PRIVACY POLICY

1. Who We Are

uApply helps users engage with financial-services-related offers, applications, newsletters, advertising and partner journeys. We may collect personal information when you use our website, submit a form, subscribe to our communications, request assistance, check your eligibility, or ask to be contacted by one of our appointed partners or providers.

For purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013, Forge Advertising (Pty) Ltd is the responsible party for personal information that we collect and use for uApply communications and services, unless otherwise stated.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We may collect personal information that you provide to us, including:

• name and surname;
• email address;
• cellphone number;
• identity number;
• location or area;
• employment, income, affordability or application-related information;
• credit-score or credit-report-related consent information;
• product interest, enquiry, form and lead information;
• newsletter and communication preferences;
• advertising, website and communication engagement data; and
• any other information you choose to provide through our forms, journeys or communications.

We may also collect technical and usage information when you visit our website or interact with our communications, including IP address, device information, browser type, pages visited, referral source, cookies, tracking pixels and interaction data.

3. How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information to:

• process your enquiry, request or application journey;
• assess your eligibility for relevant products or services;
• assist with credit-score or credit-report-related services where you have authorised this;
• communicate with you about your request;
• send uApply newsletters, offers, advertising, reminders and related updates where you have opted in;
• personalise and improve the relevance of advertising, newsletters and offers sent by uApply;
• measure campaign performance and improve our services;
• prevent fraud, abuse or misuse of our services;
• keep records of consent, opt-outs and communication preferences;
• comply with legal and regulatory obligations; and
• respond to enquiries, complaints or requests.

4. uApply Marketing Consent

When you opt in to uApply communications, you consent to receive communications from uApply. These communications may include newsletters, offers, surveys, advertising, reminders and other promotional messages sent by email, SMS, WhatsApp, telephone or other electronic communication channels.

We may use the information you provide, together with your interactions with uApply websites, forms, advertisements and communications, to send you more relevant advertising, offers and newsletters.

We do not sell your personal information. We also do not share your personal information with a third-party provider for that provider to contact you unless you have specifically requested information from that provider or have expressly consented to be contacted by that provider.

5. Partner Leads and Provider Requests

Some uApply journeys, advertisements, forms or offers may allow you to request information, assistance or a service from a specific provider or appointed partner.

Where your journey requires us to share your information with a provider or appointed partner, we will present consent language for that specific journey before sharing your information. We will only share your information with that provider or appointed partner where you have expressly consented to the sharing or where it is necessary to process the request you made.

Once your information is shared with a provider or appointed partner, that provider or appointed partner may process your personal information under its own privacy policy and as an independent responsible party, unless otherwise stated.

6. Credit Report Consent

Where a journey requires a credit report, credit score or affordability-related assessment, we will ask for your authorisation before retrieving or assisting with the retrieval of your credit report or related information.

We may share the information necessary for this purpose with appointed partners, credit bureaus, service providers or financial services providers involved in assisting with your request, but only where you have consented to that journey or where the sharing is otherwise lawful.

7. Opting Out

You may opt out of uApply marketing at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by emailing privacy@uapply.co.za.

If you opt out, we may keep limited information on a suppression list to make sure that we do not continue sending you marketing communications.

Opting out of uApply marketing does not automatically opt you out of communications from a third-party provider where you separately consented to be contacted by that provider. You should opt out directly with that provider as well.

8. Cookies and Tracking

Our website and communications may use cookies, pixels and similar tracking technologies. These technologies help us operate our website, understand how users interact with our content, measure campaign performance, prevent fraud and make advertising and newsletters more relevant.

Where tracking information is linked to information that identifies you, we treat it as personal information and process it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. If you disable cookies, some features of our website may not function properly.

9. Sharing Personal Information

We may share personal information with:

• service providers who help us operate our website, databases, communications, advertising and application journeys;
• technology, hosting, email, SMS, WhatsApp, analytics, validation and security providers;
• appointed partners, credit bureaus or financial services providers where this is necessary for a journey you have consented to or requested;
• advisers, auditors, legal representatives, regulators or authorities where required;
• parties involved in enforcing our terms, protecting our rights, preventing fraud or complying with the law; and
• any other party where you have expressly consented to the sharing.

We require service providers who process personal information for us to use it only for the purposes for which it was provided and to protect it appropriately.

10. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.

No online transmission or storage system is completely secure. If we become aware of a security compromise affecting personal information, we will take appropriate steps as required by law.

11. Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

We may retain consent records, opt-out records, application journey records, campaign records and legal compliance records where necessary to protect our rights, comply with obligations, resolve disputes or demonstrate compliance.

12. Children

uApply services are not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children for marketing or application purposes. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without appropriate authority, we will take reasonable steps to delete it or otherwise deal with it lawfully.

13. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you;
• request access to your personal information;
• request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out-of-date, incomplete, misleading or unlawfully obtained personal information;
• object to certain processing of your personal information;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• opt out of direct marketing; and
• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise your rights, contact us at privacy@uapply.co.za.

14. Information Regulator

You may contact the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your personal information has been processed unlawfully.

Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
Email: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za

15. Third-Party Websites

Our website, advertisements or communications may link to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content or security of third-party websites. You should review the privacy policy of any third-party website you visit.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will be published on our website and will apply from the latest revision date stated above.

17. Contact Us

Forge Advertising (Pty) Ltd operating the website known as uApply.co.za
Address: 5 Ensete Place, Magalieskruin X27, PRetoria, 0159
Privacy enquiries: privacy@uapply.co.za
Opt-out requests: use the unsubscribe link in our emails or email privacy@uapply.co.za.