We at Xhosa Connect understand that the privacy of your personal information is paramount. This privacy policy explains what we do with your information and how we keep it secure. It also outlines where and how we collect your personal information and explains your rights over any personal information we hold about you. This policy also outlines your privacy rights and how the law protects you, including compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and applicable South African regulations.
Compliance with Data Protection Laws
Xhosa Connect complies with the obligations under POPIA and other relevant laws by: • Keeping personal data up to date. • Storing and destroying it securely. • Not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data. • Protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, and disclosure. • Ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.
What Data Do We Collect?
Xhosa Connect may collect the content of any data files and communications that you send us, together with any physical documents that you may give us for specific purposes.
Data we collect may include: • Name, email address, telephone number, and postal address. • Other personal or contact information required for the products or services you have requested. • The address, subject line, and body of an email. • Marketing data, including preferences for receiving marketing communications from us. • Technical data about how you use our website, such as your IP address or length of visit to pages on our site.
How Do We Use Your Data?
Xhosa Connect uses your personal data for the following purposes: • To deliver the products and services that customers have requested. • To contact customers as necessary in accordance with the products/services they have requested or enquired about. • To send updates about other services and products offered by Xhosa Connect, which may be of legitimate interest. • To securely and accurately maintain our accounts and records.
Sensitive Data
Xhosa Connect does not collect any sensitive data about customers. Sensitive data includes details of race, ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, trade union membership, political opinions, health information, genetic or biometric data, or criminal offences and convictions.
Social Media and Website Cookies
The Xhosa Connect website may use cookies and similar technologies such as Facebook Pixels for targeted advertising. Additionally, embedded Vimeo videos may use cookies to enhance user experience. By signing up for free resources or purchasing a course, users consent to our privacy and cookie policy by ticking the acceptance box during the sign-up process.
Our Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Data
The lawful basis for processing your personal data is as follows: • Consent: By signing up for our resources, courses, or services, you provide clear consent to process your personal data for specific purposes. • Contractual Obligation: Processing is necessary for the completion of a product sale or service delivery.
Security of Your Data
Xhosa Connect has implemented appropriate security measures to prevent your data from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorized way. Access to your data is limited to third parties with a business need, such as: • Course Creators Kit (CCK), which processes your data as part of course delivery. • Google Workspace, which may store email correspondence and documents securely. • PayFast, which handles financial transactions in compliance with South African regulations. • Paystack, which handles financial transactions in compliance with South African regulations.
Data Retention
Xhosa Connect retains personal data only as long as necessary for its purpose. Specifically: • Personal data (e.g., email addresses for newsletters) is retained until the user unsubscribes or the purpose is fulfilled. • Financial data is retained for up to 5 years, in compliance with South African tax regulations.
Disclosures of Your Personal Data
We may share your personal data with third-party platforms, including: • Course Creators Kit (CCK) for course delivery and data processing. • Google Workspace for secure email and document storage. • PayFast for secure payment processing. • Paystack for secure payment processing.
We require all third parties to treat your data in accordance with applicable laws and use it only for specified purposes.
Your Legal Rights
Under POPIA and other relevant laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal data: • The right to view, amend, or delete the personal information we hold. Email your request to [email protected]. • The right to data portability, allowing you to request your data in a transferable format. • The right to restrict further processing of your data in certain circumstances. • The right to withdraw consent to processing your data at any time. • The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/).
Cookie Policy
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files sent by us to your computer or mobile device. They are unique to your account or browser and help improve your experience on our website. Cookies can: • Remember your preferences and login details. • Enable targeted advertising (e.g., via Facebook Pixels). • Help analyze site usage patterns and improve performance.
Cookies may be session-based (deleted when you close your browser) or persistent (retained until manually deleted or expired).
How Does Xhosa Connect Use Cookies?
We use cookies to: • Track website usage patterns and user preferences. • Enable targeted advertising campaigns (e.g., through Facebook Pixels). • Support embedded video functionality via Vimeo.
Categories of cookies include: • Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for basic website functionality. • Performance & Analytical Cookies: Monitor website performance and user interactions. • Functionality Cookies: Enhance user experience by remembering preferences or login details.
Managing Cookies
Most browsers allow you to manage cookies on a site-by-site basis. To disable or remove cookies, refer to your browser’s settings: • Google Chrome • Mozilla Firefox • Safari (Desktop)
Please note that disabling cookies may limit your experience on our website or affect access to certain services.
If you have further questions about this policy, please contact us at [email protected].
Future Updates
In future revisions, we plan to: • Add a cookie banner for first-time website visitors. • Include a link for users to opt out of Facebook Ads personalization