Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

DSM Digital (Pty) Ltd ("DSM Connect", "we", "us", "our") operates the DSM Connect platform — a local business marketing and discovery service for South Africa. Our Information Officer is Donald McBride. For all privacy-related matters, contact us at privacy@dsmconnect.co.za.

2. What data we collect

• Business data from public sources. We import publicly available business information from Google Places — business name, address, category, phone number, website, and Google rating. This is information already accessible to the public.
• Account data. When you create a business account, we collect your email address, a hashed password, and the business details you choose to provide (logo, photos, description, promotions).
• Usage analytics. We collect anonymised data about how the platform is used — page views, feature interactions, device type. This data does not identify individuals.

3. How we use your data

• To operate the DSM Connect platform and deliver our services
• To send you account-related communications (verification, billing, important updates)
• To improve the platform based on anonymised usage patterns
• To contact you about your listing or account when necessary

We do not use your data for advertising profiling or sell it to third parties.

4. Legal basis under POPIA

• Public business information. We process publicly available business data on the basis of legitimate interest — to provide a useful local discovery service. Business owners can request removal at any time.
• Account data. We process this on the basis of your consent when you create an account, and to fulfil our contract with you to provide the service.

5. Data sharing

We do not sell your data. We use the following service providers who may process your data as part of delivering the platform:

• Supabase — database hosting and authentication
• Vercel — application hosting and delivery
• Cloudinary — image storage and processing
• Anthropic — AI content generation
• Paystack — payment processing

Each provider operates under its own privacy policy and appropriate data processing terms.

6. Your rights

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your information
• Object to the processing of your information

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@dsmconnect.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Data retention

We hold your personal information for as long as your account is active. If you close your account or request deletion, we will permanently delete your data within 90 days, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

8. Cookies

We use only essential cookies required for the platform to function — specifically, session management and authentication tokens. We do not use third-party tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies that identify individuals.

9. Contact

For any privacy questions, data access requests, or concerns, contact our Information Officer at privacy@dsmconnect.co.za.

10. Changes to this policy

We will notify registered users at least 30 days before making any material changes to this policy. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.