Vodacom (Pty) Ltd: Privacy Policy 

ABOUT OUR PRIVACY AND COOKIES POLICY

Our privacy and cookies policy gets updated from time to time. Whenever we make a change, we'll post this on our website and let you know if there is a material change.

We have revised our privacy and cookies policy, refreshing it to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations relating to the processing of personal information, including but not limited to the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), the POPIA Regulations, 2018, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 (ECTA), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Constitution), the Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (ECA), the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (CPA), the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA), the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act, 2002 (RICA), the Protected Disclosures Act, 2000 (as amended by the Protected Disclosures Amendment Act, No. 5 of 2017), the Cybercrimes Act, 2020, and all other applicable laws, regulations, codes of practice and guidance issued and in force from time to time relating to data protection, privacy, and the processing of personal information.  

Last updated: 30 June 2021

Notification of changes to Privacy Policy

We are continually improving our methods of communication and adding new functionality and features to this Website and to our existing products and services. Because of these ongoing changes, changes in the law and the changing nature of technology, our data protection practices will change from time to time.  If and when our data protection practices change, we will update this privacy policy to describe our new practices.  If we do, we will notify you the next time you visit this site or interact with us through any of our other communication channels. We encourage you to check this page regularly.

HOW TO USE THIS PRIVACY AND COOKIES POLICY

In this privacy policy, we explain how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information when you use our products and services and our website.

It is important to note that when you engage with us, you acknowledge that we require your personal information, as defined in PoPIA and other related regulations and need to process such personal information to provide products or services to you for purposes including to confirm, update and enhance our records, to confirm your identity and additional purposes as detailed below and in other supplementary privacy policies and statements linked to specific services that you subscribe to. 

The provision of your personal information in terms of this policy is mandatory and you will not be able to continue using our products and services, should you object to providing us with such information.

WHO WE ARE

We are Vodacom (Pty) Ltd (hereinafter referred to as "Vodacom")

Our registered office is 082 Vodacom Boulevard, Vodavalley, Midrand, 1685. We are registered in the Republic of South Africa under company number 1993/003367/07.

In this privacy policy:

How to contact us

Your opinion matters to us - if you have any questions about our privacy and cookie policy or your privacy settings, please submit your query to [email protected] and a member of our dedicated team will respond to you. If you would like to mail us by post directly, send it to:

The Privacy Office - Legal Affairs

Vodacom (Pty) Ltd

Corporate Park

082 Vodacom Boulevard

Midrand

1685

Our principles

We are committed to respecting your privacy. We take privacy, security and complying with data protection and privacy laws seriously.

Here are our core Privacy Commitments. We aim to put these commitments at the heart of everything we do.

PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU

The information we collect about you and how we collect it can vary depending on the products and services that you use and subscribe to, how you have used the products and services, how you have interacted with Vodacom even if you aren't a customer, or what we have obtained from a third party with permission to share it with us.

To find the privacy supplements for our products and services, please go to the 'Privacy and our products and services' section of this Privacy Portal. Vodacom subsidiaries may have their own privacy statements governing the customers use of the particular service or product.

Vodacom will process your personal information based on:

We will collect your personal information when you, for example:

We are required to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure your personal information is complete, accurate, not misleading and updated on a regular basis. To ensure this, we will always endeavour to obtain personal information from you directly. Where we are unable to do so, we will make use of verifiable independent third-party data sources who have the necessary authority to provide us with such information. We also collect information from certain organisations, where appropriate and to the extent we have legal grounds to do so. These include fraud-prevention agencies, business directories, credit check reference/vetting agencies, billing calculating agencies and connected network providers.

We may also collect information about you on CCTV when you visit our premises or on other security cameras as part of our security and crime prevention measures.

Understanding what you want (the use of cookies)

We use cookies (small text files stored in your browser) and other techniques such as web beacons (small, clear picture files used to follow your movements on our website). This, in turn, helps us make our Website relevant to your interests and needs. They also help us find information once you have logged in or help us link your browsing information to you and your personal information, for example, when you choose to register for a service.  We may use a persistent cookie (a cookie that stays linked to your browser) to record your details so we can recognise you if you visit our Website again.

Cookies by themselves cannot be used to discover your identity. Cookies do not damage your computer. You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie. This enables you to decide if you want to accept it or not. If you choose not to accept cookies from our Website this may limit its functionalities or performance. For more details on how we use cookies and your rights in respect thereof, please refer to the "Our Cookies policy" section which can be accessed here.

