Privacy Policy

Last updated: 13 August 2026

1. Introduction

The Blairgowrie Community Association (“BCA”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information submitted through the Pinegowrie Post Office Precinct Project website at https://postoffice.iamblairgowrie.co.za.

We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African laws.

2. Who is responsible for your information?

The responsible party is:

Blairgowrie Community Association
Physical address: [insert address]
Email: [insert privacy or BCA email address]

Questions or requests relating to personal information may be sent to the email address above.

3. Information we collect

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

Your name and surname
Email address
Telephone number
Billing information supplied during checkout
Donation amount
Donation reference and payment status
Your choice about whether the BCA may thank you publicly
Correspondence sent to the BCA
Website usage information, including your IP address, browser, device and access time
Cookies and similar technical information required for the website to operate

We do not intentionally collect or store your complete card number, CVV or online-banking credentials. Payment information is processed securely by PayFast and the relevant financial institutions.

4. How we collect information

We may collect personal information when you:

Make a donation
Complete a checkout or contact form
Grant permission for public recognition
Contact the BCA
Subscribe to project communications
Browse or interact with the website

Some technical information may be collected automatically through WordPress, WooCommerce, security tools, cookies and hosting services.

5. How we use your information

We may use your personal information to:

Process and record your donation
Confirm that your donation was received
Send a dedicated donation acknowledgement or thank-you email
Respond to questions or requests
Maintain accurate financial and project records
Prevent fraud, abuse and unauthorised transactions
Provide project, expenditure and progress updates
Recognise donors publicly where specific permission has been given
Maintain, secure and improve the website
Meet legal, accounting and regulatory obligations

We will not sell or rent your personal information.

6. Public donor recognition

The donation form may ask whether the BCA may thank you publicly by name, including on Facebook or other community channels.

Public recognition is optional. We will only publish your name where you have actively given permission.

Choosing not to grant permission will not affect your donation. You may withdraw this permission by contacting us, although we may not be able to remove content already shared or republished by third parties.

We will not publish your donation amount unless you have separately agreed to this.

7. Payment processing

Payments are processed by PayFast and its banking or payment partners.

Information required to process a payment may be shared with PayFast. PayFast processes payment-related information under its own privacy policy and security procedures.

The BCA generally receives confirmation of the transaction, the donation amount, identifying details and a payment reference rather than your complete payment credentials.

8. When we share information

We may share limited personal information with service providers that help us operate the project, including:

PayFast and participating financial institutions
WordPress and WooCommerce service providers
Website hosting, security and backup providers
Email-delivery providers
Accountants, auditors or authorised BCA committee members
Authorities where disclosure is required by law

These parties should receive only the information reasonably required to perform their functions.

Information may also be disclosed where necessary to protect the BCA, project volunteers, donors, the community or the website against fraud, abuse or unlawful conduct.

9. International processing

Some service providers may process or store information outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate contractual, legal or security protections apply.

10. Information security

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction.

These measures may include encrypted website connections, restricted administrative access, security monitoring, backups and reputable payment processing services.

No online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Where we become aware of a reportable security compromise, we will respond in accordance with POPIA and applicable regulatory requirements.

11. Retention

Personal information will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including financial recordkeeping, project administration, dispute resolution and legal compliance.

Transaction and accounting records may be retained for the period required by applicable South African law. Information that is no longer required will be deleted, destroyed or de-identified where reasonably practicable.

12. Cookies

The website may use essential cookies to:

Maintain checkout and donation sessions
Remember selected donation information
Support security and fraud prevention
Maintain website functionality
Understand general website performance

Disabling essential cookies may prevent the donation or checkout process from working correctly.

Any non-essential analytics or marketing cookies should only be used in accordance with applicable consent requirements.

13. Your rights

Subject to POPIA and applicable law, you may ask us to:

Confirm whether we hold your personal information
Provide access to your personal information
Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Delete information that we are no longer entitled to retain
Object to certain processing
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
Stop using your name for future public recognition
Explain how your personal information has been used

We may need to verify your identity before processing a request.

14. Direct marketing and project updates

A donation does not automatically authorise unrelated marketing.

We may send messages necessary to confirm or administer your donation. Additional newsletters, fundraising messages or promotional communications will only be sent where permitted by law or where you have consented.

You may unsubscribe from optional communications at any time.

15. Children’s information

The donation facility is intended for persons aged 18 or older. A person under 18 should use the website only with the involvement and permission of a parent or legal guardian.

We do not knowingly request personal information directly from children without appropriate authorisation.

16. External links

The website may contain links to PayFast, Facebook, community resources or other third-party websites. Those websites operate under their own terms and privacy policies, and the BCA is not responsible for their privacy practices.

17. Complaints

Please contact us first so that we can attempt to resolve your privacy concern.

You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

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

18. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our practices, service providers or legal obligations change.

The latest version will be published on this website with its effective date.

19. Contact us

For privacy questions, requests or complaints, contact:

Blairgowrie Community Association
Website: https://postoffice.iamblairgowrie.co.za
Email: info@myblairgowrie.co.za
Physical address: 2 Conrad Dr, Blairgowrie, Randburg, 2194