Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to SmartBiz Directory, a platform operated by SMARTBIZDIRECTORY (PTY) LTD — Registration number 2026/459356/07, a company incorporated in South Africa.

Registered office: Pretoria, South Africa

Email: info@smartbizdirectory.co.za

Phone: 081 252 8070

We are the responsible party for the purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), and we are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with POPIA and other applicable data protection laws.

We collect only the personal information necessary to provide our services:

• Business owner data: name, email address, phone number, and password (hashed) when you register or sign in. Business information such as business name, description, address, operating hours, contact details, logo, images, and service categories when you list or claim a business.
• Customer data: we only collect the customer's name and phone number when they contact a business through our platform or interact with our AI assistants. No additional personal information is requested or stored.
• Payment information: billing details, subscription plan, and transaction records processed via our payment partners. We do not store full card numbers.
• Usage data: IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, search queries, and interaction patterns to improve our services.
• Cookies and tracking: data collected via cookies and similar technologies as described in Section 9 below.

We use your personal information for the following lawful purposes under POPIA:

• Business listings: to create, display, and manage business directory listings on our platform.
• AI features: to power AI-driven voice assistance, chat-based enquiries, and automated booking services.
• Billing and subscriptions: to process payments, manage subscription plans, and maintain financial records.
• Notifications: to send you service updates, lead notifications, booking confirmations, and marketing communications (where you have consented).
• Platform improvement: to analyse usage patterns, troubleshoot issues, and enhance the functionality and security of our services.
• Legal compliance: to comply with legal obligations, enforce our terms, and protect the rights and safety of our users and the public.

We will only process your personal information with a valid legal basis, such as your consent, the performance of a contract, a legal obligation, or our legitimate interests.

Our AI Chatbot assists website visitors with business enquiries and booking requests.

• The chatbot identifies itself as an AI during interactions.
• Only the user's name and phone number are collected when they submit an enquiry or booking request.
• Chat transcripts are processed in real-time and are not retained beyond what is necessary to generate the lead or booking record.

Our AI Voice Receptionist handles incoming phone calls on behalf of listed businesses.

• The AI voice receptionist always identifies itself as an AI assistant at the start of every call
• It never claims to be a human
• Calls ARE recorded for quality assurance and AI training purposes. The AI discloses this at the start of every call, before any information is collected.
• Call recordings are retained for 90 days from the date of the call, then automatically and permanently deleted.
• Recordings are used only to improve the accuracy and quality of the AI assistant and, where relevant, to help resolve disputes about what was discussed on a call. They are never sold, shared with advertisers, or used for any other purpose.
• Only the caller's name and phone number are collected as structured data to assist with their enquiry — no other personal information is requested or stored as structured data
• Callers may decline to provide personal information at any time
• Collected details are passed to the relevant business owner only
• Callers may request that their specific call recording be deleted before the standard 90-day period by contacting us

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

• HTTPS encryption: all data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard SSL/TLS protocols.
• Hashed passwords: user account passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text.
• Supabase Row Level Security (RLS): our database enforces strict access controls so users can only access data they are explicitly authorised to view.
• Encrypted API keys: service credentials and integration keys are stored securely and never exposed in client-side code.
• Regular security reviews: we periodically review our systems, dependencies, and access controls to identify and address vulnerabilities.

While we take these precautions, no internet-based service is completely secure. We encourage you to use strong, unique passwords and to keep your account credentials confidential.

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of access: you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction: you may request that we correct or update any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to deletion: you may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations.
• Right to object: you may object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds.
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@smartbizdirectory.co.za. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with POPIA requirements.

If you believe we have not adequately addressed your concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

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:

• Account information: retained while your account is active and for 12 months after closure, unless you request earlier deletion.
• Business listings: retained while the listing is published or claimed; deleted upon your request or if the listing is removed for policy violations.
• Payment records: retained for 7 years in accordance with South African tax and accounting laws.
• Lead and enquiry data: retained for 24 months to allow businesses to manage their customer relationships, after which it is securely deleted.
• Call recordings: retained for 90 days from the date of the call, then automatically deleted. Call transcripts and summaries used for lead purposes are retained under the same rules as lead data.

Once the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you.

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience, understand usage, and deliver relevant functionality. The types of cookies we use include:

• Session cookies: required for the platform to function, such as authentication sessions and security tokens. These cannot be disabled.
• Preference cookies: remember your settings and choices (such as cookie consent preferences) to provide a more personalised experience.
• Analytics cookies: help us understand how visitors interact with the platform so we can improve performance and content.

When you first visit our site, you will see a cookie consent banner allowing you to accept or learn more about our use of cookies. You can manage your preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies, which will reset the consent banner.

We do not sell your personal information. We only share data with trusted service providers who help us operate our platform, and only to the extent necessary for their services:

All third-party providers are bound by data processing agreements that require them to handle your information in accordance with POPIA and our privacy standards.

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us:

If you believe we have not adequately addressed your concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.