1. Introduction & POPIA Scope
In plain English:
We respect your privacy and follow South Africa's POPI Act to keep your information safe. By using Transporter, you agree to this policy.
Transporter ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our riders, drivers, fleet owners, and logistics partners. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our website, mobile application, and related services (collectively, the "Platform").
This Privacy Policy is formulated in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") of South Africa. As a "Responsible Party" under POPIA, we ensure that your personal information is processed lawfully, transparently, and securely.
By registering an account, booking a ride, applying to drive, or using any of our logistics services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the terms of this Privacy Policy and consent to the processing of your personal information in accordance with these terms.
2. Information We Collect
In plain English:
We collect details you give us (like name and phone) and automatic details (like location and payment tokens) to make the service work.
We collect personal information that you provide directly to us, information collected automatically when you use our Platform, and information from third-party sources:
- Account & Profile Info: Name, email address, mobile number, physical address, profile picture, and payment details (such as masked credit card tokens).
- Driver & Partner Verification: For drivers and fleet operators, we collect identity documents, driver's licenses, vehicle registration certificates, operating licenses, PDPs (Professional Driving Permits), and criminal background check reports.
- Location Data: To pair riders with drivers, schedule taxi pickups, and track freight deliveries, we collect precise location data (GPS coordinates) from your device. For drivers, we may track location in the background when the app is active to ensure passenger safety and trip tracking.
- Usage & Device Info: IP address, device type, operating system version, app usage analytics, unique device identifiers, and crash reports.
- Communication Data: In-app message logs and recorded phone calls made between riders and drivers through our anonymized masking service for safety and customer support.
3. How We Use Your Information
In plain English:
We use your data to match rides, route freight, handle payments, keep you safe, and comply with South African laws.
We process your personal information for specific, lawful purposes related to our business operations, including:
- Service Delivery: Processing bookings, pairing passengers with nearby ride-hailing or minibus taxi routes, tracking delivery freight, and calculating pricing and ETAs.
- Safety & Security: Verifying the identity of drivers and passengers, tracking active trips to detect anomalies, providing emergency support, and blocking fraudulent accounts.
- Payments & Invoicing: Facilitating secure card payments, processing driver payouts, and generating tax invoices.
- Customer Support: Resolving issues, investigating complaints, and improving user satisfaction.
- Legal Compliance: Complying with regulatory obligations under South African transport laws, tax regulations, and POPIA.
5. Data Security & Storage
In plain English:
Your data is encrypted and stored securely. We keep it as long as your account is active or as required by financial regulations.
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to safeguard your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or destruction, in accordance with Section 19 of POPIA.
Our databases are protected by industry-standard encryption, firewalls, and strict access controls. While some of our cloud servers are located globally, we ensure that any cross-border data transfer complies with POPIA requirements (e.g., ensuring the country provides equivalent data protections).
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by South African law (such as the 5-year retention period for financial transactions required by SARS).
6. Your POPIA Rights
In plain English:
You can check your data, correct errors, ask us to delete it, or lodge a complaint with the SA Information Regulator.
Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Right of Access: You can request a confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you, and a copy of the specific data records.
- Right to Rectification: You can ask us to update or correct inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, or misleading information.
- Right to Deletion: You can request that we delete or destroy your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations.
- Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your data for direct marketing purposes, or on reasonable grounds relating to your particular situation.
- Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you believe we have processed your data unlawfully, you can lodge a formal complaint with the South African Information Regulator.
8. Contact & Information Officer
In plain English:
Got questions? Email us at support@transporter.africa. You can also contact the South African Information Regulator directly.
If you wish to exercise any of your POPIA rights, or have questions or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact our Information Officer:
Email: support@transporter.africa
Address: Johannesburg, South Africa (Attn: Information Officer)
For complaints to the regulator, you can contact:
The Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Email: info@informationregulator.org.za / complaints.IR@ocpo.gov.za