WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY


1. INTRODUCTION

Melted Workx ("we", "us" or "our") respects your right to privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, process, share and protect personal information when you visit or interact with our website, use our services, submit an enquiry, make a purchase, complete an online form or communicate with us.

We are committed to complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA), and other applicable South African legislation.

By using this website, you acknowledge that you have had an opportunity to read this Privacy Policy. Where we require your consent for a particular processing activity, we will obtain it separately where required by law.

2. DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

  • Personal Information: Information relating to an identifiable, living natural person and, where applicable, an identifiable existing juristic person.

  • Data Subject: The individual or organisation to whom personal information relates.

  • Responsible Party: The person or organisation that determines the purpose and means of processing personal information.

  • Processing: Any activity involving personal information, including collecting, recording, storing, using, sharing, updating or deleting it.

  • Operator: A third party that processes personal information on behalf of the responsible party.

  • POPIA: The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013.

3. PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Depending on how you interact with our website and services, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

3.1 Personal identification information

  • Full name and surname.

  • Date of birth, where required.

  • Identity or passport number, where legally necessary.

  • Company name and position, where applicable.

3.2 Contact information

  • Email address.

  • Telephone and mobile numbers.

  • Residential, postal or business address.

3.3 Transaction and payment information

  • Purchase and order details.

  • Billing and invoicing information.

  • Transaction history.

  • Payment confirmation and payment reference information.

Payment card information may be processed directly by an authorised payment service provider. We do not intentionally store complete payment card details on our website unless specifically required and appropriately secured.

3.4 Technical and website information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

  • IP address.

  • Browser type and version.

  • Device and operating system information.

  • Website pages visited.

  • Date and time of website visits.

  • Referring websites.

  • Website usage and interaction information.

  • Cookie identifiers and similar tracking information.

3.5 Communication information

We may retain information you provide when:

  • Completing contact or enquiry forms.

  • Sending emails or messages.

  • Requesting quotations.

  • Subscribing to newsletters.

  • Providing feedback.

  • Participating in surveys or competitions.

  • Communicating with our customer support team.

3.6 Other information

We may collect additional information where it is necessary to provide a requested service, fulfil a contractual obligation or comply with applicable legislation.

We aim to collect only personal information that is adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose for which it is required.

4. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

We collect personal information through several channels, including:

  • Directly from you when you complete website forms.

  • When you register an account or subscribe to communications.

  • When you purchase products or services.

  • Through email, telephone or other communication channels.

  • Automatically through website cookies and analytics tools.

  • From authorised third-party service providers.

  • From publicly available sources, where legally permitted.

Where we collect personal information from someone other than the data subject, we will comply with the applicable notification requirements under POPIA, subject to any relevant legal exceptions.

5. PURPOSE OF COLLECTING PERSONAL INFORMATION

We collect and process personal information for legitimate business purposes, including:

  1. Responding to enquiries and requests.

  2. Providing products and services.

  3. Processing purchases, bookings and payments.

  4. Managing customer accounts and relationships.

  5. Sending order confirmations, invoices and service notifications.

  6. Improving website functionality and user experience.

  7. Monitoring website performance and usage.

  8. Providing customer support.

  9. Sending marketing communications where legally permitted.

  10. Preventing fraud, misuse and unauthorised access.

  11. Maintaining business records.

  12. Complying with legal, regulatory and tax obligations.

  13. Protecting our legal rights and interests.

  14. Resolving disputes and enforcing contractual obligations.

We will not use personal information for purposes that are incompatible with the original purpose of collection unless permitted by POPIA or another applicable law.

6. LAWFUL PROCESSING UNDER POPIA

We process personal information in accordance with the eight conditions for lawful processing established under POPIA:

6.1 Accountability

We take responsibility for ensuring that our processing activities comply with POPIA.

6.2 Processing limitation

We collect personal information lawfully, fairly and reasonably, and only where there is an appropriate legal basis for doing so.

6.3 Purpose specification

We collect personal information for specific, explicitly defined and lawful purposes.

6.4 Further processing limitation

We will not process personal information in a manner incompatible with the purpose for which it was originally collected, unless legally permitted.

6.5 Information quality

We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is accurate, complete, relevant and updated where necessary.

6.6 Openness

We aim to inform data subjects about the collection and processing of their personal information.

6.7 Security safeguards

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, damage, unauthorised access or unlawful processing.

6.8 Data subject participation

We recognise your rights to request access to, correction of or deletion of your personal information, subject to applicable legal requirements.

