Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Wikkel ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you use the Wikkel platform.

This Policy is issued in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and should be read together with our Terms & Conditions.

By registering on or using the Wikkel platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the processing of your personal information as described herein.

2. Responsible Party

For the purposes of POPIA, the responsible party (the entity that determines the purpose of and means for processing your personal information) is:

We have designated an Information Officer responsible for compliance with POPIA. Enquiries regarding the processing of your personal information may be directed to the contact details above.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account information: name, surname, email address, phone number, password (stored in hashed form);
• Contractor profile information: business name, business address, service categories, CIPC registration number, VAT number, years in operation, team size, profile photograph, website URL;
• Identity & verification information: documents submitted as part of any identity verification process;
• Communications: messages sent to other Users or to Wikkel support through the Platform;
• Reviews and ratings: feedback submitted about Contractors or Customers.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Location data: approximate or precise geolocation data collected (with your consent) to match you with nearby Contractors;
• Device & usage data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages visited, time spent on Platform, click data;
• Cookies and tracking technologies: as described in Section 9 below.

3.3 Information from Third Parties

• Payment processing data from our third-party payment service providers (limited to transaction confirmation, not full card details);
• Information from address look-up services (such as Google Maps / Places API) when you enter your business address.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To create and manage your account and verify your identity;
• To match Customers with suitable Contractors and facilitate Bookings;
• To process payments and send transaction confirmations;
• To display your profile, reviews, and ratings to other Users;
• To send you service-related communications, including Booking confirmations, reminders, and updates;
• To send you marketing communications where you have given consent or where permitted by law (you may opt out at any time);
• To improve the Platform through analytics and user research;
• To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, and other unlawful activity;
• To comply with our legal obligations under South African law;
• To enforce our Terms & Conditions and other policies.

5. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA Section 11)

We process your personal information only where at least one of the following lawful grounds under POPIA Section 11 applies:

• Consent: You have given specific, informed, and voluntary consent. You may withdraw consent at any time, though this may affect your ability to use certain features of the Platform.
• Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary to perform the contract to which you are a party (i.e. providing the Wikkel platform services).
• Compliance with a legal obligation: Processing is required to comply with applicable South African law (e.g. SARS reporting obligations, court orders).
• Legitimate interest: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g. fraud prevention, platform security, improving our services), provided your privacy interests do not override those interests.

6. Sharing Your Information

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

• Other Users: Your profile information (name, business name, ratings, and reviews) is shared with other Users as part of the core Platform functionality. Customer contact details are shared with Contractors only in connection with confirmed Bookings.
• Service providers: Third-party providers who assist us in operating the Platform (including cloud hosting, payment processing, email delivery, and analytics), subject to data processing agreements that require them to protect your information.
• Legal authorities: Where required by law, court order, or lawful request from a South African government authority.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the relevant third party, subject to the same privacy protections set out in this Policy.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as necessary to provide you with the Platform services. Upon account deletion, we will delete or anonymise your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain it by law.

We retain certain information for the following periods after account deletion:

• Financial transaction records: 5 years, as required under the Companies Act 71 of 2008 and SARS requirements;
• Communication records relevant to disputes: For the duration of any active dispute or legal proceedings, plus 3 years thereafter;
• Aggregated analytics data (anonymised): Indefinitely.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights in respect of your personal information:

• Right of access (Section 23): You may request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you and request a copy of that information.
• Right to correction (Section 24): You may request that we correct, update, or delete personal information that is inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or out of date.
• Right to object (Section 11(3)): You may object to the processing of your personal information on grounds relating to your particular situation, or object to processing for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
• Right to lodge a complaint: You may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa (see Section 13 below).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@wikkel.co.za. We will respond to requests within 30 days in accordance with POPIA.

9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate and improve the Platform. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. We use:

• Essential cookies: Required for core Platform functionality (e.g. session management, authentication). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how Users interact with the Platform so we can improve it. We use anonymised analytics data where possible.
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences.

You may control non-essential cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect Platform functionality.

10. Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures include encryption of data in transit (TLS), hashed storage of passwords, access controls, and regular security reviews.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a security breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA Section 22.

11. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Our Platform is operated using cloud infrastructure which may process or store data on servers located outside the Republic of South Africa. Where personal information is transferred to a foreign country, we ensure that adequate protections are in place as required by POPIA Chapter 9, including entering into appropriate data transfer agreements that provide a level of protection substantially similar to the conditions for the lawful processing of personal information under POPIA.

12. Children's Privacy

The Wikkel Platform is not intended for use by persons under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you become aware that a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@wikkel.co.za and we will take steps to delete such information.

13. The Information Regulator

If you believe that Wikkel has violated your rights under POPIA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the Platform, or applicable law. Material changes will be communicated to registered Users by email or in-platform notification before they take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this Policy reflects the most recent revision.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us:

You may also view our Terms & Conditions which govern your use of the Wikkel platform.