Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

IT Genie (Pty) Ltd ("IT Genie", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our services or visit our website.

This policy complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa and other applicable data protection laws.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Contact information (name, email address, phone number)
• Company information (business name, address)
• Account credentials when you create an account with us
• Payment information when you purchase our services
• Communications you send to us (emails, messages)
• Information provided in job or bootcamp applications

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device information (browser type, operating system)
• IP address and general location data
• Website usage data (pages visited, time spent)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

2.3 Information from Third Parties

When you use our services that integrate with third-party platforms (such as social media APIs), we may receive information from those platforms in accordance with their privacy policies and your privacy settings.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Process transactions and send related information
• Respond to your enquiries and provide customer support
• Send administrative information (service updates, security alerts)
• Evaluate bootcamp and job applications
• Analyse usage patterns to improve our website and services
• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect against fraudulent or illegal activity

4. Third-Party Services

We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business:

• Hosting providers: Vercel, for website hosting
• Database services: Supabase, for data storage
• Analytics: To understand website usage
• Payment processors: For processing payments securely
• AI services: Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI, for AI-powered features

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and may only use it to provide services to us.

5. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)
• Object: Object to processing of your personal information
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Data portability: Request your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Lodge a complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure authentication mechanisms
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls limiting who can view personal data
• Staff training on data protection

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it.

8. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience. Cookies are small files stored on your device that help us:

• Remember your preferences
• Understand how you use our website
• Improve website performance

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child, we will take steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on our website with an updated "Last updated" date. Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

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