Privacy Policy
Last updated: [DATE]
This Privacy Policy explains how iownit.co.za (“we”, “us”, “our”, the “Site”)
collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information in accordance with the
Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) of South Africa, and any
other applicable South African data protection legislation.
By using this Site, submitting a business listing, leaving a review, or otherwise
providing us with personal information, you agree to the collection and use of
information in accordance with this policy.
1. Who We Are
| Responsible Party / Information Officer | [BUSINESS NAME] |
|---|---|
| Registered Address | [PHYSICAL / REGISTERED ADDRESS] |
| Registration Number (if applicable) | [COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER] |
| Information Officer | [INFORMATION OFFICER NAME] |
| Contact Email | [CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS] |
| Contact Phone | [CONTACT PHONE NUMBER] |
2. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of personal information:
- Business listing information — business/owner name, contact person, phone number, email address, physical address, website, social media links, photographs, services offered, and operating hours, where submitted by a business owner or imported via CSV upload.
- Review information — reviewer name, email address, star rating, and review text submitted via our review form.
- Account information — if you register an account, your username, email address, and password (stored in hashed form).
- Technical information — IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and cookies, collected automatically through standard web server logs and analytics tools.
- Communications — information you provide when contacting us directly, e.g. via email or a contact form.
3. How We Use Your Information
We process personal information for the following purposes:
- To publish and display business listings on the Site;
- To publish reviews after verifying the reviewer’s email address;
- To respond to enquiries, support requests, or correspondence;
- To maintain, secure, and improve the Site and its features;
- To send confirmation emails relating to listings or reviews you have submitted;
- To comply with our legal obligations under South African law; and
- For any other purpose disclosed to you at the time the information was collected.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal information on one or more of the following grounds permitted
under POPIA: your consent; the processing is necessary to carry out a service you
requested (e.g. publishing your business listing or review); to comply with a legal
obligation; or to pursue our legitimate interests in operating the Site, provided
this does not unreasonably infringe your privacy rights.
5. Sharing and Disclosure of Information
We do not sell personal information. We may share personal information with:
- Service providers who help us operate the Site, such as [HOSTING PROVIDER NAME], email delivery services, and security/anti-spam services (e.g. Cloudflare Turnstile);
- Publicly — information submitted as part of a business listing (such as business name, address, phone number, and services) is intended to be displayed publicly on the Site;
- Legal and regulatory authorities, where required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users;
- A successor entity, in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business.
6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
This Site may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate core
functionality (such as remembering your favourite businesses) and to understand
how visitors use the Site (e.g. via [ANALYTICS TOOL, e.g. Google Analytics]).
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some
features of the Site may not function correctly if you do so.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the
purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by applicable law. Business
listings and reviews are generally retained for as long as the listing remains
active on the Site, unless removal is requested.
8. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal
information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or
destruction, as required by POPIA. However, no method of transmission over the
internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee
absolute security.
9. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a data subject, you have the right to:
- Be notified that personal information about you is being collected;
- Access the personal information we hold about you;
- Request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading, or unlawfully obtained personal information;
- Object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds;
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 1.
We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.
10. Complaints
If you believe we have processed your personal information unlawfully, you have
the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator:
| Information Regulator (South Africa) | JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001 |
|---|---|
| complaints.IR@justice.gov.za | |
| Website | https://inforegulator.org.za |
11. Children’s Privacy
This Site is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal
information from children without the consent of a parent or legal guardian, as
required by POPIA.
12. Third-Party Links
Business listings on this Site may include links to third-party websites
(e.g. business websites, social media pages). We are not responsible for the
privacy practices or content of those third-party sites, and we encourage you to
review their privacy policies.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted
on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this
policy periodically.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal
information, please contact us at:
| Business Name | [BUSINESS NAME] |
|---|---|
| [CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS] | |
| Phone | [CONTACT PHONE NUMBER] |
| Address | [PHYSICAL / REGISTERED ADDRESS] |