Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how DS Web Services collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information, in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 ("POPIA"). It should be read together with our Terms & Conditions.

1. Responsible Party

The responsible party (as defined in POPIA) is DS Web Services, represented by Reyaan Boltman. For any privacy-related query, contact us at [email protected].

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following personal information at sign-up and during the course of providing our Services:

• Your name;
• Your email address;
• Your phone number;
• Domain name(s) associated with your hosting;
• Billing information necessary to invoice you and process payments.

We collect only the information reasonably required to provide and manage your Services.

3. Why We Collect It

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provision, configure, and manage your hosting and managed services;
• To generate and send invoices and process payments;
• To provide technical support and communicate with you about your account.

We do not use your information for third-party marketing, and we do not sell your personal information to anyone.

4. How We Store It

Your personal information is stored on self-hosted servers located in South Africa. We apply appropriate technical and organisational safeguards to protect it against loss, unauthorised access, and misuse. We do not share your personal information with third parties, except where we are required to do so by law or valid legal process.

5. Retention

We retain your personal information for the duration of your service with us, and for a further period of five (5) years thereafter. This retention period is required to comply with our obligations under South African tax law, including the retention of financial records for the South African Revenue Service (SARS). After this period, we securely delete or de-identify the information unless a longer retention is required by law.

6. Your Rights Under POPIA

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction of information that is inaccurate or out of date;
• Request deletion of your information, subject to our legal retention obligations;
• Object to the processing of your information in certain circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected]. We will respond within a reasonable time and may need to verify your identity before actioning a request.

7. Cookies

Our website uses session cookies only, which are strictly necessary for the site and client portal to function (for example, to keep you signed in). We do not use third-party advertising cookies, analytics trackers, or any tracking that profiles your behaviour across other sites.

8. Breach Notification

In the event of a security compromise affecting your personal information, we will notify the affected parties as soon as reasonably possible after becoming aware of it. Where required by POPIA, we will also notify the Information Regulator via eservices.inforegulator.org.za.

9. The Information Regulator

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority:

The Information Regulator (South Africa)
Website: inforegulator.org.za
Online services: eservices.inforegulator.org.za

10. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, email [email protected].