;
• for National Directors, the Licence Agreement, the Production Playbook and any reporting requirements we issue.

If there is a conflict between them, the following order of precedence applies: (a) the Licence Agreement, where you are a National Director; (b) these terms; (c) the rules and briefings for the relevant round; (d) the Code of Conduct; (e) any other document we issue.

1.5 Definitions

Competition

the Mister Afrikana International competition, including every round, camp, national final and the international final.

Season

a single edition of the Competition, currently Season 01, culminating in the grand finale on 29 July 2028.

Round

any stage of the Competition, including Application and Review, the Qualifying Round, the Camp and the Grand Finale.

Panel

the judges appointed by us for any Round, drawn from sport, business, media and culture.

Territory

one of the 111 nations and territories in which a licence may be granted.

Licence

the personal, revocable, exclusive right granted to a National Director to run a national selection in one Territory for a fixed term.

Materials

anything you submit to us, including text, photographs, video, audio, biographies, project briefs and documents.

Confidential Information

all non-public information belonging to us, including the Playbook, judging methodology, scoring data, contestant data, commercial terms and internal communications.

02 Eligibility, your warranties and our right to verify

2.1 Who may compete

You may apply to compete only if, on the day of the grand finale, you:

• are male at birth and identify as a man;
• are aged 18 to 39, evidenced by a valid passport or national identity document;
• are of African or diaspora descent, by birth, ancestry or lineage, from anywhere in the world;
• hold a valid passport from the nation you seek to represent, and are able to travel to the Camp and the international final;
• arrive with a community project or advocacy platform that the title can fund;
• are free of any contract, obligation or restriction that would prevent you from taking and holding the title for the full Season.

2.2 Who may not compete

Our employees and officers, members of any Panel, and the immediate family of any of them, are not eligible to compete in the Season for which they act. We may waive this restriction in writing at our absolute discretion.

2.3 Your warranties

By applying or taking part, you warrant to us that:

• every statement, document and image you submit is true, accurate, complete and not misleading in any way;
• you own, or have full permission to use and license to us, everything contained in your Materials, including any music, footage, photography or third-party content;
• you will tell us promptly, in writing, if any information you have given us changes;
• you are physically and mentally fit to take part in the physical, travel and public-speaking demands of the Competition, and you have disclosed any medical condition relevant to your participation;
• you have disclosed any criminal conviction or pending charge involving dishonesty, violence, or a sexual offence, and you are not subject to any sanction, restriction or court order that would affect your participation;
• you will comply with the Code of Conduct, the rules of each Round and the reasonable instructions of our officials at all times.

2.4 Our right to verify

We may verify anything you tell us, at any time and by any lawful means, including checking identity and travel documents, proof of age and heritage, references, employment and business records, public and social media, and — where the law permits and where it is relevant to safeguarding — criminal record checks. You consent to those checks and will cooperate with them promptly. We may require you to provide original documents, and to attend an interview in person or by video.

2.5 If any of it is untrue

Information that is false, incomplete or misleading, or a failure to disclose something you were required to disclose, is a material breach. In that event we may, without liability to you:

• reject your application, or disqualify you from any Round;
• withdraw or refuse to award any title, sash, prize, bursary or accreditation;
• withdraw a title that has already been awarded, and require the return of any sash, trophy, prize, bursary or payment made to you;
• recover from you any cost or loss we suffer as a result.

We are not required to give reasons for any decision taken under this clause.

03 Applications, selection and no guarantee of outcome

3.1 An application is not an offer

Submitting an application is an invitation for us to consider you. It is not an offer by us, it creates no contract between us at that point, and nothing in it obliges us to shortlist, interview, select, appoint or award anything to anyone.

3.2 Our discretion

We may accept, refuse, defer or ignore any application at our absolute discretion. We may open, close, pause or re-open applications for any Territory or Round, and we may limit the number of applications we consider. We will not be liable to you for the exercise of any of these discretions.

3.3 Assessment and finality of decisions

Selection is competitive. Contestants are assessed across the eight pillars — strength, intelligence, leadership, endurance, culture, brotherhood, purpose and excellence — and scores are recorded per pillar, round by round. The decision of the Panel, and any decision of ours on selection, shortlisting, progression or the award of a title, is final and binding.

Scores, deliberations and panel discussions are confidential unless and until we choose to publish them. We do not enter into correspondence, appeals or reviews about a decision, and we are under no obligation to provide reasons, scores or feedback.

