Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose and Scope

Eques Digital Agency ("Eques Digital," "we," "us," "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all individuals who interact with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, transfer, store, and protect your Personal Data in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), as amended, and its associated Regulations.

This Policy applies to:

• Visitors to our website
• Clients and potential clients
• Business partners, suppliers, and service providers
• Job applicants and employees
• All other individuals whose Personal Data we process

1.2 Commitment

Eques Digital commits to:

• Processing Personal Data lawfully, fairly, and transparently
• Collecting only data that is adequate, relevant, and not excessive
• Ensuring data accuracy and keeping data up to date
• Retaining data only for as long as necessary
• Implementing appropriate security measures

1.3 Definitions

• "Data Subject" means the person to whom Personal Data relates.
• "Operator" means a third party who processes Personal Data on behalf of a Responsible Party.
• "Personal Data" means information relating to an identifiable, living natural person, and where applicable, a juristic person.
• "Processing" means any operation on Personal Data, including collection, storage, use, disclosure, and deletion.
• "Responsible Party" means the entity that determines the purposes and means of processing.
• "Special Personal Data" means data relating to race, religion, health, sex life, criminal record, biometrics, etc., requiring higher protection.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Data You Provide

We collect Personal Data when you:

• Contact us via our website, email, phone, or in person
• Engage our services as a client
• Submit an enquiry or request a quote
• Subscribe to our newsletter or marketing communications
• Apply for employment or submit a job application
• Register for events or webinars
• Complete surveys or provide feedback
• Interact with us on social media
• Use our website or digital platforms

Categories of Personal Data Collected:

• Identification Data: Full name, title, company, job title, ID/passport number
• Contact Data: Email address, telephone number, physical address, postal code
• Professional Data: Company name, company registration number, VAT number, industry sector, job role
• Financial Data: Payment information, bank account details, billing addresses, transaction history
• Account Data: Usernames, passwords, login credentials for accounts we manage on your behalf
• Communication Data: Content of emails, messages, forms, chat logs, and other correspondence
• Marketing Data: Preferences, interests, feedback, survey responses
• Technical Data: IP address, device information, browser type, operating system, time zone setting
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, navigation patterns, features used
• Social Media Data: Public profile information from social media platforms, posts, likes, shares

2.2 Special Personal Data

We do not knowingly collect Special Personal Data (such as race, religion, health information, criminal record, biometric data) unless:

• You have given explicit consent for a specific purpose.
• The processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation.
• The processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of a legal claim.

If you provide Special Personal Data voluntarily, you consent to our processing of that data for the purposes stated.

2.3 Automatically Collected Data

When you visit our website, we automatically collect:

• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, links clicked, navigation patterns, referring URLs
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type and model, screen resolution
• Cookies and Tracking Data: Cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar technologies

2.4 Data from Third Parties

We may receive Personal Data about you from third parties such as:

• Social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube)
• Analytics tools (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insights)
• Marketing platforms (Mailchimp, HubSpot, Salesforce)
• Business partners and affiliates
• Publicly available sources

3. Purposes of Processing

We process your Personal Data for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Delivery

• To provide, maintain, and improve our services
• To fulfil contracts and agreements with clients
• To manage projects and communicate with clients
• To process payments and manage billing
• To provide technical support and troubleshooting
• To create, manage, and maintain client accounts
• To deliver project deliverables and reports

3.2 Communication

• To respond to enquiries and requests
• To send newsletters, updates, and promotional materials (subject to consent)
• To notify you about changes to our services or policies
• To send service-related announcements and confirmations
• To conduct surveys and collect feedback

3.3 Analytics and Improvement

• To monitor website usage and improve user experience
• To analyse the effectiveness of marketing campaigns
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues
• To conduct market research and business analysis

3.4 Legal and Compliance

• To comply with legal obligations
• To protect our rights and property
• To prevent fraud and ensure security
• To respond to lawful requests from authorities

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under POPIA, we process Personal Data on the following legal bases:

• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent for specific processing activities, such as direct marketing. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Contractual Necessity: Where processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering a contract.
• Legitimate Interest: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests as a data subject.
• Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary for us to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation, such as tax and accounting record-keeping.

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We do not sell your Personal Data. We may share it with operators and third parties who process it on our behalf or as part of delivering our services, including hosting providers, payment processors, form-delivery services, analytics and marketing platforms, and professional advisors (legal, accounting, auditing), each bound by confidentiality and, where they act as an Operator under POPIA, a written agreement requiring POPIA-compliant handling.

We may also disclose Personal Data where required by law, regulation, or a valid order of a court or the Information Regulator, or to establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim.

6. Cross-Border Transfers

Some of the third-party services we use (such as hosting, email, or analytics providers) may process Personal Data outside South Africa. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules, or agreement that provides a level of protection substantially similar to POPIA, or that another lawful basis for the transfer under POPIA applies.

7. Retention of Personal Data

We retain Personal Data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Enquiries are kept for as long as needed to deal with your request and a reasonable period afterwards; client records are kept for the duration of the engagement and as required by law thereafter. Where we no longer have a lawful basis to retain your Personal Data, it will be deleted or de-identified.

8. Security Safeguards

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure the integrity and confidentiality of Personal Data and to prevent loss, damage, or unauthorised access, in line with POPIA’s security safeguard requirements. No method of transmission or storage over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, but access to your details is limited to those who need it to do their jobs.

If we become aware of a security compromise where there are reasonable grounds to believe your Personal Data has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will notify the Information Regulator and you, as required by POPIA.

9. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Request confirmation of whether we hold Personal Data about you.
• Request access to your Personal Data.
• Request correction or deletion of your Personal Data.
• Object to, or withdraw consent for, the processing of your Personal Data.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa (www.inforegulator.org.za) if you believe your Personal Data has been mishandled.

To exercise any of these rights, email eques.communications@gmail.com and we will respond as soon as reasonably possible. Requests for access to records are handled in terms of the PAIA Manual published on this website.

10. Direct Marketing

We will only send you direct marketing communications by email or SMS where you have given your consent, in line with POPIA. Every marketing communication includes a way to opt out, and you can unsubscribe at any time free of charge.

11. Children

Eques Digital is mindful of the privacy of children. This website is not aimed at children, and we do not knowingly collect Personal Data from minors without the consent of a parent or guardian. Parents and guardians are encouraged to supervise their children’s use of the internet. If you believe a child has submitted Personal Data through this site, please get in touch so it can be removed.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time as our practices or the law change. The latest version will always be published on this page, with the date below updated to match.

13. Contact and Complaints

Questions about this policy or about how your Personal Data is handled can be sent to eques.communications@gmail.com, or by calling (+27) 71 773 7171. You may also contact the Information Regulator directly: www.inforegulator.org.za.