Privacy Policy

Who We Are

BuildsByBuchanan is a software development and digital solutions business operated by Sivario Buchanan, based in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. We operate in partnership with for certain services.

For the purposes of POPIA and this Privacy Policy, BuildsByBuchanan is the Responsible Party — meaning we determine the purpose and means of processing your personal information.

Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information necessary to provide our services and communicate effectively with you. This may include:

• Identity information: Your name, business name, and any identifying details you voluntarily provide
• Contact information: Email address, WhatsApp or phone number
• Project information: Details about your project requirements, business operations, and any materials you share with us
• Payment information: Records of transactions — we do not store full banking details or card numbers
• Communication records: WhatsApp messages, emails, and other written correspondence between you and BuildsByBuchanan
• Technical information: If you use our website, basic analytics data such as page visits, device type, and approximate location may be collected via third-party analytics tools
• Review information: Name, business name, rating, and review text if you submit a review via our website

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information (as defined by POPIA) such as race, ethnicity, health information, or biometric data. If you inadvertently share such information, it will be treated with the highest level of care and not used for any purpose other than the provision of services.

How We Collect It

We collect your personal information through the following channels:

• Direct contact via WhatsApp, email, or our website contact form
• Project briefs, onboarding questionnaires, or written proposals
• Review submissions on our website
• Automatic collection via website analytics tools (see Cookies section)
• Referrals from third parties, where you have given permission for your details to be shared

We only collect information that you provide directly or that is generated through your use of our services and website. We do not purchase, scrape, or otherwise acquire personal information from third-party data brokers.

Why We Use Your Information

We use your personal information strictly for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries and communicate with you about your project
• To prepare quotes, proposals, and invoices
• To perform the services agreed upon and deliver Deliverables
• To process payments and maintain financial records as required by law
• To send project updates and communicate progress
• To publish approved client reviews on our website (name and review only — no contact details)
• To comply with legal obligations, including record-keeping requirements
• To improve our website and services using anonymised analytics data
• To send occasional follow-up messages regarding completed projects or new service offerings — you may opt out at any time

Legal Basis for Processing

Under POPIA, we process your personal information on the following grounds:

• Contractual necessity: Processing required to enter into or perform our agreement with you (e.g., delivering your project, invoicing)
• Legitimate interest: Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests where those interests are not overridden by your rights (e.g., maintaining project records, basic analytics)
• Legal obligation: Processing required to comply with applicable South African law (e.g., financial record-keeping)
• Consent: Where we rely on your consent (e.g., for marketing communications), you may withdraw that consent at any time by contacting us

How Long We Keep It

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. Our standard retention periods are:

• Client records and project files: 5 years from project completion, as required for financial and legal compliance
• Communication records (WhatsApp, email): Up to 3 years, or as required for dispute resolution
• Published reviews: Retained indefinitely while on our website; removed upon written request
• Website analytics data: As determined by the relevant third-party analytics platform's data retention policies
• Payment records: 5 years as required by South African tax law

When personal information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Who We Share It With

We treat your personal information as confidential. We may share it in the following limited circumstances:

• Partner businesses: , where your project involves their services. These parties are bound by equivalent confidentiality obligations.
• Service providers: Third-party platforms we use to deliver services (e.g., email, payment processing, form handling) — only to the extent necessary and subject to their own privacy policies
• Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or regulatory authority
• Business transfer: In the unlikely event of a business sale or transfer, your information may be transferred to the successor — you will be notified in advance

Third-Party Services

BuildsByBuchanan uses the following third-party platforms in the course of operating our website and business. Each has its own privacy policy:

• AWS (Amazon Web Services) — Cloud infrastructure and hosting (aws.amazon.com/privacy)
• Firebase (Google) — Database, authentication, and backend services (firebase.google.com/support/privacy)
• Vercel — Website hosting and deployment (vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy)
• Web3Forms — Contact form submissions (web3forms.com/privacy)
• Google Fonts — Font loading (fonts.google.com; Google may collect usage data)
• WhatsApp (Meta) — Client communication (whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy)
• Gmail (Google) — Email communication (policies.google.com/privacy)
• PayPal — Payment processing for applicable transactions (paypal.com/privacy)

BuildsByBuchanan is not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services. We encourage you to review their policies where relevant.

Cookies & Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. We obtain your informed consent before activating any non-essential cookies, in accordance with POPIA. The categories we use are:

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function — these include your mode preference (personal/business), form state, and security tokens. These are always active and cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Used to understand how visitors use our site (e.g., pages visited, device type, session duration). Activated only with your explicit consent. We use Google Analytics with IP anonymisation enabled where applicable.
• Marketing cookies: Used to attribute traffic from campaign links or to serve contextual follow-up content. Activated only with your explicit consent. We do not participate in third-party advertising networks or share data with advertisers.

When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner will appear. You may accept all cookies, reject optional cookies, or customise your preferences via the "Manage preferences" option. Your choices are stored locally in your browser and can be changed at any time by clicking Cookie Settings in the footer.

We do not use cookies to track you across other websites. We do not serve ads on this website and do not participate in behavioural advertising networks.

Security

BuildsByBuchanan takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Use of reputable, secure third-party platforms for communication and data storage
• Password-protected systems and restricted access to client information
• HTTPS encryption on our website
• Not storing sensitive payment information (card numbers, banking details) directly

You are responsible for maintaining the security of any credentials (passwords, login details) provided to you by BuildsByBuchanan, and for notifying us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access to your account or project files.

Your Rights

Under POPIA, you have the following rights in relation to 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 inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected
• Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations
• Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes at any time
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
• Right to lodge a complaint: You may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights have been violated

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at sivario@buildsbybuchanan.com. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

Please note that some rights are subject to limitations — for example, we cannot delete information we are legally required to retain, or information necessary to complete an ongoing project.

Children's Privacy

Our services are directed at businesses and adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. If you are under 18, please do not submit any personal information through our website or contact channels without the consent and involvement of a parent or legal guardian.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a minor without appropriate consent, we will take immediate steps to delete that information from our records.

Changes to This Policy

BuildsByBuchanan reserves the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. The current version will always be published at this URL on our website, with the effective date updated accordingly.

Material changes — such as new categories of data collected or new sharing practices — will be communicated to active clients via email or WhatsApp where reasonably practicable.

Continued use of our website or services after changes are published constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the updated Policy, you should cease using our services and contact us to request deletion of your data.

Contact & Complaints

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact us directly:

We take privacy concerns seriously and will respond to all complaints promptly. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.