1. Introduction
Cytech Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("Cytech", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"). This Privacy Notice explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what rights you have regarding your personal information.
By submitting information through our website, enquiry forms, or any other communication channel, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Notice and consent to the processing of your personal information as described herein.
2. Who We Are
Cytech Solutions (Pty) Ltd is a South African technology and consulting company specialising in municipal revenue intelligence, water and infrastructure analytics, digital enablement, and AI adoption for public-sector clients. Our registered office is in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
For the purposes of POPIA, Cytech Solutions (Pty) Ltd is the Responsible Party — the entity that determines the purpose and means of processing your personal information.
3. Personal Information We Collect
We collect personal information in the following categories:
3.1 Contact and Identity Information
- Full name
- Job title and role
- Organisation or municipality name and province
- Work email address
- Work telephone number
3.2 Communication Records
- Enquiry content submitted through our website forms
- Email correspondence between you and Cytech
- Notes from telephone and video call discussions
- Meeting records and action items
3.3 Website Usage Information (Anonymised)
- Pages visited, time on site, and device type (collected via analytics tools — no personal identifiers retained)
- Referring source (how you arrived at our website)
3.4 Client Engagement Data
For clients engaging Cytech in a consulting or analytics capacity, we may process municipal data that includes personal information of third parties (e.g., consumer accounts, billing records). This processing is governed by a separate Data Processing Agreement and is conducted only to deliver contracted services.
4. How We Use Your Personal Information
We process your personal information for the following lawful purposes:
- Responding to enquiries: To respond to requests submitted through our website contact and diagnostic request forms.
- Client communication: To communicate with you regarding proposals, engagements, project progress, and deliverables.
- Service delivery: To deliver the consulting, analytics, and technology services you have engaged Cytech to perform.
- Compliance: To comply with applicable legal obligations, including POPIA, MFMA-related data governance requirements applicable to our clients, and general South African law.
- Business development: With your consent, to send relevant thought leadership, service updates, or event invitations. You may withdraw consent at any time.
5. Lawful Basis for Processing
We process your personal information on the following grounds under POPIA Section 11:
- Consent: Where you have given clear consent when submitting an enquiry form or subscribing to our communications.
- Contractual necessity: Where processing is necessary to fulfil a contract for services or to take pre-contractual steps at your request.
- Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for Cytech's legitimate business interests, provided these do not override your rights and interests.
- Legal obligation: Where processing is required to comply with applicable law.
6. How We Protect Your Information
Cytech implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure, including:
- Encryption of data in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest where applicable
- Role-based access controls limiting staff access to personal information to those with a need to know
- Secure storage on reputable cloud infrastructure with South Africa or EU data residency
- Confidentiality obligations imposed on all staff and contractors who handle personal information
- Data minimisation — we only collect information necessary for the stated purpose
- Retention limitation — personal information is deleted when no longer required for its original purpose
7. Sharing of Personal Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:
- Service providers: Third-party suppliers who process data on our behalf (e.g., cloud hosting, email delivery) under binding data processing agreements that require equivalent protection standards.
- Legal requirements: Where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority, we may disclose information as legally obligated.
- Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of Cytech assets, personal information may be transferred subject to equivalent privacy protections.
We will not share your information with any other third party without your explicit consent.
8. International Data Transfers
Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa (for example, to cloud service providers), Cytech ensures adequate protection is in place in accordance with POPIA Section 72 — including binding contractual clauses that impose data protection standards equivalent to South African law.
9. Retention of Personal Information
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this notice, or as required by law:
- Enquiry records (non-converted): 12 months from last contact
- Client records (active engagement): Duration of contract plus 5 years (for legal and audit purposes)
- Marketing consent records: Until consent is withdrawn, plus 1 year for audit trail
- Website analytics: Rolling 24-month anonymised retention
10. Your Rights Under POPIA
Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Right to access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
- Right to deletion: Request deletion of personal information where we no longer have a lawful basis to retain it.
- Right to object: Object to specific processing activities, including direct marketing.
- Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
- Right to lodge a complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights under POPIA have been violated.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer at: info@cytechsolutions.co.za. We will respond within 30 business days of receiving a verified request.
11. The Information Regulator
If you have concerns about how we process your personal information that we have not resolved to your satisfaction, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:
- Website: www.inforegulator.org.za
- Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
- Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
12. Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website uses minimal analytics to understand how visitors use our site. We use anonymised, aggregated data only — no personally identifiable information is stored in analytics systems. We do not use third-party tracking cookies for advertising purposes.
You may configure your browser to refuse cookies. This will not affect your ability to use any part of our website.
13. Changes to This Notice
We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post the updated notice on this page with a revised date. If material changes are made, we will notify active clients directly.
14. Contact Us
For any queries regarding this Privacy Notice or the processing of your personal information, contact:
- Responsible Party: Cytech Solutions (Pty) Ltd
- Information Officer: Available on request
- Email: info@cytechsolutions.co.za
- Physical Address: Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Last updated: April 2025. This notice is effective from the date of publication and supersedes all previous versions.