POPIA & Privacy Policy

Last updated: 13 August 2025

Who We Are (Responsible Party)

SA Sec Society (SA Sec Society) is the Responsible Party for personal information processed via this website. Contact: contact@secsociety.co.za . Information Officer: Information Officer (iofficer@secsociety.co.za).

Scope

This policy explains how we process personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), including data collected through our website, donation forms, membership/account pages, and communications.

What We Collect

Sensitive/Special Personal Information

We do not intentionally collect "special personal information" as defined in POPIA (e.g., religious or health data) via this site. If such information is voluntarily provided, we process it only with consent or as legally permitted.

Children

Our services or registrations are not directed to children under 18. If you believe a child has provided personal information, please contact us so we can delete it where appropriate.

How We Collect

Directly from you (forms, email, phone), automatically via the site (cookies/analytics), and from payment providers when confirming donations.

Why We Process (Purposes)

Lawful Justifications (POPIA)

Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes above and applicable laws (e.g., tax records typically for 5 years). Certificates and related records may be stored for statutory periods.

Storage & Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures (encryption in transit, access controls, logging). Files such as tax certificates and images are stored in secure cloud storage (e.g., Azure Blob Storage) with restricted access. Card details are handled by our payment provider; we do not store them.

International Transfers

Some service providers may process data outside South Africa. Where applicable, we use appropriate safeguards and contracts consistent with POPIA.

Processors & Recipients

We may share necessary data with service providers (e.g., hosting, email delivery, analytics, payment gateway) under agreements that require POPIA-aligned protection. We also share data where required by law (e.g., SARS).

Your Rights

How to Exercise Your Rights

Email privacy@secsociety.co.za with your request. We may need to verify your identity.

Cookies & Analytics

We use essential cookies for site functionality and may use analytics to understand usage (aggregated). You can control non-essential cookies via the cookie banner or browser settings.

Anonymous Donations

If you choose to donate anonymously, we will not issue a Section 18A tax certificate and will minimise the personal information collected for that transaction.

Emails & Marketing

We send transactional emails (receipts, confirmations). Marketing emails are sent only with consent and include unsubscribe options.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy at any point in time and without prior notice.

Contact

Privacy queries: privacy@secsociety.co.za.