Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

We Nation South Africa (NPC), Registration Number 2025/868936/08 ("We Nation", "we", "us", "our"), is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what your rights are as a data subject. By using our website (wenationsa.org) or any of our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy.

2. Who We Are (Responsible Party)

3. Information We Collect

We collect personal information only where it is necessary and proportionate. This may include:

• Identity information: Full name, ID number (for membership KYC)
• Contact information: Email address, phone number, physical address
• Financial information: Payment records for donations (processed via secure payment gateway — we do not store card details)
• Membership information: Membership tier, application details, status
• Communication preferences: Newsletter opt-in, WhatsApp consent, notification settings
• Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, pages visited (via analytics — anonymised)
• WhatsApp interactions: Messages exchanged via our WhatsApp Business account (where applicable)

We collect information you provide directly (e.g. contact forms, donation forms, membership applications), automatically through your use of our website, or through third-party integrations (e.g. payment processors, WhatsApp Business API).

4. Why We Process Your Information (Lawful Basis)

5. WhatsApp Messaging & Opt-In

We Nation uses WhatsApp Business API (Meta) to communicate with opted-in contacts. We will only send you WhatsApp messages if you have explicitly consented by:

• Ticking the WhatsApp consent checkbox on our Join, Contact, or Membership forms; or
• Messaging us directly on WhatsApp and completing the opt-in flow

To opt out at any time: Reply STOP to any WhatsApp message we send, or email admin@wenationsa.org. We will process your opt-out immediately and log it in our records.

6. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information with:

• Payment processors (e.g. PayFast) — to complete your donation securely
• Email service providers — to send transactional or newsletter emails
• Meta (WhatsApp Business API) — for WhatsApp communication where you have consented
• SARS — as required for Section 18A tax receipt reporting
• Legal authorities — if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of individuals

All third-party service providers are contractually required to process your information only as directed by us and in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law (e.g. financial records are retained for 5 years per SARS requirements). After the retention period expires, your information will be securely deleted or anonymised.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include:

• HTTPS encryption on all data transmission (TLS 1.2+)
• Hashed and salted passwords (bcrypt) — we never store passwords in plain text
• Role-based access controls — staff access only what they need
• Regular security reviews

In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected individuals as required by POPIA within 72 hours of becoming aware.

9. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA (and GDPR where applicable), you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction — request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected
• Deletion — request that your personal information be deleted ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal retention requirements
• Objection — object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances
• Withdrawal of consent — withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent (e.g. newsletter, WhatsApp)
• Lodge a complaint — with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at admin@wenationsa.org with the subject line "POPIA Data Subject Request". We will respond within 30 days.

To send us a "DELETE MY DATA" request via WhatsApp, reply DELETE MY DATA to any message from our number. This will trigger our Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) workflow.

10. Information Regulator Contact

If you are unsatisfied with how we have handled your personal information, you may lodge a complaint with:

11. Cookies

We use minimal cookies required for the platform to function (session cookies, CSRF protection). We do not use advertising cookies or sell your browsing data. Analytics cookies, if used, are anonymised. You may manage cookie preferences via your browser settings.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of our platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries, requests, or complaints: