Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)

1. Introduction

PropertyHuntSA (Pty) Ltd ("PropertyHuntSA", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring your right to privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

This POPIA Manual outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our services, visit our website, or interact with us in any way. It also explains your rights regarding your personal information and how you can exercise those rights.

2. Information Officer

PropertyHuntSA has appointed an Information Officer who is responsible for ensuring compliance with POPIA and addressing any queries or concerns regarding your personal information.

Name: Information Officer

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +27 21 123 4567

3. Personal Information We Collect

We collect and process various types of personal information depending on how you interact with us. This information may include:

• Identification Information: Name, ID number, passport number
• Contact Information: Email address, phone number, physical address, postal address
• Account Information: Username, password, account preferences
• Property Preferences: Property types, locations, price ranges, amenities
• Financial Information: Bank account details, credit card information (for transactions)
• Employment Information: For agents and employees
• Technical Information: IP address, browser type, device information, cookies
• Usage Information: Pages visited, features used, search queries
• Communication Information: Emails, messages, call recordings

4. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information through various channels, including:

• Direct interactions when you register an account, list a property, or contact us
• Automated technologies such as cookies and similar tracking technologies
• Third parties such as credit bureaus, property agencies, and service providers
• Public sources such as government databases and public property records

5. Purpose of Processing Personal Information

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain our services
• To process property listings, searches, and transactions
• To communicate with you about our services
• To personalize your experience on our platform
• To improve our services and develop new features
• To comply with legal obligations
• To detect and prevent fraud and security incidents
• To process payments and manage billing
• To provide customer support
• To send marketing communications (with consent)

6. Sharing of Personal Information

We may share your personal information with the following categories of recipients:

• Service Providers: Companies that provide services on our behalf, such as payment processors, hosting providers, and customer support services
• Property Agents and Agencies: When necessary to facilitate property transactions
• Legal and Regulatory Authorities: When required by law or to protect our rights
• Business Partners: With your consent, we may share information with trusted partners
• Potential Buyers or Investors: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal information and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal information for their own purposes.

7. Cross-Border Transfers

We may transfer your personal information to countries outside South Africa. When we do so, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information and that the transfer complies with applicable data protection laws.

These safeguards may include:

• Transferring to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection
• Using specific contracts approved by relevant data protection authorities
• Obtaining your consent for the transfer

8. Security of Personal Information

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, damage, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of sensitive information
• Secure user authentication
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls and audit logs
• Staff training on data protection
• Physical security measures for our premises

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

9. Retention of Personal Information

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

Different types of personal information may be kept for different periods based on:

• Legal obligations to retain certain information
• Ongoing business needs
• Industry standards
• Potential disputes or legal claims

When your personal information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

10. Your Rights

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

• Right to Access: You have the right to request access to your personal information that we hold.
• Right to Correction: You have the right to request correction of your personal information if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information under certain circumstances.
• Right to Deletion: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information under certain circumstances.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.
• Right to Complain: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

11. How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your rights regarding your personal information, please contact our Information Officer using the contact details provided in Section 2.

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal information. This is a security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

We will respond to all legitimate requests within 30 days. Occasionally, it may take us longer if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.

12. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our website and to hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier.

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our website.

For more information about the cookies we use, please see our Cookie Policy.

13. Changes to This Manual

We may update this POPIA Manual from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new POPIA Manual on our website and updating the "Last Updated" date.

We encourage you to review this POPIA Manual periodically for any changes.

14. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this POPIA Manual or our data practices, please contact us at:

PropertyHuntSA (Pty) Ltd

Physical Address: 123 Main Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +27 21 123 4567

15. Information Regulator

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe that we have not complied with POPIA in respect of your personal information. The Information Regulator's contact details are:

Website: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/

Email: [email protected]

Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001

Postal Address: P.O Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017