1. Who We Are
iSpan is a South African online marketplace connecting homeowners with skilled artisans. Our Information Officer can be reached at privacy@ispan.co.za.
2. Information We Collect
All users:
- Name, email address, phone number
- Profile photo (optional)
- Location data (lat/lng for job-site matching — only when you provide it)
- Device information and IP address (for security and fraud prevention)
- Communications sent through the platform
Artisans additionally:
- ID / passport number and document scan
- Proof of address document
- Police clearance certificate (optional but encouraged)
- Bank account details (for EFT payouts only — encrypted at rest)
- Trade certifications and portfolio photos
3. Why We Process Your Information
| Purpose |
Legal basis (POPIA) |
| Account creation and authentication |
Contract performance |
| Matching customers with nearby artisans |
Contract performance |
| Processing payments via Netcash |
Contract performance |
| Identity verification of artisans |
Legitimate interest (platform safety) |
| Sending job notifications and service emails |
Contract performance / consent |
| Dispute resolution and fraud prevention |
Legitimate interest |
| Legal and regulatory compliance (e.g. SARS) |
Legal obligation |
4. Who We Share Your Information With
- The other party to a confirmed job — a Customer's contact details are shared with the assigned Artisan and vice versa, only after a job is accepted.
- Netcash — payment processing (customer payment data is handled entirely by Netcash).
- Our SMTP email provider — to deliver transactional emails.
- Law enforcement — when required by a valid court order or to prevent imminent harm.
- We never sell your personal information to third parties.
5. How Long We Keep Your Data
- Active account data — retained for the life of your account.
- Job and payment records — retained for 5 years (SARS requirement).
- Identity documents — retained for 3 years after account closure.
- Inactive accounts — deleted or anonymised after 3 years of inactivity.
6. Your Rights Under POPIA
You have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Deletion (erasure) — request deletion of your data, subject to legal retention obligations.
- Object — object to processing based on legitimate interest.
- Lodge a complaint — with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforeg.org.za.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@ispan.co.za. We will respond within 10 business days.
7. Security
- Passwords are stored as bcrypt hashes — never in plain text.
- Bank account details are encrypted at rest.
- All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS).
- JWT tokens expire after 24 hours; refresh tokens after 30 days.
- We conduct periodic security reviews of our systems.
8. Cookies
We do not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising cookies. We use localStorage to store your authentication token for the duration of your session. No personal data is sent to third-party analytics services.
9. Children
Our platform is not intended for persons under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has registered, contact us immediately.
10. Changes to This Policy
We will notify registered users by email before any material changes take effect. The date at the top of this page always reflects the most recent version.
11. Contact Our Information Officer
iSpan Information Officer
Email: privacy@ispan.co.za
South Africa