Privacy Policy

Welcome to SASSA Status Check (“we”, “us”, “our”) — your informational tool to check South African Social Relief of Distress (SRD) / SASSA grant status. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal data when you use our website sassa-status-check.org (the “Service” or “Site”).

By accessing or using the Site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. What Personal Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information when you use our site:

  • Identity / registration data: such as your South African ID number, name (if provided), or other identity verification information you submit (for example, the 13-digit ID number).
  • Contact data: phone number (especially the number used in your SASSA/SRD application), email address (if provided).
  • Usage data: how you interact with our Site (pages visited, IP address, browser type, time and date of access, click paths, device type).
  • Technical data: device identifiers, operating system, browser software, and other diagnostics.
  • Cookies and similar technologies: session cookies, persistent cookies, web beacons, pixels, and local storage (see more under “Cookies / Tracking” below).

Note: We do not require you to provide more personal data than necessary. You remain in control of what you share.

2. Legal Basis for Processing (and POPIA Compliance)

Under POPIA (South Africa’s data protection law) and other applicable laws, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases to process your personal information:

  • Consent: When you give us explicit consent to process certain types of data (e.g. submitting your ID and phone number to check status).
  • Legitimate interests: To operate, optimize, and improve our Service (e.g. analytics, fraud prevention), provided your rights are not overridden.
  • Performance of a contract / service: To deliver the status check functionality, respond to your requests, or fulfill services you request.
  • Legal obligations: To comply with applicable laws, regulatory obligations, or lawful requests from authorities.

We will always aim to collect and process only the minimum necessary personal information.

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • To provide and operate the status-checking Service (process requests, return results).
  • To respond to your queries, support requests, or communications.
  • To send you updates, notices, or announcements (if you subscribe).
  • To monitor usage and analyze how the Site is used (analytics, performance monitoring, error tracking).
  • To detect, prevent, and mitigate fraud, abuse, or security incidents.
  • To enforce our Terms of Service or prevent misuse of the Site.
  • To comply with applicable legal obligations.

We do not use your personal data for purposes beyond those outlined here unless we obtain your additional consent or it is permitted by law.

4. Sharing and Disclosure of Your Data

We will not sell your personal information. However, we may share personal data under limited circumstances:

  • Service providers / third-party vendors who assist us (e.g. hosting providers, analytics services, email / notification services). They are bound by contractual obligations to safeguard the data and only process it for specified purposes.
  • Legal or regulatory authorities: if required by law, court order, subpoena, or government request, or to protect rights, property, or safety.
  • Business transfers: in the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of our business (your data may be transferred, subject to confidentiality protection).
  • With your consent: for purposes you explicitly authorize.

All third-party access will be constrained by contracts and safeguards to ensure data security and compliance.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience and analyze usage. Common uses include:

  • Session cookies to maintain your login or interaction state
  • Persistent cookies to remember preferences or device
  • Third-party analytics cookies (e.g. Google Analytics)
  • Web beacons, pixels, or tracking scripts for measuring performance or advertising (if applicable)

You can disable or block cookies via your browser settings, but that may limit certain Site functionality.

6. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce agreements.
When it is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

  • Encryption (in transit, e.g. via HTTPS)
  • Secure server infrastructure and firewalls
  • Access controls and authentication
  • Regular security assessments, updates, and patches
  • Audit logs and intrusion detection

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA and Other Laws

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights:

  • Right to access: obtain a copy of your personal data we hold
  • Right to correct / update: request rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Right to object / withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent or legitimate interests
  • Right to deletion / erasure: request deletion of personal data (subject to legal restrictions)
  • Right to data portability: receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Right to lodge a complaint: with a supervisory authority (for instance, the Information Regulator in South Africa)

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in the “Contact Us” section below. We may need to verify your identity before acting on requests.

9. Children’s Data

Our Site is not intended for children under the age of 13 (or as required by local law). We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us to request removal.

10. External Links & Embedded Content

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external sites.

11. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update or revise this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, to reflect changes in law or our practices). If material changes occur, we will notify users by posting a prominent notice on the Site or, where appropriate, by sending an email. Your continued use of the Site after changes indicates your acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, you can contact us at:

Email: info@sassa-status-check.org