Privacy Policy

1 Who We Are

For the purposes of POPIA, Amasiko Group (Pty) Ltd is the "Responsible Party" for the personal information described in this policy. Our details are:

2 Information We Collect

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us. This may include:

2.1 Contact & Enquiry Information

• Full name, email address and phone number submitted via our contact form
• The subject, service of interest, and content of your message
• The IP address from which your message was sent (used for spam and security purposes)

2.2 Job Application Information

• Full name, ID number, contact details, and physical address
• Your CV / résumé, cover letter, and any documents you choose to upload
• Employment history, qualifications, references, and Employment Equity (EE) status (where voluntarily provided)
• Application status and any internal notes made during the recruitment process

2.3 Training & Learning Information (Amasiko Training Centre)

• Student registration details, ID numbers, and contact information
• Academic records, attendance, assessment results and certification information
• Next-of-kin / emergency contact details (where required)

2.4 Newsletter Subscription

• Name and email address provided when subscribing to our newsletter

2.5 Technical & Website Usage Information

• IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited
• Cookies and similar technologies (see Section 6)

We only collect information that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy, and we do not knowingly collect special personal information (such as health information, religious beliefs, or biometric data) unless required by law or relevant to a specific training programme (e.g. Employment Equity reporting).

2 How We Use Your Information

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries submitted through our contact form
• To process job applications, assess suitability for vacancies, and manage the recruitment lifecycle (including sending status update emails such as "Shortlisted", "Interviewed", "Hired" or "Not Successful")
• To register, manage, assess and certify learners through the Amasiko Training Centre, and to report to relevant SETAs where legally required
• To send newsletters and updates, but only to those who have actively subscribed
• To maintain the security of our website, including detecting and blocking spam, fraudulent submissions, and malicious activity (e.g. IP address logging and blocking)
• To comply with our legal, regulatory, tax and B-BBEE reporting obligations
• To improve our website and services through anonymised or aggregated analytics

4 Our Legal Basis for Processing

In accordance with Section 11 of POPIA, we only process your personal information where one of the following applies:

• Consent — you have given us clear consent (e.g. submitting a contact form, subscribing to our newsletter, or applying for a job)
• Contractual necessity — processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you (e.g. enrolling you in a training programme, or progressing your job application)
• Legal obligation — processing is required to comply with a legal obligation (e.g. SETA reporting, tax records, labour legislation)
• Legitimate interest — processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g. preventing spam and abuse of our website), provided this does not override your rights

5 Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We may share your information with the following categories of recipients, only where necessary:

• SETAs and accreditation bodies — for learners enrolled through the Amasiko Training Centre, where required for accreditation, assessment, or certification purposes
• Prospective employers / clients — for job applicants, where you have applied for a role we are recruiting for on behalf of a client, and only with information relevant to that application
• Service providers — third parties who help us operate our website and services, such as our web hosting provider, email delivery services, and IT support, who are contractually bound to keep your information confidential and secure
• Legal and regulatory authorities — where we are required to do so by law, regulation, court order, or to protect our legal rights

Any third party that processes personal information on our behalf ("Operator" under POPIA) is required to implement appropriate security measures and to process the information only for the purposes we specify.

6 Cookies & Tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, remember your preferences, and understand how visitors use our site (for example, via Google Analytics).

• Essential cookies — required for core website functionality, such as session management and security (CSRF protection)
• Analytics cookies — help us understand website traffic and usage patterns, on an aggregated and anonymised basis where possible
• reCAPTCHA — we use Google reCAPTCHA to protect our contact form from spam and automated abuse. This may set cookies and process limited technical data in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

7 How We Protect Your Information

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure, including:

• Encrypted (HTTPS/SSL) connections between your browser and our website
• Secure, password-protected administrative access, with role-based permissions
• Hashed and encrypted storage of sensitive credentials
• Firewalls, rate-limiting, and automated blocking of suspicious IP addresses to prevent spam and abuse
• Regular monitoring and review of our systems and access logs
• Restricting access to personal information to staff who require it to perform their duties

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. If you have reason to believe your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately using the details in Section 14.

8 How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. As a general guide:

• Contact form enquiries — retained for a reasonable period to allow us to respond and follow up, after which they may be archived or deleted
• Job applications — retained for the duration of the recruitment process and for a reasonable period afterwards, in case suitable future opportunities arise, unless you ask us to delete your information sooner
• Training and learner records — retained in line with SETA, QCTO, and accreditation body requirements, which may require records to be kept for several years
• Newsletter subscriptions — retained until you unsubscribe
• Financial and tax records — retained as required by the Tax Administration Act and other applicable South African legislation

When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy, or de-identify it.

9 Your Rights Under POPIA

Subject to certain conditions and exceptions set out in POPIA, you have the right to:

1. Access the personal information we hold about you
2. Request correction of any personal information that is inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or outdated
3. Request deletion or destruction of personal information that we are no longer authorised to retain
4. Object to the processing of your personal information, on reasonable grounds relating to your particular situation
5. Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent (such as our newsletter — see "unsubscribe" links in any newsletter email)
6. Object to direct marketing communications at any time
7. Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe we have breached your rights under POPIA (see Section 15)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 14. We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests, and we will respond within a reasonable time as required by POPIA.

10 Consent

Where you submit information to us through a form on our website — such as our contact form, job application form, or newsletter subscription form — you are providing your consent for Amasiko Group to process that information for the specific purpose for which it was submitted, as described in this Privacy Policy.

You may withdraw your consent at any time — for example, by unsubscribing from our newsletter, or by contacting us to request that your information be deleted, subject to any legal retention requirements described in Section 8.

11 Children's Information

Our website and contact forms are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a parent or legal guardian, as required by POPIA. Where training programmes (such as Early Childhood Development courses) involve information about minors (for example, as part of a learner's family or dependents), such information will only be processed with the appropriate consent of a parent, guardian, or competent person, and solely for the purposes of that programme.

12 Cross-Border Transfers

Some of the third-party service providers we use (such as website hosting, email delivery, analytics, and security services like Google reCAPTCHA) may process information on servers located outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that such providers maintain a level of data protection consistent with POPIA, including through the use of reputable international providers who are themselves subject to recognised data protection laws (such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation).

13 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14 Contact Us / Information Officer

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise any of your rights under POPIA, please contact our Information Officer:

Note to Amasiko Group: please confirm the designated Information Officer's name and a dedicated contact email (e.g. privacy@amasiko.co.za) and update this section accordingly, as required under Section 55 of POPIA.

15 Lodging a Complaint

If you believe that Amasiko Group has not complied with POPIA in relation to your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator:

We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you approach the Information Regulator — please contact us using the details in Section 14.