3.4 No guarantee of any outcome

Applying does not guarantee, and we do not promise: a place in any Round; an invitation to the Camp; a national or international title; any prize, bursary, scholarship, contract, sponsorship, modelling or media opportunity; or any particular treatment, coverage, ranking or result.

Bursaries, programme funding and prizes are discretionary. They are subject to availability, to separate terms and conditions, and to our approval of how the money is used. We may vary, defer or withdraw them, and we are not obliged to pay any sum that has been announced but not yet paid.

3.5 Withdrawal by you

You may withdraw your application at any time by written notice to us. Any fees you have paid remain non-refundable under clause 4.4, and we may publish that the slot or Territory is open again.

3.6 How we contact you

We contact applicants by email, and by phone or WhatsApp. You must keep the contact details on your application current and must ensure our messages are not blocked or filtered. We are not responsible for a missed message, deadline or Round where the failure was caused by details you gave us being out of date, incorrect, or blocked.

3.7 Rounds and schedule

The Season runs in four rounds: Application and Review, the Qualifying Round, the Camp, and the Grand Finale. Attendance at the Camp is by invitation only. The format, dates, venues, panel and criteria for each Round are subject to change under clause 9.1.

04 Fees, payments and refunds

4.1 Applying is free

MAI does not charge an application fee. Applying to compete, or applying for a licence, costs you nothing from us.

4.2 Fees set by National Directors

A National Director may set a registration, production, coaching or participation fee for the national selection in their own Territory. Any such fee is set, collected, held and refunded (if at all) by that Director alone, in their own name and on their own account.

MAI is not a party to those fees, gives no warranty or representation in respect of them, and accepts no liability for them, for the way they are collected or applied, or for any dispute about them. Your remedy, if any, is against the Director.

4.3 Other sums

Licence fees, partnership fees, sponsorship fees and any other sum payable to us are as agreed in writing between us. All sums are exclusive of taxes, duties, levies, bank charges and transfer costs, which you bear. You must pay without any deduction, withholding, set-off or counterclaim.

4.4 No refunds

Every fee paid to us, or to a National Director, is non-refundable in all circumstances. That includes, without limitation:

• withdrawal by you, for any reason or none;
• disqualification, removal or refusal of entry under clause 6;
• non-selection, or failure to progress to any Round;
• illness, injury, pregnancy, bereavement or change of personal circumstances;
• refusal or delay of a visa, passport or travel document, or travel disruption of any kind;
• a change of format, date, venue or host city, or a change to the Panel;
• postponement, relocation or cancellation of any Round, event, or the Season, including for a force majeure event;
• termination or suspension of a Licence.

The only exceptions are where we have expressly agreed a refund in writing signed by us, or where a refund is required by a law that cannot be excluded by agreement.

4.5 Chargebacks

If you initiate a chargeback, reversal or stop on a payment in breach of this clause, the sum remains due to us, we may suspend or terminate your participation or Licence immediately, and we may recover the sum together with our reasonable costs of recovery.

4.6 Late payment

Where a sum is due to us and is not paid on time, we may charge interest at 2% per month on the overdue amount, and may suspend your participation, accreditation or Licence until payment is received in full.

05 National Director licences

5.1 Appointment

A Licence is granted entirely at our discretion. It is personal to you, and it takes effect only when we confirm it to you in writing. Applying does not entitle you to a Licence, and we may decline an application without giving reasons. We may carry out due diligence on you, your business and your team before and after appointment.

5.2 Scope and exclusivity

A Licence covers one Territory and is exclusive for its term. It is non-transferable. You may not assign, sell, charge, mortgage, delegate, sublicense or otherwise share the Licence or any economic benefit of it, whether directly or indirectly, without our prior written consent. Any attempt to do so is void and is a material breach.

5.3 Term and renewal

A Licence runs for twelve months unless we agree otherwise in writing. Renewal is at our discretion, is not automatic, and requires a written application and satisfactory performance. We may renew on different terms, including a different fee.

5.4 Your obligations

As a National Director you will:

• run an open, transparent, merit-based selection in your Territory, judged against the eight pillars and the international standard;
• obtain, at your own cost, every permit, licence, consent, insurance policy and venue hire needed for your events, and comply with all applicable laws;
• meet our safeguarding, reporting, brand and production requirements as issued from time to time;
• submit the reports, contestant data and accounts we require, when we require them;
• conduct yourself, and ensure your team conducts itself, in a way that protects and does not damage the reputation of the Competition.

