KICKSTART RECRUITMENT t/a MERCS (PTY) LTD
THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ACT
PRIVACY POLICY
This Policy explains how the company obtain, use and disclose personal information, in
accordance with the requirements of the Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPIA”).
At Kickstart Recruitment t/a MERCS we are committed to protecting your privacy and to
ensure that your personal information is collected and used properly, lawfully and
transparently.
COMPANY NAME, ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFORMATION:
Company name: KICKSTART RECRUITMENT t/a MERCS (PTY) LTD
Address: 15 BEVES AVENEU, PIERRE VAN RYNEVELD, CENTURION, PRETORIA 0157
E mail address: admin@mercs.co.za
Telephone number: 0823238176
WE COLLECT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
We collect and process your personal information mainly to contact you for the purposes of
understanding your requirements, and delivering services accordingly. For this purpose we
will collect contact details including your name and organisation.
We collect information directly from you where you provide us with your personal
details. Where possible, we will inform you what information you are required to provide to
us and what information is optional.
Website usage information may be collected using “cookies” which allows us to collect
standard internet visitor usage information.
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
We will use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected and
agreed with you. In addition, where necessary your information may be retained for legal or
research purposes as follows
• To gather contact information;
• To confirm and verify your identity or to verify that you are an authorised user for
security purposes;
• For the detection and prevention of fraud, crime, money laundering or other
malpractice;
• To conduct market or customer satisfaction research or for statistical analysis;
• For audit and record keeping purposes;
• In connection with legal proceedings.
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
We may disclose your personal information to our service providers who are involved in the
delivery of products or services to you. We have agreements in place to ensure that they
comply with the privacy requirements as required by the Protection of Personal Information
Act. We may also disclose your information:
• Where we have a duty or a right to disclose in terms of law or industry codes;
• Where we believe it is necessary to protect our rights.
INFORMATION SECURITY
We are legally obliged to provide adequate protection for the personal information we hold
and to stop unauthorized access and use of personal information. We will, on an on-going
basis, continue to review our security controls and related processes to ensure that your
personal information remains secure.
Our security policies and procedures cover:
• Physical security;
• Computer and network security;
• Access to personal information;
• Secure communications;
• Security in contracting out activities or functions;
• Retention and disposal of information;
• Acceptable usage of personal information;
• Governance and regulatory issues;
• Monitoring access and usage of private information;
• Investigating and reacting to security incidents.
When we contract with third parties, we impose appropriate security, privacy and
confidentiality obligations on them to ensure that personal information that we remain
responsible for, is kept secure.
We will ensure that anyone to whom we pass your personal information agrees to treat your
information with the same level of protection as we are obliged to.
YOUR RIGHT: ACCESS TO INFORMATION
You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. To do
this, simply contact us at the numbers/addresses as provided on our website and specify
what information you require. We will need a copy of your ID document to confirm your
identity before providing details of your personal information.
Please note that any such access request may be subject to a payment of a legally
allowable fee.
CORRECTION OF YOUR INFORMATION
You have the right to ask us to update, correct or delete your personal information. We will
require a copy of your ID document to confirm your identity before making changes to
personal information we may hold about you. We would appreciate it if you would keep your
personal information accurate.
DEFINITION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
According to the Act ‘‘personal information’’ means information relating to an identifiable,
living, natural person, and where it is applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic
person. Further to the POPI Act, the company also includes the following items as personal
information:
• All addresses including residential, postal and email addresses.
• Change of name – for which we require copies of the marriage certificate or official
change of name document issued by the state department.
Generally speaking, personal information is any information that can be used to personally
identify a natural or juristic (i.e. organisations) person. This includes name, identity number,
age and addresses, any information that may reasonably be used to identify a particular
individual. Some examples of personal information are ID numbers, email addresses, phone
numbers and addresses, ages and dates of birth, medical records, criminal records, financial
information and employment history. Photos or video recordings that show individuals –
whether in business or social settings – also constitute personal information. Information
that's about individuals but that can't possibly be used to identify them doesn't qualify as
personal information. Information relating to an identifiable, living, natural person, and where
it is applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic person, including, but not limited to –
a). Information relating to the race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, national,
ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental health, well?being, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth of the
person;
b). Information relating to the education or the medical, financial, criminal or
employment history of the person;
c). Any identifying number, symbol, e-mail address, physical address, telephone
number, location information, online identifier or other particular assignment to the
person;
d). The biometric information of the person;
e). The personal opinions, views or preferences of the person;
f). Correspondence sent by the person that is implicitly or explicitly of a private or
confidential nature or further correspondence that would reveal the contents of the
original correspondence;
g). The views or opinions of another individual about the person; and
h). The name of the person if it appears with other personal information relating to
the person or if the disclosure of the name itself would reveal information about the
person
• Data subject consents
• Necessary or performance of a contract to which data subject is a party to
• In terms of an obligation imposed by a Responsible Party by law
• Legitimate interest of data subject
• Legitimate interest of Responsible Party or 3rd party to whom PI was supplied
• Necessary for performance of a public duty by a public body PI
Sensitive Data: POPIA provides for a separate category of information called 'special
personal information' which includes all information relating to a person's religious or
philosophical beliefs, race or ethnic origin, trade union membership, political persuasion,
health or sex life, biometric information or criminal behaviour. POPIA also specifically
regulates personal information (of a child).
HOW TO CONTACT US
If you have any queries about this notice; you need further information about our privacy
practices; wish to withdraw consent; exercise preferences or access or correct your personal
information, please contact us at the numbers/addresses listed above.