Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Jyoti Jivanam Movement of South Africa(“we”, “us”, or “our”) is a registered non-profit organisation operating in the Republic of South Africa (NPO Reg No. NPO 068-612; PBO No. PBO 930032411). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you visit jyotijivanam.co.za, contact us, make a donation, or otherwise interact with our services.

We are committed to complying with POPIA, the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2 of 2000 (PAIA), and other applicable South African legislation.

2. Responsible Party

For the purposes of POPIA, the responsible party is:

• Jyoti Jivanam Movement of South Africa
• 913 Inanda Rd, Newlands West, Durban, 4037, South Africa
• Email: office@jyotijivanam.co.za

3. Information Officer

POPIA requires responsible parties to designate an Information Officer. Enquiries, complaints, and requests relating to your personal information may be directed to our Information Officer at office@jyotijivanam.co.zausing the subject line “POPIA Enquiry”.

4. Personal Information We Collect

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

• Identity and contact details — name, email address, telephone number, and postal address.
• Communication content — messages you send via our contact form, including enquiry category and message text.
• Donation information — name, email address, donation amount, payment reference details, and transaction references processed through PayFast or bank transfer.
• Technical and usage data — IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and approximate usage statistics collected through analytics tools.
• Security data — reCAPTCHA tokens and related fraud-prevention signals when you submit forms on our website.

We do not intentionally collect special personal information as defined in POPIA unless you voluntarily provide it and we have a lawful basis to process it.

5. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information when you:

• Submit our contact form or email us directly;
• Make a donation online via PayFast or by electronic funds transfer (EFT);
• Subscribe to or interact with our communications;
• Visit our website (including through cookies and similar technologies); or
• Interact with us at events, volunteer activities, or community programmes.

6. Purpose of Processing

We process personal information for lawful purposes connected with our operations, including to:

• Respond to enquiries and communicate with supporters, volunteers, and partners;
• Process and acknowledge donations, issue Section 18A tax certificates where applicable, and maintain financial records;
• Operate, secure, and improve our website and services;
• Prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorised access;
• Comply with legal, regulatory, and accounting obligations; and
• Send updates about our programmes where you have consented or where permitted by law.

7. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under POPIA, we process personal information only where a lawful condition applies, including where:

• Processing is necessary to carry out actions at your request prior to entering into a contract or arrangement;
• Processing complies with a legal obligation imposed on us;
• Processing protects a legitimate interest of yours or ours, provided your rights do not override that interest;
• You have provided consent, which you may withdraw at any time; or
• Processing is necessary for the proper exercise of a public law duty or in the legitimate interests of our charitable activities.

8. Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information only where necessary with:

• Service providers — including website hosting (e.g. Vercel), email delivery providers, payment processors (PayFast), and security services (Google reCAPTCHA), under appropriate confidentiality and data protection arrangements.
• Professional advisers — such as auditors, accountants, or legal advisers where required.
• Regulators and authorities — where required by law, court order, or to protect rights, safety, and property.

9. Cross-Border Transfers

Some of our service providers may process personal information outside South Africa (for example, in the United States or European Union). Where personal information is transferred cross-border, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules, or agreement that provides an adequate level of protection as required by POPIA, or that you have consented to the transfer where consent is required.

10. Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enable core functionality, remember preferences, and understand how visitors use the site. In production, we may use privacy-focused analytics (such as Vercel Analytics) that collect aggregated usage data.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

11. Direct Marketing

We will not send you direct marketing communications unless you have given your consent or an exception under POPIA applies. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by contacting us at office@jyotijivanam.co.za or using the unsubscribe option in any marketing message.

12. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Indicative retention periods include:

• Contact form enquiries — up to 3 years after resolution, unless longer retention is required;
• Donation and financial records — at least 5 years, or longer as required by tax and accounting laws;
• Website logs and security records — typically up to 12 months.

13. Security Safeguards

We implement reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include secure hosting, encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls, and reputable third-party service providers. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

14. Your Rights Under POPIA

Subject to POPIA, you have the right to:

• Be notified that personal information about you is being collected;
• Request access to personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, or unlawfully processed information;
• Object to processing in certain circumstances;
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

To exercise these rights, contact our Information Officer at office@jyotijivanam.co.za. We will respond within a reasonable period as required by POPIA.

15. Information Regulator

If you are dissatisfied with how we handle your personal information, you may contact the Information Regulator (South Africa):

• Website: inforegulator.org.za
• Email: inforegulator@justice.gov.za

16. Children

Our website and services are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate parental or guardian consent. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us so we can take appropriate steps.

17. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (including social media platforms and payment providers). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

18. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the latest version. Material changes will be posted on this website. Please review this policy periodically.

19. Related Documents

Please also read our Terms and Conditions, which govern your use of this website.