7. CONSENT AND LAWFUL BASIS FOR PROCESSING

We may process personal information on one or more of the following lawful grounds:

  • You have provided consent.

  • Processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or take steps at your request before entering into a contract.

  • Processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation.

  • Processing protects your legitimate interests.

  • Processing is necessary for the proper performance of a public-law duty.

  • Processing is necessary to pursue our legitimate interests or those of a third party to whom the information is supplied.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before the withdrawal.

Withdrawing consent does not automatically require us to delete information that we are legally entitled or required to retain.

8. COOKIES AND WEBSITE TRACKING

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve website functionality, analyse website traffic and understand how visitors interact with our content.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.

We may use the following categories:

8.1 Essential cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function correctly. They may support security, navigation, shopping cart functionality and basic website operations.

8.2 Performance and analytics cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website, including which pages are visited most frequently and how visitors navigate the website.

8.3 Functional cookies

These cookies remember certain preferences, such as language settings and previously selected options.

8.4 Marketing and advertising cookies

Where used, these cookies may help deliver relevant advertising, measure advertising performance and understand interactions with marketing campaigns.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

Where required by law, we will obtain appropriate consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.

9. SHARING PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH THIRD PARTIES

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties.

However, we may share personal information with selected third parties where necessary for legitimate business purposes, including:

  • Payment processing providers.

  • Website hosting and maintenance providers.

  • IT support and security providers.

  • Email and communication service providers.

  • Website analytics providers.

  • Marketing and advertising service providers.

  • Delivery and logistics providers.

  • Professional advisers, including legal and accounting professionals.

  • Government departments, regulators and law enforcement authorities where legally required.

Third parties who process personal information on our behalf must do so in accordance with appropriate contractual and confidentiality obligations.

Where an operator processes personal information on our behalf, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that an appropriate written agreement is in place requiring the operator to maintain suitable security safeguards.

We do not permit third parties to use personal information for purposes unrelated to the services they provide to us unless separately authorised by law or by the relevant data subject.

10. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Some of our service providers may operate outside South Africa. As a result, personal information may be transferred to or stored in another country.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer complies with section 72 of POPIA.

This may include ensuring that:

  • The receiving country has substantially similar data protection laws.

  • The recipient is subject to binding corporate rules or an appropriate agreement providing adequate protection.

  • The data subject has consented to the transfer.

  • The transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract with the data subject.

  • Another applicable legal ground under section 72 permits the transfer.

We will take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information receives an appropriate level of protection when transferred internationally.

11. DIRECT MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

We may use your contact information to send information about our products, services, promotions, news and relevant business updates where permitted by law.

We will comply with the direct marketing requirements of POPIA, including section 69.

Where prior consent is required, we will obtain it before sending electronic direct marketing communications.

You may unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by:

  • Clicking the unsubscribe link included in our emails.

  • Contacting us directly at info@meltedworkx.com.

  • Following the instructions provided in the relevant communication.

Unsubscribing from marketing communications will not prevent us from sending necessary transactional or service-related communications, such as invoices, booking confirmations or important account notifications.

12. PROTECTION OF CHILDREN'S PERSONAL INFORMATION

We recognise the importance of protecting children's personal information.

Under POPIA, a child generally refers to a person under the age of 18 who is not legally competent to take the relevant action without assistance from a competent person.

We do not knowingly collect or process children's personal information without the required authorisation from a competent person, unless an applicable legal exception permits such processing.

If we become aware that we have collected a child's personal information without the required authorisation, we will take reasonable steps to address the matter, including deleting the information where appropriate.

13. SPECIAL PERSONAL INFORMATION

Certain categories of personal information receive additional protection under POPIA.

These may include information relating to:

  • Religious or philosophical beliefs.

  • Race or ethnic origin.

  • Trade union membership.

  • Political persuasion.

  • Health and sex life.

  • Biometric information.

  • Criminal behaviour and related proceedings.

We do not intentionally collect special personal information through our website unless it is necessary for a legitimate purpose and an appropriate legal basis or exception under POPIA applies.

Where such information is required, we will implement appropriate safeguards and process it in accordance with applicable legislation.

14. DATA SECURITY AND PROTECTION

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

  • Unauthorised access.

  • Accidental loss or destruction.

  • Unlawful processing.

  • Unauthorised disclosure.

  • Alteration or misuse.

Our security measures may include:

  • Secure website connections and encryption where appropriate.

  • Access controls and password protection.

  • Restricted access to personal information.

