The Carer Network

1. Introduction

The Carer Network (“we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African law.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what rights you have. By using the Platform you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy.

2. Information Officer

Our responsible party and Information Officer for POPIA purposes can be contacted at: carersoutthere@gmail.com.

3. What Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you use the Platform, we may collect:

All users

Full name and email address (on registration)
Password (stored in encrypted form — never in plain text)
Login activity and timestamps
IP address and browser/device information

Carers

Date of birth, gender, nationality
Physical address and nearest town
Qualifications, certifications, and work experience
Profile photos and uploaded documents (e.g. police clearance, ID)
Availability, services offered, and rates

Care Seekers

Contact name, email, and phone number (for care requests)
Care request details (location, patient information, requirements)
Transaction and purchase history

4. Why We Collect It (Purpose)

We process your personal information for the following lawful purposes:

To create and manage your account
To display your profile or care request to other users
To process payments and maintain transaction records
To send transactional emails (e.g. purchase confirmation)
To protect the security of the Platform and detect fraud
To comply with legal obligations

5. Sensitive Information

Some information collected from Carers (such as health-related qualifications, police clearance status, and identity documents) may constitute special personal information under POPIA. We collect this only with your explicit consent and solely for the purpose of displaying your professional profile to Care Seekers.

6. Who We Share It With

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

Other users: Carer contact details are disclosed only to Care Seekers who have completed a purchase. Public profile information (town, experience, services) is visible to all visitors.
Service providers: We use third-party services (e.g. email delivery via Resend) that process data on our behalf under appropriate data processing agreements.
Law enforcement: Where required by law or court order.

7. Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When data is no longer needed it is securely deleted or anonymised.

8. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or destruction, including encrypted password storage and access controls. However, no internet transmission is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
Object to the processing of your information
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise these rights, contact us at carersoutthere@gmail.com. We will respond within a reasonable time and no later than required by POPIA.

The Information Regulator can be reached at www.justice.gov.za/inforeg.

10. Cookies

The Platform uses session cookies necessary for authentication and secure login. We do not currently use tracking or advertising cookies. If this changes we will update this Policy and provide appropriate notice.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by email or a notice on the Platform. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

12. Contact

For any privacy-related queries or requests, please contact our Information Officer at carersoutthere@gmail.com.