Grant Guides operates as a digital publication based in South Africa. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information Grant Guides collects from visitors, how that information is used, and what rights visitors hold under South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). By accessing and using Grant Guides, each visitor agrees to the practices described in this policy.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to every individual who visits the Grant Guides website, subscribes to any newsletter or notification service, submits a contact form, or interacts with any digital feature operated by Grant Guides. The policy covers residents of South Africa and any international visitors who access the platform.

2. What Information Grant Guides Collects

Grant Guides collects 2 categories of personal information: information visitors provide directly, and information collected automatically through website technology.

Information provided directly:

  • Full name and email address submitted through contact forms
  • Any message content submitted voluntarily through the contact page
  • Email address provided during newsletter subscription, if applicable

Information collected automatically:

  • Internet Protocol (IP) address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
  • Pages visited and time spent on each page
  • Referring website or search query that directed the visitor to Grant Guides
  • Geographic region at the country or province level

Grant Guides does not collect South African Identity (ID) numbers, banking details, payment information, or any sensitive personal information as defined under POPIA Section 26.

3. How Grant Guides Uses Collected Information

Grant Guides uses collected information for the following purposes only:

  • Responding to contact form submissions and editorial inquiries
  • Delivering newsletter updates to subscribed readers, where applicable
  • Analyzing website traffic to improve content structure and page performance
  • Identifying technical errors and resolving platform issues
  • Complying with legal obligations under South African law

Grant Guides does not sell personal information to third parties. Grant Guides does not use personal information for automated decision-making or profiling.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Grant Guides uses cookies on the website. A cookie is a small text file stored on a visitor’s device by the browser. Grant Guides uses the following types of cookies:

  • Session cookies: temporary files that expire when the browser closes
  • Analytics cookies: persistent files that measure page visits and traffic patterns
  • Functional cookies: files that remember visitor preferences during a session

Visitors can disable cookies through their browser settings. Disabling analytics cookies does not affect access to any content on Grant Guides. Most browsers provide instructions for managing cookies in the browser’s help section.

Grant Guides may use Google Analytics or a comparable analytics platform to measure site traffic. These platforms operate under their own privacy policies, which visitors can review independently.

Articles and guides on Grant Guides contain links to external government websites, official department portals, and institutional sources. Grant Guides does not control the content or privacy practices of any external website. Visitors who follow external links leave the Grant Guides platform and interact with those websites under the terms of those websites’ own privacy policies.

6. Data Retention

Grant Guides retains contact form submissions for a maximum of 12 months from the date of submission. Newsletter subscriber email addresses remain on record until the subscriber requests removal. Automatically collected analytics data follows the retention schedule of the analytics platform in use, typically 26 months.

7. Your Rights Under POPIA

South African visitors hold the following rights under POPIA:

  • The right to know what personal information Grant Guides holds about them
  • The right to request correction of inaccurate personal information
  • The right to request deletion of personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
  • The right to object to the processing of personal information
  • The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of these rights, visitors may contact Grant Guides through the contact page. Grant Guides will respond to verified requests within 30 calendar days.

The Information Regulator of South Africa can be reached at: inforeg.org.za

8. Children’s Privacy

Grant Guides does not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. Parents or guardians who believe a minor has submitted personal information through Grant Guides should contact the team immediately for removal.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Grant Guides may update this Privacy Policy when the platform’s data practices change or when legal requirements change. The “Last Updated” date at the top of this page reflects the date of the most recent revision. Continued use of Grant Guides after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

10. Contact

Visitors with questions about this Privacy Policy may contact Grant Guides through the contact page on the website. The team reviews all privacy-related inquiries and responds within 2 business days.