Privacy Policy South Africa

1 – Who we are

Specializr of 25 Homestead Avenue, Cape Town, South Africa

2 – Whose data we collect

• Candidates / Contractors
• Clients / Agencies
• Visitors to specializr.com and related sites (“Platform”)

3 – What data we collect

Category	Examples
Account Data	Name, email, phone, password (hash), company name, company registration & VAT numbers.
Profile Data (Candidate)	Skills, CV, profile photo, city, country, summary, languages, rate, availability.
Usage Data	Log-in times, pages viewed, clicks, IP address, device/browser.
Payment Data	Cardholder name & last 4 digits (stored by Stripe / Paystack); invoice details.
Optional Verification Data	ID number, criminal / qualification results (only with explicit consent).

4 – Why we process your data (lawful basis)

• Create and manage your account – Contract necessity
• Match candidates and clients, send introductions – Legitimate interest
• Issue invoices and receive payments – Contract & legal obligation
• Send service emails and notifications (interview requests, reports) – Legitimate interest
• Run optional background checks – Consent
• Comply with law / resolve disputes – Legal obligation

5 – Where we store and share data

Recipient / Processor	Purpose	Country
Google Cloud (Workspace & Firebase)	Email, file storage, hosting	USA / EU – Standard Contractual Clauses
Stripe / Paystack	Payment processing	USA / Nigeria
SendGrid	Transactional email	USA – SCCs
Optional: MIE / ThisIsMe	Background checks (only if you consent)	South Africa

We never sell your personal information.

6 – Security

• All traffic is encrypted (TLS 1.2+).
• Servers & backups are encrypted at rest.
• Passwords are salted & hashed (bcrypt).
• Access is role-based and logged.

7 – Retention

We keep your data while your account is active and for three (3) years after closure for audit, tax and dispute purposes, then delete or anonymise it.

8 – Your rights

You may ask to access, correct, delete, or restrict your personal data, or object to processing, at any time by contacting us.
You may lodge a complaint with the South-African Information Regulator (inforeg@justice.gov.za).

9 – Cookies

We use essential cookies for log-in and security, and optional analytics cookies (Google Analytics) only with your consent via our cookie banner. You can disable cookies in your browser at any time.

10 – Children

The Platform is for users 18 years and older. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

11 – Updates to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Significant changes will be announced via the Platform or email.