1. Introduction
FICME (Pty) Ltd ("FICME", "we", "our" or "us") is committed to protecting personal information and complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"). POPIA regulates how personal information about identifiable living individuals and identifiable existing juristic persons is collected, used, shared, stored and otherwise processed.
This general awareness notice explains POPIA’s relevance to you. For details of our processing and the notices applicable to your interaction with FICME, please read our:
General Privacy Statement, which explains our general processing practices, safeguards and procedures for exercising your rights; and
Core Privacy Policy, which explains processing through the FICME platform, including document sharing and optional verification services.
In the event of any inconsistency between this POPIA Notice and either the General Privacy Statement or the Core Privacy Policy, the latter documents shall prevail to the extent of such inconsistency.
These documents must be read together with any applicable service-specific notice. This overview does not replace the detailed notices or limit your statutory rights. Reading or acknowledging this notice does not constitute consent to every processing activity.
2. Why POPIA Matters to You
POPIA is relevant whenever we process information about you, whether you provide it yourself or another person lawfully supplies it. It gives you rights over that information and requires lawful, fair and secure processing.
FICME must comply with POPIA’s eight conditions for lawful processing, covering accountability, processing limits, specified purposes, compatible further use, information quality, openness, security and data subject participation.
If you submit information about another person or access information through an institution’s account, you must have the necessary authority and lawful basis and comply with the applicable privacy and acceptable-use requirements. FICME and recipient institutions remain responsible for their respective processing. Consent is one lawful basis for processing; it is not required for every activity.
3. Information Officer
For privacy enquiries or assistance with your rights, contact our Information Officer. The officer’s name, physical address and full contact details appear in the General Privacy Statement and Core Privacy Policy.
Email: privacy@ficme.app
4. Rights of Data Subjects
Subject to the applicable legal requirements and limitations, your rights include being informed about processing, requesting access and correction or deletion, objecting to qualifying processing, withdrawing consent for future consent-based processing, and complaining to the Information Regulator.
The General Privacy Statement explains these rights and how to exercise them. You need not have a FICME account to exercise rights relating to your personal information.
5. Information Regulator
You may complain directly to the Information Regulator about alleged unlawful processing of your personal information. You do not have to complete FICME’s internal complaint process first.
The Regulator’s complaint procedures and contact details are available at https://inforegulator.org.za/complaints/.
6. Related Documents
The General Privacy Statement and Core Privacy Policy provide the detailed privacy information. Related documents include the PAIA Manual, Cookie Policy and Terms of Service, as applicable.
These documents are available through the Legal section of the FICME website or may be requested from the Information Officer.