Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to SkillBridge.Za ("we," "our," or "us"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), 2013.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, your rights regarding your data, and how to contact us.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you upload your CV:

Your CV file is never saved to our servers. It is processed in memory only — we extract your skills from the text, then the file is immediately discarded. We store only the list of skills detected and the filename.

When you create an account:

• Full name
• Email address
• Password (stored as a secure hash — we never see your actual password)

When you use the CV Builder:

• Personal details you enter (name, phone, location, work history, education)
• Payment confirmation (processed by PayFast — we do not store card details)

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Browser type and version
• Device type (computer, mobile, tablet)
• IP address (anonymised)
• Pages visited and time spent
• Course progress and completed tasks

3. How We Use Your Information

• ✅ CV Analysis — Detect your skills and show your strengths
• ✅ Course Delivery — Track your progress through IT training courses
• ✅ CV Builder — Populate your professional CV from your profile
• ✅ Notifications — Alert you to free Microsoft labs and learning opportunities
• ✅ Premium Access — Verify your subscription status
• ✅ Service Improvement — Understand which features are most useful

3.1 Legal Basis (POPIA Compliance)

• Consent — You explicitly agree when creating an account
• Legitimate interest — To provide the service you requested
• Contractual necessity — To fulfil our service to you

4. How We Store Your Information

4.1 How Your CV is Handled

What we do store is a text record of your extracted skills and your filename — used only to provide the service and improve our skill detection accuracy.

4.2 Data Retention

Data Type	What is stored	Retention Period
CV file (PDF/DOCX)	Never stored — processed in memory only	Not applicable
Extracted skills text	Skills list and filename only	Until you request deletion
Account information	Name, email, hashed password	Until you request deletion
Course progress	Completed tasks and week number	Until you request deletion
CV Builder data	Not stored — session only, never sent to our servers	Not applicable
Payment records	Payment confirmation only (no card details)	As required by SA tax law (5 years)
Anonymised analytics	Usage patterns only	12 months

4.2 Data Security

• ✅ HTTPS/SSL encryption on all connections
• ✅ Passwords stored as secure bcrypt hashes
• ✅ Database access restricted to authorised systems only
• ✅ Hosted on Railway (SOC 2 compliant infrastructure)

Note: No internet transmission is 100% secure. We do our best to protect your data but cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Payments

All payments are processed by PayFast, a PCI-DSS compliant South African payment gateway. SkillBridge.Za does not store, see or have access to your card or banking details at any point.

For payment disputes, contact PayFast directly at payfast.co.za or email us at hello@skillbridgeza.co.za.

6. Who We Share Your Data With

6.1 We Share With

• Railway — Hosting provider (to run our backend)
• Vercel — Frontend hosting provider
• PayFast — Payment processing (card details only, never your personal profile)

These providers are bound by contract to protect your data and comply with applicable data protection laws.

6.2 We DO NOT Share With

• ❌ Employers or recruiters
• ❌ Marketing companies
• ❌ Third-party advertisers
• ❌ Anyone else

7. Your Rights Under POPIA

7.1 Access Your Data

Request a copy of all personal information we hold about you. Email: privacy@skillbridgeza.co.za with subject "Data Access Request".

7.2 Correct Your Data

Update or correct inaccurate information. You can update your name and email from your account, or email us directly.

7.3 Delete Your Data

Request immediate deletion of all your personal information. Email: privacy@skillbridgeza.co.za with subject "Data Deletion Request". We will process deletion within 7 business days.

7.4 Object to Processing

Object to how we use your data by emailing privacy@skillbridgeza.co.za.

7.5 Data Portability

Request your data in a portable format (CSV or JSON). Email: privacy@skillbridgeza.co.za with subject "Data Export Request".

7.6 Lodge a Complaint

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, contact the Information Regulator of South Africa:

• Website: inforegulator.org.za
• Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za
• Phone: 012 406 4818

8. Cookies

We use minimal cookies for session management and security. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some features may not work correctly.

9. Children's Privacy

SkillBridge.Za is intended for users 18 years and older. Users under 18 may only use the service with parental consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have data from a child, contact us immediately and we will delete it.

10. International Data Transfers

Your data is primarily stored in South Africa. Our hosting providers (Railway and Vercel) may use servers in other regions. All providers comply with POPIA-equivalent data protection standards.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our service or comply with new laws. We will notify registered users by email and post a notice on our website. The date at the top of this page always shows the most recent update.

12. Information Officer (POPIA Requirement)

Information Officer: SkillBridge.Za
Email: privacy@skillbridgeza.co.za
Responsibility: Ensuring POPIA compliance and handling all data requests

13. Contact Us

Privacy questions: privacy@skillbridgeza.co.za
General questions: hello@skillbridgeza.co.za
Website: skillbridgeza.co.za
Response time: Within 5 business days

Thank you for trusting SkillBridge.Za with your information.
We are committed to protecting your privacy while helping you build an IT career across Africa.

Questions? Email privacy@skillbridgeza.co.za