Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

HomeFix ("we", "us", "our") operates the HomeFix platform, a marketplace connecting customers with skilled artisans across South Africa. We act as the Responsible Party under POPIA for personal information collected through this platform.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

Account information: name, email address, phone number, password (hashed).
Profile information: profile photo, bio, trade specialisations, service area.
Artisan verification documents: ID number, uploaded identity documents (stored securely, reviewed by authorised staff only).
Job data: job descriptions, addresses, scheduling details, messages exchanged between users.
Location data: GPS coordinates or address entered when posting a job.
Payment information: transaction records. Card details are processed by Netcash — we never receive or store raw card numbers.
Usage data: pages visited, actions taken, timestamps (for security and analytics).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

Create and manage your account.
Facilitate job bookings and payments between customers and artisans.
Verify artisan identities and maintain platform integrity.
Send service-related notifications (job updates, payment confirmations, dispute outcomes).
Improve and secure the platform.
Comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

4. Sharing of Information

We share information only where necessary:

Between users: when a job is matched, relevant contact and job details are shared between the customer and artisan.
Netcash: payment processing. Netcash operates under its own privacy policy and is a South African-regulated payment gateway.
Law enforcement: where required by law or to protect the rights and safety of users.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time (see Section 8). Some data may be retained for legal or financial compliance purposes after account closure.

6. Cookies and Tracking

HomeFix uses localStorage on your device to store your authentication token and session preferences. We do not currently use third-party advertising cookies. Standard server logs (IP address, browser type, pages accessed) are retained for security and debugging purposes.

7. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including HTTPS encryption, hashed passwords (bcrypt), JWT-based authentication, and role-based access controls. Despite these measures, no system is completely secure. Please notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you.
Correct inaccurate or outdated information.
Delete your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements).
Object to the processing of your information.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@handymanssa.co.za.

9. Children's Privacy

Our platform is not intended for use by persons under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact the Information Officer

For privacy-related queries or to exercise your rights:

Email: privacy@handymanssa.co.za
Postal address: HomeFix, South Africa

You also have the right to contact the Information Regulator at inforegulator.org.za if you believe your rights have been infringed.