Privacy Policy
Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy outlines how Meander SA collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our platform, in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa.
1. Information We Collect
- Personal Information: Your name, email address, phone number, location, role (requestor or provider), company name (if applicable), and selected services when signing up for our waitlist or platform.
- Usage Data: We collect anonymous data such as browser type, IP address, pages visited, time spent on platform, and device information to improve our services.
- Communication Data: Messages, reviews, feedback, or correspondence you provide to us or share through our platform.
- Security Data: Information collected for security purposes, including login attempts and suspicious activity monitoring.
2. How We Use Your Information
- To create and manage your user account and profile.
- To connect you with relevant service providers or service requestors.
- To send service updates, important notifications, and promotional communications (with your consent).
- To improve platform functionality, user experience, and develop new features.
- To prevent fraud, ensure platform security, and protect user safety.
- To comply with legal obligations, enforce platform policies, and respond to legal requests.
- To analyze platform usage and generate anonymous statistics for business improvement.
3. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal information based on:
- Consent: When you voluntarily provide information and agree to our terms.
- Contract Performance: To deliver services you've requested through our platform.
- Legitimate Interest: For platform security, fraud prevention, and service improvement.
- Legal Compliance: When required by South African law or regulatory authorities.
4. Sharing of Information
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share limited data only with:
- Service providers or requestors you've chosen to engage with through our platform.
- Trusted third-party service providers that support our operations (e.g., hosting services, payment processors, analytics providers) under strict confidentiality agreements.
- Law enforcement, regulatory authorities, or legal representatives when required by law or to protect our rights and user safety.
- Business partners in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of our company (with proper notice to users).
5. Data Security
We implement comprehensive technical and organizational security measures to protect your data, including:
- Encryption of sensitive personal information before database storage.
- Secure transmission protocols (HTTPS/SSL) for all data transfers.
- Regular security monitoring and intrusion detection systems.
- Access controls and authentication measures for our systems.
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.
6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Personalize your experience and remember your preferences.
- Analyze website traffic and user behavior patterns.
- Improve platform functionality and performance.
- Provide targeted content and services.
You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some platform functionality.
7. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a South African resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: Request access to personal information we hold about you.
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements).
- Processing Restriction: Request limitation of how we process your information.
- Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used format.
- Objection: Object to processing of your personal information for certain purposes.
- Withdrawal of Consent: Withdraw consent for processing at any time (where consent is the legal basis).
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for different periods depending on the purpose:
- Account Information: For the duration of your account plus 7 years after closure.
- Transaction Records: As required by South African law (typically 5-7 years).
- Communication Records: For 3 years or as needed for legal compliance.
- Security Logs: For 1 year for security monitoring purposes.
You may request earlier deletion of your data, subject to our legal and regulatory obligations.
9. International Data Transfers
Your personal information is primarily stored and processed within South Africa. If we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with POPIA requirements.
10. Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your privacy rights, we will:
- Notify the Information Regulator within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach.
- Inform affected users without undue delay if the breach poses a high risk to their rights.
- Provide clear information about the nature of the breach and steps being taken to address it.
11. Children's Privacy
Our platform is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover we have collected information from a child, we will delete it immediately.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last updated" date below.
- Notify users via email or prominent platform notice.
- Provide a reasonable period for review before changes take effect.
Continued use of our platform after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:
14. Information Regulator
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:
Last updated: June 2025