Privacy Policy (POPIA)

1. Introduction

HARSOM CASTOR FARM (PTY) LTD ("Harsom", "we", "us", or "our") respects your right to privacy and is committed to managing personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, No. 25 of 2002 ("ECTA").

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and safeguard personal information obtained through our website (harsomcastorfarm.com), our Farmer Programme applications, customer orders, and communications via email, telephone, or WhatsApp.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

Depending on whether you visit our website, apply for the Farmer Programme, order castor products, or contact us, we collect:

• Commercial & General Enquirers: Name, business name, company registration, email address, telephone/WhatsApp number, delivery destination, and product specifications.
• Farmer Programme Participants: Full name, farm or entity name, South African ID or company registration number, contact numbers, email address, physical farm location/address, GPS coordinates/WhatsApp location pins, total farm acreage, available water resources, and crop production estimates.
• Shop & E-Commerce Customers: Full name, billing address, delivery address, phone number, and transaction references (we do not store full credit card numbers on our servers; payments are processed securely through certified gateways).
• Technical Website Data: IP address, device type, browser information, referring pages, and cookie records to maintain security and monitor site performance.

3. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal data directly from you when you:

• Fill out an Expression of Interest or enquiry form on our website;
• Communicate with our team via email, direct phone calls, or WhatsApp;
• Place an order for our 20-litre containers or other castor oil products;
• Submit agricultural agreements, onboarding forms, or CIPC documentation as part of the supplier network.

4. Purpose and Legal Basis for Processing

In accordance with Section 11 of POPIA, we only process personal information where there is an adequate, relevant, and non-excessive legitimate ground, including:

• Contractual Obligations: Reviewing and administering Farmer Programme expressions of interest, farm assessments, buyback contracts, and product deliveries.
• Customer & Commercial Support: Supplying product specifications, processing 20L orders, issuing invoices, and fulfilling buyer evaluation queries.
• Statutory Compliance: Maintaining tax, corporate, financial, and legal records under South African law.
• Legitimate Interests: Securing our digital platform, verifying identities, and preventing fraud or abuse.

5. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

Harsom does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We only share information with third parties under strict confidentiality, including:

• Logistics & Courier Partners: To dispatch, deliver, and track orders or collect seed crops;
• Authorized Service Providers: Secure hosting providers, IT administrators, and accredited third-party payment gateways;
• Agronomic & Quality Assessors: Accredited testing laboratories and field coordinators under non-disclosure terms;
• Legal & Regulatory Authorities: When required by statutory process, court order, or South African law enforcement.

6. Cross-Border Transfers

Where website data, cloud backups, or communications (such as WhatsApp/Meta services) involve servers located outside of the Republic of South Africa, we ensure the transfer complies with Section 72 of POPIA by confirming that recipient jurisdictions uphold comparable data protection standards or that binding contractual safeguards are in place.

7. Information Security

We apply appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorized access, alteration, and destruction. These measures include encrypted SSL (HTTPS) web traffic, firewalls, restricted staff access controls, and secure data storage.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the operational, commercial, or agricultural purposes for which it was gathered, or to comply with statutory statutory retention periods (such as 5-year tax and commercial record requirements).

9. Your Data Rights Under POPIA

Under Sections 23 and 24 of POPIA, you have the right to:

• Request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you;
• Request access to the record of your personal information held by Harsom;
• Request the correction, completion, or deletion of personal information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, outdated, or unlawfully obtained;
• Object on reasonable grounds to the processing of your personal information;
• Lodge a complaint with the South African Information Regulator.

10. Contact Details of the Information Officer & Regulator

To exercise your privacy rights or discuss our data protection practices, please contact our Information Officer:

You also have the right to contact the Information Regulator (South Africa):

JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Website: inforegulator.org.za