Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Jerry Rowles ("we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, stores and protects the personal information of visitors to this website. We are committed to protecting your privacy and to processing your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and any other applicable South African law.

By using this website, and by submitting your information through any of our contact forms, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

This website was designed, built and is maintained on our behalf by Verdantech, who acts as our operator for the purposes of POPIA. Verdantech processes personal information collected through this website only on our instruction and on our behalf.

2. Who is responsible for your personal information

Jerry Rowles is the responsible party (as defined in POPIA) and determines the purpose for which, and the means by which, your personal information is processed through this website. Verdantech assists us as the operator by managing the technical operation of the website and the systems through which information is collected and stored.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights, please use the contact details set out in section 12 below.

3. The personal information we collect

We collect the following personal information when you complete and submit a contact form on this website:

Your full name
Your email address
Your telephone or mobile number

In addition, when you visit and browse this website, we may automatically collect certain technical and usage information through cookies and similar technologies, including:

Your IP address
Your browser type and device information
The pages you view and the links you click
The date, time and duration of your visit
Referral information showing how you arrived at the website

We refer to this technical and usage information as site tracking data.

4. How we collect your personal information

We collect personal information in two ways:

Directly from you, when you voluntarily complete and submit a contact form on this website.
Automatically, through cookies and similar tracking technologies that record site tracking data as you use the website.

We do not collect more information than is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

5. Cookies and site tracking data

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to collect site tracking data, as described in section 3. Cookies are small text files placed on your device that help us understand how visitors use the website so that we can keep it secure, maintain it and improve it.

Most web browsers allow you to control or disable cookies through their settings. If you choose to disable cookies, please note that some parts of this website may not function as intended.

6. Why we collect your personal information and how we use it

We collect and use your personal information for legitimate business purposes only. Specifically, we use the information you provide to:

Respond to enquiries that you submit through our contact forms
Communicate with you in connection with your enquiry or our business dealings with you
Maintain accurate records of our communications and business activities
Operate, maintain, secure and improve this website through the analysis of site tracking data

We want to be clear that we do not use your personal information for any marketing purposes. We do not send promotional or marketing communications, and we do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing or for any other purpose.

7. The lawful basis for processing your information

We process your personal information on the following bases recognised under POPIA:

Consent, which you provide voluntarily when you choose to complete and submit a contact form.
Legitimate interests, where processing is necessary for the proper conduct of our ordinary business activities, such as responding to your enquiry and keeping records.

Where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time by contacting us using the details in section 12. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdrew it.

8. Sharing and disclosure of your personal information

We treat your personal information as confidential. We do not share it with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

With Verdantech, our operator, who processes the information on our behalf and on our instruction in order to operate and maintain this website.
With service providers engaged to host, support or secure this website, who are required to keep your information confidential and to process it only for the purposes for which we engage them.
Where we are required or permitted to do so by law, or in response to a lawful request from a regulator, court or government authority.

We require any operator or service provider who processes personal information on our behalf to apply appropriate security safeguards and to comply with POPIA.

9. Storage and security of your personal information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, damage, unauthorised access, unlawful processing and disclosure. These measures include appropriate access controls, secure systems and the use of reputable service providers.

While we take all reasonable steps to safeguard your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet, and no method of electronic storage, is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to addressing any security incident in accordance with our obligations under POPIA.

10. How long we keep your personal information

We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or for as long as we are required or permitted to retain it by law. Once your personal information is no longer needed, we will delete it, destroy it in a secure manner, or de-identify it.

11. Your rights under POPIA

POPIA gives you certain rights in relation to your personal information. Subject to the requirements and limitations of the Act, you have the right to:

Be notified that your personal information is being collected and used
Request access to the personal information we hold about you
Request that we correct or update personal information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, outdated, incomplete, misleading or unlawfully obtained
Request that we delete or destroy personal information that we are no longer entitled to retain
Object, on reasonable grounds, to the processing of your personal information
Withdraw any consent you have previously given, where processing is based on consent
Submit a complaint to the Information Regulator

We will not charge you for exercising most of these rights, although a reasonable fee may apply where the law permits. There is no charge for objecting to the processing of your personal information.

12. How to contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you would like to exercise any of the rights described above, please contact our operator, Verdantech, whose director handles privacy queries relating to this website:

Dennis Kriel
Director, Verdantech
Telephone: +27 79 309 3651
Email: dennis@verdantech.co.za

We ask that you direct any privacy related query to Dennis Kriel in the first instance, so that we can address your concern as quickly as possible.

13. Lodging a complaint with the Information Regulator

If you believe that we have not handled your personal information in accordance with POPIA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa). The Regulator can be contacted at:

The Information Regulator (South Africa)
Physical address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Postal address: P.O. Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017
Telephone: 010 023 5200
General enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za

We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you approach the Regulator, and we encourage you to contact us first using the details in section 12.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in applicable law. Any updated version will be published on this website and will take effect from the date on which it is posted. We encourage you to review this page periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect your personal information.