Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

ZA Auto ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and all applicable South African privacy legislation. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our Platform.

2. Who We Are (Responsible Party)

ZA Auto is the responsible party as defined under POPIA. If you have any privacy-related concerns, you may contact our Information Officer at admin@zaauto.co.za.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

• Full name and email address (registration)
• Phone number (optional, for contact purposes)
• Dealer business details (name, address, contact information)
• Vehicle listing information and images
• Messages sent via the Platform

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• IP address and device information
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and interaction data
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see our Cookie Policy)

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information only for lawful purposes, including:

• Creating and managing your account
• Enabling communication between buyers and dealers
• Processing dealer subscriptions
• Improving our Platform and user experience
• Sending transactional and service-related emails
• Complying with legal obligations
• Preventing fraud and ensuring Platform security

We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on the following grounds:

• Contractual necessity — to provide the services you have signed up for
• Legitimate interests — to operate and improve the Platform
• Legal obligation — to comply with South African law
• Consent — where we have obtained your explicit consent

6. Sharing Your Information

We may share your information with:

• Service providers — third parties who assist in operating our Platform (e.g., hosting, payment processors, email services). These parties are contractually bound to protect your information.
• Law enforcement — when required by law or a court order.
• Business transfers — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

Public listing information (vehicle details, dealer name, dealer contact) is visible to all users of the Platform by design.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. We may retain certain information for up to 5 years after account closure for legal, audit, or dispute resolution purposes. You may request deletion of your account and associated data as described in Section 9.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or destruction. However, no system is entirely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted over the internet.

9. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion — request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Objection — object to the processing of your information
• Withdrawal of consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw at any time
• Complaint — lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforeg.org.za

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at admin@zaauto.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. Please see our Cookie Policy for full details.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for persons under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of significant changes. Continued use of the Platform constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact

Information Officer: ZA Auto
Email: admin@zaauto.co.za
Jurisdiction: Republic of South Africa