Privacy policy

1. Introduction

BusinessNeeds Online (Pty) Ltd (we, us, our) is committed to protecting your personal information and complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). This policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect your personal information when you use our website or services, or communicate with us. By accessing our website or using our services, you agree to the terms of this policy.

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information you give us directly

• Full name
• Contact details, including email address, phone number and WhatsApp number
• Physical or postal address
• Company information, including directors and registration numbers
• Identification documents, including ID, passport and proof of address
• Financial or billing information for payment purposes
• Documents required for CIPC, SARS, COIDA, UIF or BEE services
• Anything you submit through our online forms, WhatsApp, email or telephone

2.2 Information collected automatically

• IP address
• Browser type and device information
• Cookies and tracking data
• Pages visited and time spent on the website

2.3 Information from third parties

We may receive information from CIPC, SARS, the Compensation Fund (COIDA), banks and payment gateways, and other public databases.

3. How we use your information

• To register companies and submit statutory returns to CIPC, SARS, UIF and COIDA
• To issue BEE certificates, tax clearance certificates and other compliance documents
• To communicate with you about services, updates, invoices and support
• To process payments and debit orders
• To verify your identity where required by law
• To improve our website, services and customer experience
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations

4. Legal basis for processing under POPIA

We process your personal information on one or more of the following bases:

• Your consent
• Contractual necessity, to provide the services you request
• Legal obligations, including CIPC, SARS, UIF and COIDA compliance
• Legitimate interest, including customer service, fraud prevention and internal analytics

5. Sharing your personal information

We may share your personal information with:

• CIPC, SARS, UIF, COIDA and other government bodies
• Accounting and compliance partners
• Payment processors and banks
• IT service providers, including hosting, email, CRM and cloud storage
• Courier companies where document delivery is required
• Other third-party service providers, only where required to complete your service

We do not sell your personal information. All third parties are required to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of your data.

6. Cookies and tracking

Our website uses cookies to improve functionality and user experience. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, although some features may then not work properly. See our cookie policy for detail.

7. Storage and security

We take reasonable and appropriate steps to secure your personal information, prevent unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure, and store information using encrypted systems, secure servers and access-controlled environments. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as it is required for the purposes for which it was collected, and for as long as we are required to keep it by law.

9. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, to request correction or deletion where appropriate, to object to processing in certain circumstances, and to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator. To exercise any of these rights, email support@businessneeds.co.za.

10. Contact us

Questions about this policy or about how we handle your information can be sent to admin@businessneeds.co.za or support@businessneeds.co.za, or posted to 154 Kroonarend Street, Magalieskruin, Pretoria, 0182.