  • Regular system updates and security monitoring.

  • Secure hosting and backup procedures.

  • Staff confidentiality obligations.

  • Appropriate agreements with third-party service providers.

Although we take reasonable precautions, no website, electronic communication system or data storage facility can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

You should also take reasonable precautions to protect your own devices, passwords and personal information when using the internet.

15. SECURITY COMPROMISES AND DATA BREACHES

If we have reasonable grounds to believe that personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will follow the requirements of section 22 of POPIA.

This includes notifying the Information Regulator and affected data subjects as soon as reasonably possible after discovering the security compromise, subject to the applicable legal provisions.

Where required, affected individuals will receive information about:

  • The nature of the security compromise.

  • The possible consequences.

  • Measures taken to address the incident.

  • Recommended steps to protect themselves.

  • The identity of the unauthorised person, where known.

We will take reasonable steps to investigate the incident, limit potential harm and prevent similar incidents from occurring.

16. RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We will not retain personal information for longer than is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, unless:

  • Retention is required by law.

  • Retention is necessary for contractual purposes.

  • The information is required for legitimate business or legal purposes.

  • Retention is necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete, destroy or de-identify it securely.

Certain financial and transactional records may need to be retained for statutory periods under South African tax and other legislation.

17. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA

As a data subject, you have rights in relation to your personal information.

Subject to applicable legal limitations, these include:

17.1 Right to be informed

You have the right to know when your personal information is being collected and how it will be used.

17.2 Right of access

You may request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you and request access to that information.

17.3 Right to correction

You may request that inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or misleading personal information be corrected or updated.

17.4 Right to deletion

You may request the deletion or destruction of personal information that we are no longer authorised to retain or process, subject to legal retention requirements.

17.5 Right to object

You may object to certain processing activities where POPIA provides this right, including processing based on legitimate interests and certain direct marketing activities.

17.6 Right to withdraw consent

Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent.

17.7 Right to complain

You may submit a complaint to the Information Regulator if you believe that your personal information has been processed in a manner that infringes your rights under POPIA.

17.8 Right to institute civil proceedings

POPIA provides certain rights to seek civil remedies where personal information has been processed unlawfully.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 20.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request to protect your personal information.

18. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND LINKS

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms and external services.

These websites operate independently of us and may have their own privacy policies, terms and conditions and data collection practices.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or security of third-party websites.

We recommend that you review the relevant privacy policies before providing personal information to any external website or service.

19. PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT (PAIA)

We recognise the rights provided under the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA).

PAIA gives individuals the right to request access to records held by private and public bodies, subject to applicable legal requirements and grounds for refusal.

Our PAIA Manual provides further information about:

  • The records held by our organisation.

  • The categories of personal information processed.

  • The purposes for processing personal information.

  • The categories of individuals whose information we process.

  • The recipients or categories of recipients to whom information may be disclosed.

  • International transfers of personal information.

  • Our information security measures.

  • The procedure for requesting access to records.

You may request a copy by contacting us using the details in this policy.

Requests for access to records must follow the applicable PAIA procedures and prescribed forms.

20. INFORMATION OFFICER AND PRIVACY CONTACT DETAILS

We have designated an Information Officer responsible for overseeing our compliance with POPIA and PAIA.

For any questions relating to this Privacy Policy, requests concerning personal information, or complaints about the processing of personal information, please contact:

Business name: Melted Workx (Pty) Ltd

Information Officer: Naidene Cary

Email address: info@meltedworkx.com

Telephone: +27 82 433 0640

Physical address: Fourways, Sandton, Johannesburg, 2191.

Website: meltedworkx.com

We will review and respond to privacy-related requests within the applicable legal timeframes.

Information Regulator of South Africa

If you are dissatisfied with how we have handled your personal information or believe that we have failed to comply with POPIA, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

Information Regulator (South Africa)

Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/

Email: complaints.IR@inforegulator.org.za

Telephone: 010 023 5200

Please refer to the Information Regulator's official website for current complaint procedures and contact details.

21. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to amend or update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, business practices, technology or website functionality.

Any updates will be published on this page, together with the revised effective or last updated date.

We encourage visitors to review this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about how their personal information is handled.

Where a material change requires renewed consent or additional notification under applicable law, we will take the necessary steps.

22. ACCEPTANCE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY

By accessing and using our website, you acknowledge that you have had the opportunity to read and understand this Privacy Policy.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy limits or excludes any rights that you may have under POPIA or other applicable South African legislation.

END OF PRIVACY POLICY