Privacy Notice

MashBiz Consulting is committed to protecting your personal information. This notice explains, in plain language, what personal information we collect when you interact with us — whether through our website, by email, or as part of onboarding you as a client — why we collect it, who we share it with, and what rights you have under POPIA. This notice is published in line with the notification requirements set out in Section 18(1) of POPIA.

Who we are — the responsible party

MashBiz Consulting (“MashBiz,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is the responsible party for the personal information described in this notice, as required to be disclosed under Section 18(1)(a)(ii) of POPIA.

• Business name: MashBiz Consulting
• Registered address: [REGISTERED ADDRESS], Randburg, Gauteng
• Company/CIPC registration number: [REGISTRATION NUMBER]
• Information Officer: [INFORMATION OFFICER NAME]
• Information Officer contact email: [INFORMATION OFFICER EMAIL]

If you have any question about this notice, or about how your personal information is handled, please contact our Information Officer using the details above, or reach us generally at info@mashbiz.co.za.

What personal information we collect, and why

We collect different categories of personal information depending on how you interact with us. For each category below, we set out the purpose of collection, whether providing it is voluntary or mandatory, and the consequence of not providing it — as required under Section 18(1) of POPIA.

1. Website contact form

When you submit an enquiry through our website contact form, we collect the information you provide, which typically includes your name, phone number or email address, and company name.

• Purpose: to respond to your enquiry and, where relevant, to provide you with a quote or proposal for our services.
• Voluntary or mandatory: voluntary. You choose whether to submit the form.
• Consequence of not providing it: we will not be able to respond to your enquiry or provide the information or services you have requested.

2. Email or phone correspondence

When you email or call us directly, we collect your name, contact details, and the contents of your correspondence, including any documents you attach.

• Purpose: to correspond with you, respond to your queries, and progress any instruction or engagement you have with us.
• Voluntary or mandatory: voluntary in the sense that you choose to contact us, but providing accurate information is necessary for us to assist you effectively.
• Consequence of not providing it: we may be unable to respond fully or accurately to your query.

3. Client onboarding documents

Where you engage MashBiz to provide company registration, compliance, or related services, we collect the documents and information necessary to carry out that engagement. This can include identity documents or passport details, director and shareholder information, proof of address, financial records and statements, banking details, and other documents required to complete filings with regulators such as CIPC, SARS, CIDB, or the CSD.

• Purpose: to verify your identity, prepare and submit the statutory filings you have instructed us to handle, and comply with our own regulatory and legal obligations in providing those services.
• Voluntary or mandatory: mandatory for the specific service you have instructed us to perform. Certain documents (such as identity verification) are also required by the regulators themselves as a condition of filing.
• Consequence of not providing it: we will not be able to complete the registration, filing, or compliance service you have instructed, and in some cases the regulator will refuse to process the filing at all.

4. Website analytics and cookies

Like most websites, ours may use cookies and similar analytics technologies to understand how visitors use the site and to improve its performance.

• Purpose: to understand website usage, improve site functionality and content, and (where applicable) measure the effectiveness of our marketing.
• Voluntary or mandatory: voluntary. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, and, where required, we will ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies.
• Consequence of not providing it: some website features may not function as intended if essential cookies are disabled; declining non-essential cookies has no effect on your ability to use the core site or contact us.

See the Cookie Notice below for further detail.

The lawful basis for processing your information

Section 11 of POPIA sets out the lawful grounds on which personal information may be processed. Consent is only one of several available grounds — others include processing necessary for a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, protecting a legitimate interest of the data subject, performance of a public-law duty, or the pursuit of a legitimate interest of the responsible party or a third party. “Consent” itself is defined in Section 1 of POPIA as “any voluntary, specific and informed expression of will.”

We rely on different lawful bases depending on the type of processing:

• Enquiry handling (contact form, email or phone correspondence): we process this information on the basis of your consent — you voluntarily submit your details to us — and, once you have contacted us, on the basis of our legitimate interest in responding to an enquiry you initiated.
• Client onboarding and service delivery: we process this information because it is necessary to perform the contract you have entered into with us, and because certain documents are required to comply with a legal obligation — for example, information CIPC, SARS, or CIDB require as a condition of a filing.
• Regulator filings on your behalf (CIPC, SARS, CIDB, CSD): we process and disclose the necessary information on the basis of legal obligation — the applicable statutes and regulations require this information to be submitted for the filing to be valid.
• Website analytics/cookies: where cookies are not strictly necessary for the website to function, we rely on your consent, which you can withdraw at any time through your browser or cookie preference settings.