INFORMATION THAT WE PROCESS

The types of information we may process are, where applicable:

We'll also get information about how you use our products and services, such as:

HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We will use, process and analyse your personal information for the following purposes:

To provide you with your services

Processing your order and providing you with your products and services

Billing and customer care

Service messages

Providing roaming services

To improve our service

Improving and innovating our products and services

Managing our networks and understanding network usage

Marketing and tailoring our service to you

Marketing

Advertising online

Research and analytics

We use a variety of analytics methods including what is commonly referred to as "Big data analytics". Big data analytics are mathematically driven analysis techniques on large and varied data sets (that is why it is "big" data) to uncover hidden patterns and hitherto unrevealed trends. Vodacom Analytics is an end-to-end insight platform that offers responses to questions from businesses and public entities by analysing Vodacom network data. It isn't about individuals - it's about overall patterns, rather than any one person. Vodacom Analytics doesn't identify you, or give anyone information which would enable them to contact you.

At Vodacom we take governance of big data analytics seriously. Our data scientists are required to adhere to a Code of Ethics. We have a strict use case process that requires that privacy and data protection law checks are carried out before any use case commences. We also have strict rules ensuring that personal information is protected at the appropriate stage in the process.

We use our analytics to, for example:

Credit checks, fraud prevention and security

We will sometimes need to profile you, for credit, fraud, and security purposes. When we conduct such profiling activities, we will do so in accordance with the provisions of the relevant legislation or lawful requirement.

Credit checks and ID

Fraud prevention and security

HOW WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Where applicable, we share information about you with:

Fraud management and law enforcement

Mergers and acquisitions

If we become involved in a proposed or actual merger, acquisition, or any form of sale of assets, we may use and disclose your personal information to third parties in connection with the evaluation of the transaction. Any acquiring company would have access to your personal information.

Third parties that we work with

Where you've purchased Vodacom products and services using a third party or partner organisation, we often need to exchange information with them as part of managing that relationship and your account - for example, to be able to identify your order and be able to pay them.

If we have a contract with a service provider or contractor to provide us with services or provide a service on our behalf, and they may have access to your personal information, we don't authorise them to use or disclose your personal information except in connection with providing their services.  We ensure that all our service providers and contractors align to our policies and requirements.

We collect and combine information in order to monitor your use of products and services, and that of our other customers, as well as to help us to improve the quality of our products and services.

Third-party products that you buy through your Vodacom account

Where you buy a third-party product or service through your Vodacom account (such as Charge to Bill service for mobile), the contract for it is with the party selling that product or service. Vodacom is only charging the amount directly to your bill as part of its arrangements with the seller (or with a third party authorised by the seller). As part of this, you’re agreeing that Vodacom may pass certain personal information to such parties to complete your purchase.

The seller's terms and conditions and privacy and cookies policies will apply to how it uses your personal information - please read them carefully.

THIRD PARTY DEVICES THAT YOU CONNECT TO YOUR SIM

You may connect third party devices to your SIM, either manually via a SIM card or electronically through our OneNumber product. These include mobile phone devices or connected devices such as smart speakers or smart watches.

When you connect your SIM to these devices those third parties may record your SIM details or your interaction with the network. The third-party device manufacturers will process your personal information in accordance with their privacy policies and we recommend that you read these before choosing to connect.

INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

We may also need to transfer your information to other Vodafone or Vodacom group companies or service providers in countries outside South Africa, in which case we will fully comply with applicable data protection legislation.  This may happen if our servers or suppliers and service providers are based outside South Africa, or if our services are hosted in systems or servers in Vodacom or Vodafone Operating Companies outside South Africa including the United Kingdom, European Economic Area (EEA) or India and/or if you use our services and products while visiting countries outside South Africa.  Countries in the United Kingdom and EEA are considered to have adequate data protection laws which are similar to those of South Africa, however, we will make sure that your information is protected and enter into appropriate agreements to achieve this.

If you are visiting this Website from a country other than South Africa the various communications will necessarily result in the transfer of information across international boundaries.

Where we transfer your personal information outside of the borders of South Africa, we will ensure that the third party recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules or binding agreement which provide an adequate level of protection for your personal information that are substantially similar to the data protection laws applicable to South Africa. 

HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR?

We may not retain your personal information any longer than is necessary for achieving the purpose for which your personal information was collected or subsequently processed, unless:

KEEPING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION SECURE

We have specialised security teams who constantly review, improve, and ensure the implementation of appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, accidental loss, disclosure, or destruction.  We are required in terms of PoPIA to notify you and the Information Regulator, if any of your personal information has been compromised.

Communications over the internet (such as emails) aren't secure unless they've been encrypted. Your communications may go through a number of countries before being delivered, as this is the nature of the internet.

We cannot accept responsibility for any unauthorised access or loss of personal information that is beyond our control.

We'll never ask for your secure personal or account information by an unsolicited means of communication. You're responsible for keeping your personal and account information secure and not sharing it with others.

