Privacy Policy
How we collect, use, and protect your personal information, in full accordance with POPIA.
Cape Marine Academy respects your privacy and treats your personal information as something you have trusted us with, not something we own. This policy explains, in plain language, what we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, how we protect it, and the rights you have. For anything not covered here, email us at hello@capemarineacademy.co.za.
1. Who is responsible for your information
The responsible party, as POPIA defines it, is Cape Marine Academy (Pty) Ltd (registration number to be confirmed), trading as Cape Marine Academy, of to be confirmed, South Africa.
Our Information Officer is to be confirmed. You can reach the Information Officer for any privacy matter at hello@capemarineacademy.co.za. The Information Officer is registered with the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.
2. Our commitment under POPIA
We process your personal information in line with the eight conditions for lawful processing set out in the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA). In plain terms this means we:
- take accountability for how your information is handled,
- collect only what we genuinely need, for a clear and lawful purpose,
- use it only for that purpose, or a purpose you would reasonably expect,
- keep it accurate and up to date,
- are open with you about what we do,
- secure it with reasonable technical and organisational measures,
- respect your rights as a data subject, including access and correction,
- and delete or anonymise it when we no longer need it.
3. What we collect and why
We collect only what we need to run the academy and deliver what you asked for. We do not collect special personal information, and we do not need your identity number for our courses.
| Information | Why we hold it | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Name, email, phone number | To answer enquiries, create your account, and support you | Your consent, and performance of our agreement |
| Account login and course progress | To give you access to the training you bought and track completion | Performance of our agreement |
| Payment confirmation from our providers | To confirm your purchase and issue receipts. We never see or store your card number | Performance of our agreement, and legal obligation |
| Marketing preferences | To send only the updates and guides you asked for | Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
| Device and usage data, cookies | To keep the site secure, working, and improving | Our legitimate interest, balanced against your rights |
6. Information sent outside South Africa
Some of our operators store data on servers outside South Africa. When that happens, we only use providers that are subject to laws, binding rules or contracts that give your information a level of protection comparable to POPIA. This is permitted under section 72 of POPIA.
7. How we keep it safe
We protect your information with encrypted connections, secure hosting, access controls, and reputable providers. Access inside the academy is limited to the people who need it to do their work. No system is ever perfect, but we take the reasonable steps POPIA requires, and we review them regularly.
8. How long we keep it
We keep your information only for as long as we have a lawful reason to, then we delete or anonymise it.
| Information | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Enquiries that do not become accounts | Up to 18 months, then deleted |
| Student accounts and course records | While your account is active, and up to 3 years after it closes |
| Payment and tax records | 5 years, as South African tax law requires |
| Marketing contact details | Until you unsubscribe, then removed from active lists |
9. Your rights
Under POPIA you have the right to:
- ask what personal information we hold about you, and get a copy,
- ask us to correct or update anything that is wrong,
- ask us to delete it, subject to records we are legally required to keep,
- object to processing, and to withdraw consent for marketing,
- not be subject to a decision based only on automated processing, and
- complain to the Information Regulator.
To exercise any of these, email our Information Officer at hello@capemarineacademy.co.za. We respond within a reasonable time and at no charge, unless the law allows a fee for large requests.
10. Children
Our courses are intended for adults preparing for a career at sea. We do not knowingly collect the personal information of a child under 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.
11. If something goes wrong
If a security compromise ever affects your personal information, we will notify the Information Regulator and you as soon as reasonably possible, as section 22 of POPIA requires, and we will tell you what happened and what to do about it.
12. Complaints to the Regulator
We would always rather hear from you first, so we can put things right. You also have the right to complain directly to the supervisory authority:
The Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
POPIA complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our service or the law changes. The current version, with its date, always applies and lives on this page. If a change is significant, we will tell account holders by email.
This document is a plain language baseline written to protect Cape Marine Academy under South African law. It is not a substitute for legal advice. Have it reviewed by a South African attorney before you rely on it.
Questions about this policy?
Talk to a real person. We answer plainly, no fine print games.