Effective Date: March 18, 2025
Last Updated: March 18, 2025
1. Introduction
Welcome to Bokashi Bran! We provide food waste solutions across South Africa and are committed to protecting your personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), South Africa’s data protection law. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information through our website and operations, including when you visit our site, agree to cookies, or interact with us for waste collection services.
2. Who We Are
- Company Name: Bokashi Bran
- Information Officer: Bronwyn Jones
- Contact Details: bron@bokashibran.co.za +27 82 456 9225
- We are a small business specialising in food waste collection for clients like hotels, restaurants, and schools as well as providing products for household food waste management.
3. What Information We Collect
We collect personal information to provide our services and improve your website experience. Here’s what we collect and why:
3.1 Website Visitors
- Cookies and Usage Data: When you visit our website, we use cookies to enhance your experience. This includes:
- IP addresses
- Browser type
- Pages visited
- Time spent on the site
- Purpose: To remember your preferences, track repeat visits, and improve site functionality.
- Consent: We ask for your consent via a popup:
“We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking ‘Accept All’, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit ‘Cookie Settings’ to provide a controlled consent.”
You can choose “Accept All,” “Reject All,” or customize via “Cookie Settings.”
3.2 Customers
- Personal Information: If you contact us (e.g., via a form, email, or phone) to schedule waste collection, we may collect:
- Name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Business name and address
- Purpose: To schedule and manage waste collection services, delivery good ordered online, communicate updates, and invoice you.
3.3 Employees and Staff
- Personal Information: For our team, we collect:
- Name
- ID number
- Contact details
- Bank details
- Purpose: To manage employment, payroll, and scheduling.
4. How We Use Your Information
We only use your personal information for specific, lawful purposes:
- To provide waste collection services (e.g., scheduling truck routes).
- To deliver goods ordered online.
- To improve our website (e.g., analyzing cookie data for user trends).
- To communicate with you (e.g., confirm collection or delivery times).
- To comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records).
5. Consent and Your Choices
- Website Cookies: You can accept, reject, or customize cookie usage via the popup. If you reject cookies, some website features may not work optimally.
- Customer Data: We’ll ask for your consent to use your details for scheduling or marketing (e.g., newsletters). You can opt out at any time by emailing bron@bokashibran.co.za
- Direct Marketing: If we send promotional messages, you’ll have an unsubscribe option.
6. How We Protect Your Information
We take reasonable steps to secure your personal information:
- Digital data (e.g., schedules, cookie data) is stored on password-protected devices or encrypted cloud services.
- Physical records (e.g., paper schedules) are kept in locked storage.
- Staff are trained to handle data securely (e.g., no sharing without consent).
7. Data Breach Response
If a breach occurs (e.g., a laptop with customer data is stolen), we’ll:
- Assess the breach within 48-72 hours.
- Notify the Information Regulator within 72 hours if there’s a risk of harm (e.g., identity theft).
- Inform affected individuals (e.g., via email) within 5-7 days, explaining the breach and steps to protect yourself.
- Take action to prevent future breaches (e.g., update security measures).
8. Sharing Your Information
We may share your information with:
- Third Parties: Partners like logistics providers, under strict POPIA-compliant agreements.
- Legal Requirements: If required by law (e.g., tax authorities). We don’t sell your data to anyone.
9. Your Rights Under POPIA
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: Request a copy of the data we hold about you.
- Correction: Ask us to fix incorrect data.
- Deletion: Request deletion of data we no longer need.
- Objection: Object to processing (e.g., marketing emails).
- Complaints: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you’re unhappy. To exercise your rights, email bron@bokashibran.co.za We’ll respond within 30 days.
10. How Long We Keep Your Information
- Website Data: Cookie data is retained for 12 months or until you withdraw consent.
- Customer Data: Kept for the duration of our service relationship, plus 5 years for legal records (e.g., tax purposes).
- Employee Data: Retained for the duration of employment, plus 5 years as required by law. After this, we securely delete or anonymise your data.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Check this page for the latest version (last updated: March 18, 2025).
12. Contact Us
For questions, requests, or concerns about your personal information, contact:
- Information Officer: Bronwyn Jones
- Email: bron@bokashibran.co.za
- Phone: +27 82 456 9225
If you’re not satisfied, you can contact the Information Regulator:
- Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
- Phone: +27 10 023 5200