Who we share your information with, and why

We do not sell your personal information. We do share it, on a need-to-know basis, with the following categories of recipients, as required to be disclosed under Section 18(1) of POPIA:

• CIPC (Companies and Intellectual Property Commission): where you instruct us to register a company, file annual returns, submit beneficial ownership declarations, or make any other CIPC filing, we submit the necessary personal information (such as director and shareholder details) to CIPC as part of that filing.
• SARS (South African Revenue Service): where you instruct us to handle tax registrations or related compliance, we submit the necessary information to SARS on your behalf.
• CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board): where you instruct us to register or grade your business as a contractor, we submit the necessary information to CIDB.
• CSD (Central Supplier Database) / National Treasury: where you instruct us to register your business as a government supplier, we submit the necessary information — which is itself independently verified by the CSD against SARS, CIPC, and Home Affairs data.
• Banks and financial institutions: where relevant to a specific instruction (for example, a bank account referral as part of a company registration), we may share necessary information with a bank on your behalf.
• Hosting and email service providers: we use third-party providers to host our website and manage our email communications. These providers process personal information on our behalf, strictly to provide those services to us.

We only share what is necessary for the specific purpose in each case, and we expect any third party handling personal information on our behalf to protect it appropriately.

Cross-border transfers

POPIA requires us to disclose whether we intend to transfer your personal information to a third country or international organisation, and the level of protection afforded there, as part of our Section 18(1) notification obligations.

How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations (including retention periods required by CIPC, SARS, or other regulators for records relating to filings made on your behalf), and to deal with any related queries or disputes.

How we protect your information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the personal information in our care against loss, unauthorised access, interference, or disclosure, consistent with our obligations as a responsible party under POPIA. This includes restricting access to personal information to those who need it to perform their role, using reputable third-party providers for hosting and email, and reviewing our practices as our use of technology evolves.

Your rights as a data subject

Under Sections 23 to 25 of POPIA, you have the following rights in respect of the personal information we hold about you:

• Right of access (Section 23): you may request confirmation, free of charge, of whether we hold personal information about you, and request the record or a description of that information — including which third parties have had access to it. We will respond within a reasonable time, in a reasonable manner and format, and in an understandable form. If a fee applies, we will give you a written estimate before providing the information, and we may require a deposit.
• Right to correction or deletion (Section 24): you may ask us to correct or delete personal information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading, or unlawfully obtained, or to destroy or delete a record we are no longer authorised to retain. We will act as soon as reasonably practicable, and notify you of the action we have taken.
• Manner of access (Section 25): requests under Section 23 are handled in line with Sections 18 and 53 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
• Right to object: you may object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds relating to your particular situation, in line with Section 11(3) of POPIA.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer at [INFORMATION OFFICER EMAIL]. Please provide adequate proof of identity with your request so that we can verify who we are dealing with before disclosing or acting on personal information.

Your right to complain to the Information Regulator

If you believe we have interfered with the protection of your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator. Complaints must be submitted in writing, using one of the following routes:

• the Information Regulator's online complaint form;
• Form 5, prescribed under the POPIA Regulations;
• email to popiacomplaints@inforegulator.co.za; or
• in person, at the Information Regulator's premises during operating hours.

We encourage you to contact our Information Officer first, so that we have the opportunity to address your concern directly — but you are not required to do so before approaching the Information Regulator.

Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. We recommend checking this page periodically. Where we have already given you notice of the purpose and nature of processing under Section 18, and that purpose has not changed, POPIA does not require us to repeat the notice for the same subsequent collection.

Cookie Notice

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to make the site work properly, understand how visitors use it, and improve it over time. Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.

Where cookies are not strictly necessary for the site to function, we will ask for your consent before placing them, and you can change your preference at any time through your browser settings or, where available, our cookie preference tool.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. Blocking essential cookies may affect the functioning of parts of this website.