1. Introduction

We value your privacy and aim to be transparent about how we handle your personal information. This policy explains:

• What personal information we collect.

• How and why we collect it.

• How we use your personal information.

• When and why we may disclose your personal information to third parties.

• The security measures we employ to protect your information.

• Your rights regarding your personal information.

• How to contact us with any questions or concerns.

By using our Website, you consent to the collection and processing of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

 

2. Definitions (as per POPIA)

• “Personal Information”: Information relating to an identifiable, living, natural person, and where it is applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic person, including but not limited to:

  • Contact details (name, surname, email address, physical address, telephone number).

  • Demographic information (age, gender, location).

  • Online identifiers (IP address, browser type, operating system, Browse history, cookies).

  • Financial information (where applicable for transactions).

  • Any other information relating to you which we may collect directly or indirectly.

• “Processing”: Any operation or activity or any set of operations, whether or not by automatic means, concerning personal information, including its collection, receipt, recording, organisation, collation, storage, updating or modification, retrieval, alteration, consultation, use, dissemination by means of transmission, distribution or making available in any other form, merging, linking, as well as blocking, degradation, erasure or destruction of information.

• “Responsible Party”: The public or private body or any other person who, alone or in conjunction with others, determines the purpose of and means for processing personal information. In this case, Afrikonsult is the Responsible Party.

• “Data Subject”: The person to whom personal information relates.

3. Collection of Personal Information

We collect personal information in various ways, including:

• Directly from you:

  • When you fill out forms on our Website (e.g., contact forms, registration forms, newsletter sign-ups).

  • When you make a purchase or request a service.

  • When you communicate with us via email, phone, or other channels.

  • When you participate in surveys, contests, or promotions.

• Automatically through technology:

  • Log Files: Like many websites, we use log files that collect internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date and time stamp, referring/exit pages, and possibly the number of clicks. This information is used for analysing trends, administering the site, tracking users’ movement on the Website, and gathering demographic information.

  • Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies: We use “cookies” and similar technologies (e.g., web beacons) to enhance your experience on our Website. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences, track your activity on our site, and improve site functionality. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. For more information.

4. Purposes for Collecting and Processing Personal Information

We collect and process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain our Website and services.

• To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support.

• To process transactions and deliver products or services you have requested.

• To send you marketing and promotional communications, where you have opted in to receive them.

• To personalise your experience on our Website.

• To improve our Website, products, and services based on user feedback and analytics.

• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues or security breaches.

• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations in South Africa.

• For internal record-keeping and administrative purposes.

5. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose your personal information to the following categories of third parties:

• Service Providers: We may share your personal information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Website, conducting our business, or providing services to you (e.g., hosting providers, payment processors, marketing agencies). We ensure that these service providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and process your information in accordance with POPIA.

• Business Partners: We may share information with business partners for joint promotions or services, but only with your consent or as necessary to provide the requested service.

• Legal and Regulatory Requirements: We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or if we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to:

  • Comply with a legal obligation.

  • Protect and defend the rights or property of Afrikonsult.

  • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Website.

  • Protect the personal safety of users of the Website or the public.

  • Protect against legal liability.

• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our Website of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

 

6. Information Security

We are committed to ensuring that your personal information is secure. We implement reasonable technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. These measures include:

• Physical security measures.

• Computer and network security measures (e.g., firewalls, encryption).

• Access controls to personal information.

• Regular security assessments and updates.

• Employee training on data protection and privacy.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

 

7. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. When your personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

 

8. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to be informed: You have the right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal information.

• Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

• Right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.

• Right to erasure (right to be forgotten): You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information where there is no longer a legitimate basis for us to process it.

• Right to object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information, including for direct marketing purposes.

• Right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information under certain circumstances.

• Right to data portability: You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another responsible party.

• Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

• Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your rights under POPIA have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 10 below. We may require a copy of your identification document to confirm your identity before processing your request.

 

9. Links to Other Websites

Our Website may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

 

10. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact us:

• Afrikonsult 
• marelize@afrikonsult.co.za

 

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.