TenderWise Privacy Policy

Effective date: 2025-08-20

TenderWise ("TenderWise", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our users. This Privacy Policy describes the personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the choices you have regarding your information. We process personal information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other applicable laws.

1. Controller

TenderWise is the data controller for personal information collected via this website and our services. Contact: privacy@tenderwise.co.za.

2. Personal information we collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Identity & account data: name, email address, phone number, company name, registration numbers, B-BBEE level.
• Profile & preference data: industry, categories of interest, saved searches, notification preferences.
• Tender data: tenders you view, save, or apply for; documents uploaded for tender applications.
• Payment & billing: billing contact and invoicing details (payment processing by third-party providers).
• Usage & device data: IP address, device/browser metadata, analytics and logs.
• Communications: messages, support requests and transcripts when you contact us or use in-app chat.

3. Purposes and legal bases

We use personal information for:

• Providing and improving the service (contract performance).
• Sending notifications and communications about tenders and account activity (consent/contract).
• Processing payments and subscriptions (contractual necessity).
• Compliance with legal obligations and fraud prevention (legal obligation/legitimate interest).
• Analytics and service optimisation (legitimate interest, minimized and aggregated where possible).

4. Sharing and third parties

We only share personal information with:

• Processors and service providers (payment, email, storage, analytics) under contract and limited to necessary purposes.
• Specialist partners where you explicitly request collaboration (e.g., assisted applications).
• Law enforcement, regulatory bodies or courts where required by law or in response to valid legal processes.

5. International transfers

Where we transfer personal information outside South Africa, we put in place appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses, and we ensure recipients provide adequate protection.

6. Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, for legal or regulatory obligations, or to resolve disputes. Specific retention periods vary by data type (e.g., account data retained while account is active; documents retained as required for tendering).

7. Security measures

We implement technical and organisational measures (encryption, access controls, secure storage) to protect personal information. Access is limited to authorised personnel and processors with contractual obligations to keep data secure.

8. Your rights

You have rights under POPIA and other applicable laws, subject to legal limitations, including:

• Access: request a copy of your personal information.
• Rectification: correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Erasure: request deletion where lawful to do so.
• Restriction or objection: restrict or object to certain processing activities.
• Data portability: where technically feasible, export your data in a structured format.

To exercise your rights, contact privacy@tenderwise.co.za. We will verify identity and respond within applicable timeframes.

9. Complaints

If you are unhappy with our handling of personal information, you may contact us at privacy@tenderwise.co.za. You may also lodge a complaint with the South African Information Regulator: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/

10. Children

Our services are intended for businesses and adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Contact us to request removal of information if discovered.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. We will post changes on this page with the effective date. For significant changes, we will notify users via email where appropriate.

12. Contact

Data protection enquiries and data subject requests: privacy@tenderwise.co.za

This policy is drafted to align with POPIA and general best practices but does not constitute legal advice. For full legal compliance tailored to your organisation’s circumstances, consult qualified South African legal counsel.