5.5 No agency, no partnership

You are an independent licensee. Nothing in these terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment, franchise or agency relationship between us. You have no authority to bind us, to incur any liability on our behalf, to settle any claim, or to hold yourself out as our employee, officer, partner or agent. You contract with contestants, suppliers, venues, sponsors and staff in your own name and on your own account, and you are solely liable for those contracts and for your own costs, taxes, employees and contractors.

5.6 Fees and revenue

Licence fees are as agreed in writing. Subject to payment of those fees, you keep the majority of the sponsorship, ticket and partnership income you generate in your Territory, as set out in the Licence Agreement. You are solely responsible for your own costs, taxes and liabilities, and for collecting and accounting for any tax due on your income.

5.7 Confidentiality

The Production Playbook, judging sheets, scoring methodology, training materials, contestant data, commercial terms and our internal communications are Confidential Information. You will not disclose them to any third party, and will not use them for any purpose other than running the selection in your Territory. This obligation continues after your Licence ends, for as long as the information remains confidential.

5.8 Restrictions during and after the term

During the term of your Licence, and for twelve months afterwards, you will not, directly or indirectly:

• organise, promote, license, judge or be involved in any competing male pageant, title or selection in your Territory or in any other territory in which we operate;
• solicit or entice away any of our contestants, sponsors, partners, judges, staff or other National Directors;
• use the brand, or any confusingly similar name or mark, in any way not authorised in writing by us.

5.9 Termination

We may suspend or terminate your Licence, in whole or for a Territory:

• immediately, if you commit a material breach, fail to pay any sum due, become insolvent or subject to any insolvency procedure, breach the Code of Conduct or clause 5.8, or act in a way that in our reasonable opinion damages or is likely to damage the Competition or the brand;
• immediately, where we have a safeguarding concern, or where required to do so by law, a regulator or a venue;
• on thirty days’ written notice, without cause and without giving any reason.

You may terminate on sixty days’ written notice. Termination by you does not release you from any obligation or liability that has already accrued.

5.10 Consequences of termination

On termination or expiry of a Licence, for any reason:

• the Licence ends immediately and all rights granted to you cease;
• you will stop using the brand, the wordmark and all materials, and will remove them from every website, social account, document and physical item within seven days;
• you will return or, at our direction, securely destroy all Confidential Information and contestant data, and will confirm in writing that you have done so;
• all fees paid or payable remain payable and are non-refundable;
• you have no claim against us for compensation, goodwill, loss of profit, loss of opportunity, wasted expenditure, or reimbursement of anything you have invested;
• clauses 5.7, 5.8, 7, 8 and 10, and any other clause intended to survive, continue in force.

06 Conduct, and our right to remove you

6.1 The Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct binds every contestant, director, judge, volunteer, contractor, partner and member of staff. It applies on stage, off stage, online and in private, for as long as you are associated with us.

6.2 Prohibited conduct

Without limiting the Code of Conduct, you must not:

• sabotage, intimidate, threaten, harass, bully or discriminate against any person;
• commit, or attempt to commit, any act of violence or sexual misconduct;
• offer or accept any bribe, inducement or payment intended to influence a result, a score, a selection or a decision;
• be dishonest with us, with a Panel, or with the public, about anything material;
• record, copy, publish or disclose any judging material, score, deliberation, briefing or confidential document;
• make any public statement, post or interview that is defamatory, disparaging or malicious about MAI, its contestants, directors, partners, judges, staff or the Competition, or that reveals Confidential Information;
• use our name or brand to promote any political party, religious cause, product or service without our prior written consent;
• break any law, or do anything that brings, or is likely to bring, the Competition into disrepute.

6.3 Our right to remove

Where you breach these terms, the Code of Conduct or any rule, or where we reasonably consider it necessary to protect any person, the Competition, the brand or the integrity of a result, we may at our sole discretion and without liability to you:

• reject, disqualify, suspend or remove any applicant, contestant, director, judge, volunteer, partner, contractor or member of the media;
• refuse entry to, or remove you from, any venue, event, Round, online space or communication;
• withdraw, withhold or require the return of any title, sash, prize, bursary, accreditation, ticket or payment;
• publish the fact of the removal, and our reasons, where we consider it appropriate to do so;
• report the matter to any relevant authority, regulator or professional body.

Any fees paid remain non-refundable. We are not required to give reasons, to hold a hearing, or to follow any particular procedure before acting under this clause, and we may act on information we consider credible without disclosing its source where it is reasonable to do so.

6.4 Investigations

You will cooperate fully and promptly with any investigation we conduct, including by answering questions and providing documents, devices and accounts. We may suspend you, without liability, while an investigation is ongoing.

