Privacy Policy

Personal Information:

• Name, email address, phone number
• South African ID number (for verification purposes)
• Address and location information
• Payment information and banking details
• Business information for vendor accounts

Usage Information:

• Browsing activity and search queries
• Listing creation and interaction data
• AI service usage and preferences
• Device information and IP address
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

Content and Media:

• Photos and videos uploaded to listings
• Messages and communications between users
• Reviews and ratings
• Profile information and preferences

Service Provision:

• Account creation and management
• Processing transactions and payments
• Facilitating communication between buyers and sellers
• AI-powered listing creation and visual search
• Location-based services and delivery coordination

Verification and Security:

• SA ID and RICA phone number verification
• Fraud prevention and security monitoring
• Account authentication and access control
• Compliance with legal requirements

Improvement and Analytics:

• Platform optimization and feature development
• AI algorithm training and improvement
• Usage analytics and performance monitoring
• Market research and trend analysis

Legal Basis for Processing: We process your personal information based on:

• Consent for marketing communications and optional features
• Contract performance for service delivery
• Legal obligation for verification and compliance
• Legitimate interest for security and platform improvement

Your Rights Under POPIA:

• Right to access your personal information
• Right to correction of inaccurate information
• Right to deletion of personal information
• Right to object to processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to lodge complaints with the Information Regulator

AI Listing Creation:

• Images uploaded for AI analysis are processed using OpenAI services
• Image data may be temporarily stored for processing purposes
• AI-generated content is based on image analysis and market data
• We do not train our own AI models on user content without consent

Visual Search:

• Search images are processed to find similar listings
• Image features are extracted for matching purposes
• Search queries are logged for service improvement

With Other Users:

• Listing information and seller contact details
• Public profile information and ratings
• Messages sent through our platform

With Service Providers:

• Payment processors (PayFast, banks)
• AI services (OpenAI for image analysis)
• SMS and email service providers
• Hosting and cloud storage providers
• Analytics and monitoring services

Legal Requirements:

• Law enforcement and regulatory authorities
• Court orders and legal proceedings
• Fraud investigation and prevention

Technical Safeguards:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure authentication and access controls
• Regular security audits and monitoring
• Secure cloud infrastructure and databases

Organizational Measures:

• Staff training on data protection
• Limited access to personal information
• Data breach response procedures
• Regular security policy updates

Account Information: Retained while your account is active and for 7 years after closure for legal compliance.

Transaction Data: Retained for 7 years for tax and regulatory purposes.

Communication Records: Retained for dispute resolution and customer service purposes.

AI Processing Data: Temporary processing data is deleted after analysis completion.

Marketing Data: Retained until you withdraw consent or close your account.

Cloud Services: Your data may be processed in secure cloud facilities outside South Africa.

AI Processing: Image analysis may be performed by OpenAI services in the United States.

Safeguards: We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including:

• Standard contractual clauses
• Adequacy decisions by the Information Regulator
• Service provider security certifications

Essential Cookies: Required for basic platform functionality and security.

Analytics Cookies: Help us understand platform usage and improve services.

Marketing Cookies: Used for targeted advertising and marketing campaigns (with consent).

Cookie Management: You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie preferences center.

Family Marketplace is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child, we will delete it promptly.

We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes through:

• Email notifications
• Platform notifications
• Updated version date on this page