Privacy Policy

HeyFundi (owned and operated by Brennan Strydom) is the responsible party for the personal information processed through the Platform.

• Information Officer: Brennan Strydom
• Email: privacy@heyfundi.app
• Address: 1 Broadacres East Drive, Dainfern, Johannesburg, South Africa

This policy applies to everyone who uses the Platform, including:

• Experts ("fundis") — skilled tradespeople and professionals who create profiles, bid on jobs, and use our invoicing and quoting tools; and
• Job posters — homeowners, individuals, and businesses who post jobs and receive bids.

We collect only the information we need to operate the Platform.

Information you give us

• Account and profile details: name, email address, phone number, password, location (province, city, suburb), profile photo, and — for experts — your skills, services, rates, portfolio, and business details.
• Verification information (experts): identity document or passport number and image, proof of trade qualifications or registrations (for example a wireman's licence or PIRB registration), references, and, where relevant, proof of insurance.
• Banking and payout details (experts): the account information needed to receive payments and to use our invoicing tools.
• Job information: the details you include when posting a job (description, photos, category, location, urgency, budget).
• Communications: messages you send through the Platform and to our support team.

Information we collect automatically

• Usage and device data: IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed, and actions taken, collected through cookies and similar technologies (see section 11).

Information from third parties

• Payment information: card and payment data for subscriptions is collected and processed by our payment provider, PayFast (see section 7). We do not store full card details.
• Sign-in providers: if you sign in with Google, we receive basic account information you authorise.

Under POPIA we process your information on the following bases: with your consent, to perform our contract with you, to comply with the law, and for our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Platform. We use your information to:

• create and manage your account and expert profile;
• verify experts' identity and credentials so that badges on the Platform mean something real;
• match job posters with experts, and display bids, quotes, and limited profile information to the relevant parties;
• enable invoicing, quoting, and payment reminders;
• process subscription payments for Fundi Pro;
• communicate with you about your account, bids, jobs, and support requests;
• keep the Platform safe, prevent fraud and abuse, and enforce our Terms; and
• understand and improve how the Platform is used.

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as needed:

• Between users, on a limited basis. A job poster's first name and job details are shown to experts. An expert's profile, ratings, and credentials are shown to job posters. Contact details (full name, phone, email) are only shared with the other party after a bid is accepted.
• With service providers (operators) who process information on our behalf under contract — including PayFast (payments), our hosting and infrastructure providers, and communication/email tools.
• For legal reasons — where required by law, regulation, legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and property of HeyFundi, our users, or the public.
• In a business transfer — if HeyFundi is involved in a sale or transfer of the business or its assets, subject to this policy.

We take reasonable steps to verify experts' identity and credentials before they go live. Verification helps but is not a guarantee — we encourage all users to exercise their own judgement. Verification documents are stored securely and used only for verification, safety, and legal compliance.

Subscription payments (Fundi Pro) are processed by PayFast, a South African payment provider. Your card details are entered on and handled by PayFast under their own terms and privacy policy; HeyFundi does not receive or store full card numbers. Payments arranged directly between job posters and experts for completed work are between those parties.

We apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to safeguard your information, including access controls, encryption in transit, and secure storage of sensitive documents such as IDs and banking details. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and will notify you and the Information Regulator of a compromise as required by POPIA.

We keep personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes set out above, or as required by law (for example, tax and financial records). When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or de-identify it.

You have the right to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you and request access to it;
• ask us to correct or delete information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, or out of date;
• object to the processing of your information in certain circumstances;
• withdraw consent where we rely on it (this won't affect processing already carried out); and
• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@heyfundi.app. You may also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa):

• POPIA complaints email: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
• General enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
• Address: Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191
• Website: inforegulator.org.za

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, and understand usage. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect how the Platform works.

Some of our service providers may process information outside South Africa. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information receives a comparable level of protection as required by POPIA.

The Platform is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact privacy@heyfundi.app and we will delete it.

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the updated version here and change the "Last updated" date. Significant changes will be communicated to you where appropriate.

Questions or requests about this policy or your personal information:

• Email: privacy@heyfundi.app
• Information Officer: Brennan Strydom
• Address: 1 Broadacres East Drive, Dainfern, Johannesburg, South Africa