6.5 Complaints

Complaints should be sent in writing to [email protected]. We will handle them confidentially as far as it is practicable to do so, but we may disclose information where it is necessary to investigate, to protect any person, or where the law requires it.

6.6 Your indemnity to us

You will indemnify us, our officers, employees, judges, partners and agents in full and on demand against all losses, liabilities, claims, damages, fines, penalties, costs and expenses (including legal fees on a full indemnity basis) arising out of or in connection with: your breach of these terms or any rule; your conduct; your Materials; your negligence or wilful misconduct; or any claim by a third party caused by any of those things.

07 Intellectual property and media rights

7.1 Our intellectual property

All names, logos, wordmarks and devices (including MISTER AFRIKANA, the AFRIKANA wordmark and the Africa glyph), the format, the eight-pillar framework, the Production Playbook, the judging methodology, the website, and all photography, video, text and design we produce, belong to us or are licensed to us. Nothing in these terms transfers any ownership to you, and no licence is granted to you except as expressly set out here.

7.2 Licence to National Directors

We grant you a revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the brand solely to run the national selection in your Territory during the term, in the form we supply and with no modification, adaptation or creation of derivative marks. All goodwill arising from that use accrues to us. You will not register, or attempt to register, any trade mark, domain name, business name or social handle that contains or is confusingly similar to our brand, in any territory.

7.3 Your licence to us

By applying, taking part, or attending any event, you grant us and those we authorise an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive and transferable licence, with the right to sublicense, to record, film, photograph, use, reproduce, edit, adapt, publish, broadcast, stream, distribute, exhibit and archive your name, image, likeness, voice, performance, biography, story, community project and any Materials you submit, in any media now known or developed later, for the purpose of running, promoting, broadcasting and archiving the Competition and our programmes.

To the fullest extent permitted by law you waive, and agree not to assert, any moral rights and any right of approval, inspection, consultation or claim to payment in connection with that use. We are under no obligation to use any Material, and we may edit or remove any Material at our discretion.

7.4 Information we publish about you

You consent to us publishing your name, age, nation, city, height and measurements, your community project, your scores, your results and photographs and footage of you, including in broadcast and online coverage.

7.5 Third-party rights in your Materials

You must not submit anything you do not own or have permission to use. You are responsible for clearing all music, footage, photography and third-party content, and for obtaining the consent of anyone else who appears in your Materials. You will indemnify us under clause 6.6 for any claim that your Materials infringe the rights of any person.

7.6 Takedown

We may remove, edit or block any Material at our discretion, including on receipt of a complaint, without liability to you. If you believe material on this site infringes your rights, write to [email protected] with details of the material, your rights and your contact details, and we will consider it.

7.7 No endorsement

Nothing in these terms permits you to state or imply that we endorse, approve or are affiliated with any product, service, brand, political party, religious organisation or cause.

08 Risk, liability and disclaimers

8.1 Your risk and your insurance

Training, travel, physical activity and attendance at events carry inherent risk. You take part at your own risk. You are responsible for your own insurance, including travel, health, personal accident, equipment and — where you run an event — public liability cover, and for all medical, repatriation and other costs you incur.

8.2 Medical

You warrant that you are fit to take part and have disclosed any relevant medical condition. You consent to receive emergency medical treatment where you are unable to consent for yourself, and you authorise us to share relevant medical information with medical personnel treating you. We do not provide medical care or advice, and any first aid or medical assistance we arrange is arranged as your agent and without liability to us.

8.3 What we do not limit

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

8.4 What we are not liable for

Subject to clause 8.3, we are not liable to you, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), statute or otherwise, for:

• any indirect, special or consequential loss or damage;
• loss of profit, revenue, business, contract, anticipated savings, goodwill, reputation or opportunity;
• loss of, or damage to, data, equipment or personal property;
• disappointment, distress, loss of enjoyment or injury to feelings;
• anything done or not done by a third party, including a National Director, sponsor, partner, venue, supplier, broadcaster, transport provider, hotel, or another contestant;
• any change, postponement, relocation, reformatting or cancellation of any Round, event or the Season;
• any decision of a Panel, or any failure to select, shortlist, appoint or award anything to you;
• any loss arising from information you gave us, or failed to give us.

8.5 Cap on our liability

Subject to clauses 8.3 and 8.4, our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with these terms, the Competition and your participation is limited to the total fees you have actually paid to MAI in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim; and where you have paid no fees to MAI, to five hundred United States dollars (US$500) or its Ghana cedi equivalent.

