Privacy Policy

Asanda Richard Radebe, trading as Aggrandize Web Co (“Aggrandize”, “we”, “us”) designs and builds websites for small businesses. We are the Responsible Party for the personal information described in this policy under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). Our Information Officer is Asanda Richard Radebe, reachable at aggrandizewebco@gmail.com or +27 74 613 6184. Physical address: Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

• Contact and enquiry forms: your name, business name, email address, the package you’re interested in, and your message.
• Get Started project brief: business name, contact name, email address, phone/WhatsApp number, your project description, pages and products or services you want listed, brand and style preferences, and any images you upload (such as logos, product photos, and reference images).
• Payments: payments are processed by PayFast. We do not see or store your card or bank details. We receive only a payment reference, the amount, and whether the payment succeeded.
• Consent records: when you accept these policies at checkout, we record the date and time and the policy version you agreed to.
• WhatsApp and email: messages you send us directly.
• Website usage: anonymous, aggregated information about how the site is used (pages visited, device and browser type), collected only as described in our Cookie Policy.

We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

• To respond to your enquiry and prepare quotes
• To plan, build, and deliver the website you’ve paid for
• To process and confirm payments and keep financial records
• To provide maintenance and support if you subscribe to a maintenance plan
• To improve our website, using aggregated usage data only

We will not send you marketing messages unless you’ve agreed to receive them, and you can opt out at any time.

We process your information because you’ve consented to it, because it’s needed to take steps towards or perform a contract with you, because the law requires it (for example, keeping financial records), or because we have a legitimate interest that doesn’t override your rights.

We don’t sell your personal information. We share it only with service providers (“operators”) who help us run the business, and only as far as they need it:

• Vercel: website hosting, analytics, and storage of uploaded images (Vercel Blob)
• PayFast: payment processing
• Resend: sending email notifications
• Google (Gmail): business email
• Meta (WhatsApp): if you contact us on WhatsApp

We may also disclose information where the law requires it.

Some of these providers store data on servers outside South Africa. We use only reputable providers that are bound by data-protection laws or contractual obligations offering protection comparable to POPIA, as section 72 of POPIA requires.

• Enquiries that don’t become projects: up to 12 months, then deleted
• Client project records, invoices, and payment records: 5 years after the project ends, to meet tax and legal record-keeping requirements
• Uploaded images and project files: for the duration of the project and any maintenance plan, then deleted on request or within 12 months of the relationship ending

Our site uses encrypted connections (SSL/TLS). Access to client information is limited to Aggrandize, and we use secure, access-controlled services to store it. No system is completely secure, but we take reasonable technical and organisational steps to prevent loss, misuse, or unauthorised access. If a security compromise affects your information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.

You have the right to:

• ask whether we hold your information and request a copy of it
• ask us to correct or delete inaccurate, outdated, or unnecessary information
• object to us processing it, or withdraw your consent at any time
• refuse direct marketing
• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

To make a request, email aggrandizewebco@gmail.com. We may need to verify your identity, and we’ll respond within 30 days.

If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your information, please contact us first. You can also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) at www.inforegulator.org.za.

We may update this policy. The date and version at the top show when it last changed. Significant changes will be highlighted on this page.