POPIA / Data Protection

1. Purpose of This Policy

This POPIA / Data Protection Policy explains how Handyman by Gebs aims to process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and other applicable South African privacy requirements.

2. Responsible Party

For personal information processed in connection with our website, enquiries and handyman services, Handyman by Gebs acts as the responsible party where it determines why and how that information is processed.

3. Personal Information We Process

Personal information may include names, contact details, property or service-area details, enquiry information, photographs, correspondence, quotation details, service records, transaction records and technical website information.

4. POPIA Processing Principles

We aim to process personal information in a manner that is:

• Accountable and lawful.
• Limited to information that is adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose.
• Collected for specific, defined and legitimate purposes.
• Not retained longer than reasonably necessary, subject to legal and business record requirements.
• Kept reasonably accurate and complete where practical.
• Processed openly, with appropriate notice to data subjects.
• Protected by reasonable security safeguards.
• Accessible to data subjects through the rights and procedures provided by law.

5. Lawful Reasons for Processing

Depending on the circumstances, we may process personal information because it is necessary to respond to your request, take steps toward or perform an agreement, comply with law, protect a legitimate interest, pursue a legitimate business purpose in a proportionate way, or because you have consented where consent is required.

6. Operators and Service Providers

We may use third-party providers to host, secure, maintain or support our website and business systems. Where such providers process personal information on our behalf, we take reasonable steps to require appropriate handling and security of that information.

7. Security Safeguards

We use reasonable measures intended to protect personal information against loss, damage, unauthorised destruction, unlawful access or unauthorised processing. If a security compromise occurs, we will take steps required by applicable law based on the circumstances.

8. Retention and Destruction

Personal information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the original purpose, related legitimate business purposes or legal obligations. When information is no longer required, it may be securely deleted, destroyed or de-identified where appropriate.

9. Cross-Border Processing

Some technology or cloud providers may store or process information outside South Africa. Where cross-border processing occurs, we aim to use appropriate safeguards and lawful mechanisms required by POPIA.

10. Direct Marketing

We will only send electronic direct marketing where permitted under POPIA and other applicable law. Where required, recipients will be given an appropriate method to opt out of future marketing communications.

11. Data Subject Rights

Subject to POPIA and any applicable exceptions, you may have the right to:

• Ask whether we hold personal information about you.
• Request access to personal information we hold about you.
• Ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected.
• Request deletion or destruction where permitted by law.
• Object to certain processing on lawful grounds.
• Withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing.
• Complain to the Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been infringed.

12. Exercising Your Rights

Please contact us with enough information to identify you and the information concerned. We may need to verify your identity before releasing, correcting or deleting personal information.

13. Information Regulator

If you are not satisfied with how a privacy concern has been handled, you may contact or lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa through its official channels and eServices.

Information Regulator of South Africa

14. Updates

We may update this policy to reflect changes in law, our systems or our processing practices. The effective date at the top identifies the current version.