8.6 The website

This website is provided “as is” and “as available”. We do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted, secure, error-free or free of viruses or harmful code, or that its content is accurate, complete or up to date. We may suspend, withdraw or change any part of it without notice. Links to third-party sites are provided for information only; we do not control and are not responsible for their content, terms or privacy practices.

8.7 Force majeure

We are not liable for any failure or delay caused by an event beyond our reasonable control, including act of God, flood, fire, storm, epidemic or pandemic, government or regulatory action, war, terrorism, civil unrest, strike or industrial action, failure of utilities, transport, telecommunications, internet or suppliers. Where such an event affects a Round or the Season we may postpone, relocate, reformat or cancel it without liability, and fees remain non-refundable under clause 4.4.

8.8 Time limit for claims

Subject to clause 8.3, you must start any claim against us within twelve months of the event giving rise to it. Any claim started after that period is barred.

8.9 Individual claims only

You may bring a claim against us only in your own individual capacity. You will not bring, join or participate in any class, collective, consolidated or representative proceeding against us.

09 Changes, suspension and general provisions

9.1 Changes to the Competition

We may, at any time, at our discretion and without liability to you:

• vary the format, number, order, content, duration, criteria, scoring or weighting of any Round;
• change the composition, size or identity of any Panel, or appoint additional or replacement judges;
• change any date, time, venue, host city or host country, or move any Round or event online;
• change the number of Territories, slots, places, titles, prizes or bursaries;
• postpone, suspend, relocate, reformat or cancel any Round, event, or the Season;
• refuse, limit, withdraw or revoke any accreditation, credential, ticket or invitation.

9.2 Changes to these terms

We may amend these terms at any time by publishing the amended version on this page with a new “last updated” date. Your continued use of the website, or continued participation in the Competition after the amended version is published, is your acceptance of it. If you do not accept a change, you must stop using the website and stop participating; fees remain non-refundable.

9.3 Suspension and termination by us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the website, your application, your participation, your accreditation or your Licence immediately and without notice where we consider it necessary, including where we suspect a breach of these terms, a risk to any person, a safeguarding concern, a security issue, or a legal or regulatory requirement. We will not be liable to you for doing so.

9.4 Severability

If any provision of these terms is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if that is not possible, severed. The rest of the terms remain in full force.

9.5 No waiver

A failure or delay by us in exercising any right is not a waiver of it. A waiver is effective only if given in writing signed by us, and applies only to the specific instance for which it is given.

9.6 Assignment

We may assign, novate, subcontract or transfer any of our rights or obligations under these terms, in whole or in part, without your consent and without notice to you. You may not assign or transfer any of yours.

9.7 No partnership or agency

Except as expressly stated, nothing in these terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, employment or franchise relationship between you and us.

9.8 Entire agreement

These terms, together with the documents listed in clause 1.4, are the entire agreement between you and us in relation to their subject matter, and supersede every prior discussion, representation, understanding or agreement. You acknowledge that you have not relied on any statement or promise not set out in them. Nothing in this clause limits our liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.

9.9 Third-party rights

No person other than you and us has any right to enforce any of these terms, except that our affiliates, licensees and successors may enforce the intellectual property provisions of clause 7.

9.10 Language

These terms are made in English. Any translation is for convenience only, and the English version prevails.

10 Governing law, disputes and contact

10.1 Governing law

These terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or with the Competition (including non-contractual disputes or claims), are governed by the laws of the Republic of Ghana.

10.2 Talk to us first

Before starting any proceedings, you must send us written notice of the dispute, and the parties must use reasonable efforts to resolve it by good-faith discussion within thirty days of that notice.

10.3 Jurisdiction

Subject to clause 10.2, the courts of the Republic of Ghana have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these terms or the Competition.

Nothing in this clause prevents us from applying for urgent or interim relief, including injunctive relief, in any court of competent jurisdiction, in order to protect our intellectual property, our Confidential Information, our brand, or the integrity of the Competition.

10.4 Costs

Each party bears its own costs and legal fees, unless a court or tribunal orders otherwise.

10.5 Notices

Notices to us must be sent in writing to [email protected], or to our head office at Mister Afrikana International, Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Notices to you may be sent by email, by post, or by phone or WhatsApp message, to the last contact details you gave us. A notice sent by email is deemed received at the time it is sent, unless we receive a delivery failure notification.

10.6 Keep your details current

You must keep the contact details on your application accurate and up to date. A notice sent to the last details you gave us is valid and effective, whether or not you actually receive it.

10.7 Contact

Questions about these terms: [email protected] or +233 257 494 983, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm GMT.