Effective Date: 1 January 2026 | Last Updated: March 2026
Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect any information you provide when you visit our website or interact with our content. We are committed to being transparent about our data practices and to handling your information responsibly, in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa.
By using our website, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please discontinue use of our platform. We may update this policy from time to time – the effective date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version.
1. Who We Are
We are an independent digital information platform based in South Africa. Our website provides free, publicly accessible information about SASSA grants, payment dates, application procedures, and social welfare rights. We are not affiliated with SASSA, the Department of Social Development, or any South African government body.
For any privacy-related queries, you may contact us via the email address listed on our Contact Us page. We will respond to all privacy enquiries within a reasonable timeframe, and no later than 30 days as required under POPIA.
2. Information We Collect
We collect two types of information: information you provide to us directly, and information collected automatically when you use our website.
Information You Provide Directly:
- Name and email address – when you submit a contact form or subscribe to our newsletter
- Message content – when you send us a query or feedback via our contact page
- Any other information you voluntarily share when communicating with us
Information Collected Automatically:
- IP address and general geographic location (country or city level)
- Browser type, device type, and operating system
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, and links clicked
- Referring website or search engine that brought you to our site
- Date and time of your visit
This automatically collected data is gathered through standard web analytics tools such as Google Analytics and through cookies placed on your device. This data is aggregated and anonymised where possible and is used solely to understand how our website is being used so that we can improve it.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes only:
- To respond to your messages, questions, or feedback submitted via our contact form
- To send you newsletters or content updates, if you have subscribed and given us explicit consent to do so
- To analyse website traffic and user behaviour in order to improve the quality and relevance of our content
- To detect and prevent fraudulent activity, spam, or misuse of our platform
- To comply with our legal obligations under South African law, including POPIA
We will never use your personal information for any purpose other than those listed above. We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or commercial purposes.
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies – small text files stored on your device – to improve your browsing experience and to collect anonymous usage data. Cookies help us understand which pages are most visited, how long readers stay on the site, and where traffic is coming from.
We use the following types of cookies:
- Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly. These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics cookies: Used to collect anonymous data about how visitors use our website. We use Google Analytics for this purpose.
- Preference cookies: Used to remember your settings and preferences for future visits.
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information on how Google Analytics collects and processes data, visit google.com/policies/privacy/partners.
5. Sharing of Information
We do not sell, trade, or share your personal information with third parties, except in the following limited circumstances:
- Service providers: We may share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, such as web hosting companies, email delivery services, and analytics providers. These providers are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential and to use it only for the services they provide to us.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
- Business transfers: In the unlikely event that our platform is sold or merged with another organisation, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change via a prominent notice on our website.
Outside of these specific circumstances, your personal information stays with us and is not shared with anyone.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Specifically:
- Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 12 months after your last interaction with us, then securely deleted
- Newsletter subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe, after which your details are removed from our mailing list within 30 days
- Analytics data: Retained in aggregated, anonymised form indefinitely for the purpose of understanding long-term website trends
- Server logs: Automatically deleted after 90 days
When your data is no longer needed, we ensure it is securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be linked to you personally.
7. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a South African resident, you have the following rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) with regard to your personal information:
- Right to access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you at any time.
- Right to correction: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
- Right to deletion: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information, subject to any legal obligations we may have to retain certain records.
- Right to object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing or other purposes.
- Right to withdraw consent: If you have provided consent for us to process your data for a specific purpose (such as newsletter subscriptions), you may withdraw that consent at any time.
- Right to lodge a complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via the email address on our Contact Us page. We will respond to all requests within 30 days. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
8. Security of Your Information
We take the security of your personal information seriously and have implemented reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures include secure HTTPS encryption on our website, restricted access to personal data, and regular security reviews.
However, please be aware that no method of data transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we do everything we can to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately.
9. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us and we will promptly delete that information from our records.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to external websites, including the official SASSA portal, government pages, and news sources. This Privacy Policy applies only to our website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party websites, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the way our website operates. When we make changes, we will update the ‘Last Updated’ date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we may also post a notice on our website or notify subscribed users by email.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Your continued use of our website after any changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us About Privacy
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. You can reach us via the contact form or email address listed on our Contact Us page.
For complaints that cannot be resolved directly with us, you may contact the Information Regulator of South Africa:
- Website: inforegulator.org.za
- Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
- Physical Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
We respect your privacy. We collect only what we need, use it only for what we said, and never sell it to anyone. Your trust is important to us.