POPIA COMPLIANCE – PRIVACY POLICY
This website is owned and operated by SAMOS (South African Master of Ocean Sciences), which will be referred to as “we,” “our,” and “us” in this Privacy Policy. We are committed to protecting your personal information and complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), 2013. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information.
By using our website, you agree to the terms of this policy and the lawful processing of your personal information in accordance with POPIA.
COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect personal information directly from you where you provide us with your details, for example, when you:
- Make enquiries or requests through our website
- Subscribe to communications
- Register for services or programs
- Provide feedback or engage with our team
The types of personal information we collect may include your name, contact information, email address, job title, organisation, and any other relevant details necessary to fulfil our duties and services.
USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Your personal information will only be used for the purposes for which it was collected, including:
- Responding to your enquiries
- Administering and improving our services
- Keeping you informed about relevant updates or opportunities
- Complying with legal obligations
We will not use your personal information for any unrelated purpose without your consent.
SHARING OF INFORMATION
We do not sell or rent your personal information. However, we may share your data in the following instances:
- With service providers and third parties who assist us in operating our website or delivering services, under strict confidentiality
- If required by law or regulation
- To protect the rights, property, or safety of SAMOS or others
All such sharing is done in accordance with POPIA and with appropriate safeguards in place.
STORAGE AND SECURITY
We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include:
- Secured servers
- Regular reviews of our data protection practices
- Access controls and confidentiality agreements with staff and service providers
Despite these precautions, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of any information you transmit to us.
YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA
You have the right to:
- Request access to your personal information
- Request correction or deletion of your personal information
- Object to or restrict the processing of your information
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@samos-edu.eu.
COOKIES AND TRACKING
Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to enhance user experience and track usage statistics. You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings.
LINKS TO OTHER SITES
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. These sites are not governed by this Privacy Policy, and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those sites before disclosing your information.
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We reserve the right to update or amend this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page and will take effect immediately upon publication.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, your personal information, or our compliance with POPIA, please contact us at:
SAMOS (South African Master of Ocean Sciences)
Email: info@samos-edu.eu