Our website may provide links to third-party websites. We cannot be responsible for the security and content of such third-party websites. You are therefore required to make sure you read that company's privacy and cookies policies before using or putting your personal information on their site.

The same applies to any third-party websites or content you connect to using our products and services.

You may choose to disclose your information in certain ways such as social plug-ins (including those offered by Google, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest) or using third-party services that allow you to post reviews or other information publicly, and a third party could use that information.

Social plug-ins and social applications are operated by the social network themselves and are subject to their own terms of use and privacy and cookies policies. You should make sure you're familiar with these.

UNAUTHORISED THIRD PARTY ACCESS TO YOUR INFORMATION

Despite the security measures we have in place to protect your personal information, (firewalls, password access and encryption methods) you acknowledge that it may be accessed by an unauthorised third party, e.g. as a result of an illegal activity.

In the unlikely event of such access, we will notify you, where possible, via email, SMS or using the address you have provided us with, within a reasonable time of us becoming aware of such occurrence.

YOUR RIGHTS

Below we set out details on how you can exercise your rights. If you have a question or cannot find the answer, please contact our Customer Services team at 082 135 or [email protected]

Right to access personal information

You have the right to request a record or description of the personal information that Vodacom holds about you. This includes the right to request Vodacom to confirm, free of charge, whether or not we hold any personal information about you; as well as information about the categories of third parties who have, or have had, access to your personal information. To make this request as an individual or an authorised third party, visit our Subject Access Rights page of this Privacy Portal which gives details on how to do this. Alternatively, you can contact our Customer Services team at 082 135 or [email protected]

Right to correct personal information

You have the right to correct information held about you if it's not accurate, out-of-date, excessive, irrelevant, or misleading. If the information we hold about you is inaccurate or needs to be updated, you can log in to My Vodacom to update it or you can contact our Customer Service team at 082 135 or [email protected].

Right to object to use of personal information

You have the right, in certain circumstances, to object to Vodacom processing your personal information. In order for Vodacom to provide you with products and services, Vodacom is required to process your personal information and as such the provision of your personal information is mandatory and you may not object to same in order to continue using our products or services. For more information or to exercise this right, please contact our Customer Services team at 082 135 or [email protected]. If this relates to an automated decision performed on you (this means with no human involvement), please let us know and we will review your request. 

To opt out of marketing messages

If you no longer want to receive marketing messages from Vodacom, you can choose to opt out at any time. If you've previously opted in to receive personalised content based on how and where you use our network, you can also opt out at any time.

The easiest way to opt out is by using our marketing preferences page, found under your My Vodacom account settings.

There are also various other ways to opt out:

If you're opted out of marketing, you may still receive service-related messages.

Please note: You may still receive marketing messages for up to 7 (seven) days after opting out while we update our records.

You may have received marketing from Vodacom even if you're not a customer or have never had contact with us. This is a result of third-party marketing lists which Vodacom may acquire from time to time, stating that you have given permission to be contacted by other organisations. If you've registered with us to opt out of marketing from Vodacom, you shouldn't receive such communications. If you still do, we ask that you let us know immediately by contacting our customer care team on 082 135 or [email protected]. This will only stop marketing from us and not stop the third parties from sharing your personal information unless you contact them directly.

How to lodge a complaint

If you want to contact us about any of your rights or should you believe that Vodacom has used your personal information contrary to applicable law, you undertake to first attempt to resolve any concerns with Vodacom directly. Kindly contact our customer care teamon 082 135 or [email protected]. We will do our best to help but if you are still unhappy, you can contact the Privacy Office at [email protected].  If you are not satisfied with such process, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator at:

The Information Regulator (South Africa)

D House

27 Stiemens Street

Braamfontein

Johannesburg

2001

Email: [email protected]

Complaints email: [email protected]

Right to restrict use of your personal information

If you feel that the personal information we hold on you is inaccurate, or you believe we shouldn't be processing your personal information, please contact our Customer Services team on 082 135 or [email protected]. to discuss your rights. In certain circumstances, for example where you contest the accuracy of your information, or where Vodacom no longer requires your information for achieving its purpose but must maintain it for purposes of proof, you have the right to ask us to restrict processing.

Right to deletion

Vodacom strives to only process and retain your personal information for as long as we need to. In certain circumstances, for example, where you indicate that your personal information is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading, or obtained unlawfully, you have the right to request that we erase your personal information that we hold. If you feel that we are retaining your personal information longer than we need, it is worth first checking that your contract with Vodacom has been terminated, which you can do with Customer Services on 082 135 or [email protected]. If your contract with Vodacom has been terminated, we may still have lawful grounds to process your personal information.