Privacy & POPIA Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy & POPIA Policy ("Policy") explains how Savvyly collects, uses, shares and protects personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 ("POPIA") and other applicable South African data-protection laws.

By using the Savvyly website or any of our software services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy.

2. Who We Are

The responsible party for personal information processed under this Policy is:

Information Officer

The Information Officer of Savvyly (Pty) Ltd is responsible for ensuring compliance with POPIA. You may contact the Information Officer using the details below:

3. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Identity & contact information: name and email address;
• Account information: login credentials, subscription details, billing records;
• Communications: messages you send via our contact form or email;
• Technical information: IP address, device and browser information, usage logs;
• Cookies and similar technologies: see section 11 below.

We do not collect or process special personal information (such as biometric data, health information or children's information) through this website.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

• Provide, operate and maintain the Services;
• Respond to enquiries and support requests;
• Process subscriptions and payments;
• Send service-related communications;
• Improve and secure the Services;
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal information on one or more of the following lawful bases under POPIA:

• Consent — where you have given express consent for a specific purpose;
• Contract — where processing is necessary to perform a contract with you;
• Legal obligation — where processing is required by law;
• Legitimate interest — where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, balanced against your rights.

6. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal information with:

• Service providers who process data on our behalf (e.g. hosting, payment processing, email delivery), under written agreements;
• Licensed financial services entities who operate the Banking-SaaS platform you interact with, where applicable;
• Regulatory and legal authorities where required by law.

We do not sell your personal information.

7. International Data Transfers

We use reputable cloud-hosting and software-as-a-service providers, some of which may store or process personal information outside of South Africa. Where this is the case, we ensure that the recipient is bound by laws or contractual safeguards that uphold a level of protection substantially similar to POPIA.

8. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, and in line with the following defaults:

• Account information: while your account is active, plus five (5) years thereafter for legal and accounting purposes;
• Billing and financial records: five (5) years from the end of the relevant financial year, in line with South African tax legislation;
• Support and contact-form correspondence: two (2) years from last interaction;
• Marketing preferences: until you withdraw consent.

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction or deletion of inaccurate or outdated information;
• Object to or restrict certain processing activities;
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa).

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer at admin@savvyly.tech.

11. Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies that are required for the site to function correctly. We do not currently deploy advertising or third-party tracking cookies. If we introduce non-essential cookies in future, we will update this Policy and obtain your consent through an appropriate cookie banner before activating them.

12. Children's Privacy

The Services are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. The most current version will always be posted on this page with the effective date updated above.

14. Complaints & Contact

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact our Information Officer first at admin@savvyly.tech. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with: