POPIA Statement

We protect your data with care, using it only to support the SA AI Hackathon community.

FAQs

What is POPIA?

POPIA protects your personal data and privacy in South Africa.

How is my data used?

Your data helps run the hackathon and keeps you informed about updates.

Will my data be shared?

No third parties receive your data; it stays with KZN AI Foundation NPC only.

Who manages my data?

KZN AI Foundation NPC acts as the data custodian for all submissions.

Why collect membership fees?

Fees support running the association and growing the AI ecosystem.

KZN AI Foundation NPC (the Foundation, we, us, our) processes personal information of clients, participants, employees, and other stakeholders in the performance of its ordinary business and the administration of its programmes, including the SADC AI Hackathon. This is done using various channels and platforms, including our website (www.sadcaihackathon.africa), email, mobile sites, applications, physical forms, and management information systems.

We treat the personal information collected as private and confidential and are committed to doing this in keeping with our responsibilities under the applicable data protection and privacy laws. Respecting and protecting the privacy and personal information of our stakeholders is a constitutional right the Foundation takes seriously. We therefore adhere to good business practice and implement organisational and technical procedures to keep your personal information safe from loss, unauthorised destruction, damage, or access by unauthorised third parties.

This Privacy Statement and our Cookie Notice (in section J below) applies when you use our authorised channels, platforms, and management information systems.

A. Lawful processing of personal information

We process personal information in a manner that upholds the following eight (8) Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) principles:

Accountability – Ensuring that personal information is processed in a lawful and responsible manner.
Processing limitation – Collecting personal information for a defined purpose and, where applicable, with the consent of clients and third parties.
Purpose specification – Using personal information for the purposes that our stakeholders, third parties, and employees expect us to use it for.
Further processing limitation – Where a new purpose for processing is inconsistent with the original reason for collection, we ensure processing meets the requirements of applicable data protection laws.
Information quality – Taking reasonable steps to ensure personal information is accurate, complete, up-to-date, and not misleading.
Openness – Being clear and honest with stakeholders on how and why we use and protect their personal information.
Security safeguards – Applying appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal information.
Data subject participation – Maintaining processes for stakeholders to access, correct, and delete personal information and exercise their legal rights.

B. Lawful grounds for processing personal information

Consent: We may process your personal information for a specific purpose where you (or a competent person for a minor) provide express consent.
Contractual need: In running operations, hackathons, or providing services, the Foundation may process information to perform obligations under a contract with you.
Compliance with law: We may be required by laws, regulations, or court orders to process certain information about our participants, employees, and service providers.
Legitimate interests: We may process information where it is in our legal interests as an NPC (e.g., for impact reporting, trend insights, or site maintenance) without harming your fundamental rights.

C. Consent and authorisation

By providing us with your Personal Information, you agree to this Statement and authorise KZN AI Foundation NPC to process such information as set out herein. This includes any associated entities or third parties acting on our behalf for the purposes set out in this statement. You undertake to only share your personal information over authorised channels and with officials authorised by the Foundation.

D. Collection

We collect personal information including, but not limited to: names, ID/passport details, contact details, biometric data (where applicable), personal profiles related to technology skills, and current or historic professional details.

Directly: From your applications and interactions.
Third Parties: From public sources or partners where necessary for contractual obligations.
Minors: Information of minors will be collected only via a legal guardian. We do not intentionally collect information directly from anyone under 18 years of age.

E. Business activities for which personal information is processed

Recruitment and Employment purposes;
Organising the SADC AI Hackathon and related Foundation programmes;
Transacting, administering, and developing our services and community initiatives;
Security, quality analysis, and risk management;
Complying with legal or regulatory requirements.

F. Reasons for processing personal information

We use your personal information to:

Meet our responsibilities to you and comply with legal obligations;
Respond to queries or complaints;
Carry out ordinary operations (e.g., processing hackathon registrations, managing invoices, and maintaining relationships);
Conduct statistical analyses to improve our programmes (Anonymised data does not require consent);
Inform you about similar services and products within the Foundation. You may opt out at any time by clicking "Unsubscribe" or emailing admin@sadcaihackathon.africa.

G. Sharing or transfer of personal information

KZN AI Foundation NPC employees will have access to your information to manage internal processes. We do not share your information with third parties unless:

They are service providers acting on our behalf under strict privacy agreements.
We have a legal duty or right to disclose (e.g., to regulatory bodies or law enforcement).
It is necessary to protect our rights or is explicitly requested by you.
Cross-border: Information shared outside South African borders with stakeholders will be anonymised or de-identified wherever possible.

H. Storing personal information

We store your personal information according to retention periods defined by law for legitimate business purposes. We take practicable steps to ensure it is kept up to date and archived or deleted according to our schedules.

I. Your rights

Access: You may request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you (subject to identity verification and, in some cases, a legally allowable fee).
Amendments: You have the right to ask us to update, correct, or delete your personal information.

J. Cookie notice

The KZN AI Foundation NPC website (www.sadcaihackathon.africa) currently does not make use of cookies. Should we introduce cookies, we will inform you via a website notification and update our policy accordingly.