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cat privacy.md

Privacy notice

version 2026-10-30 · Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA)

## who_we_are

LaunchPort Africa is a Durban innovator hub run in partnership with NXTgen Foundation NPC. The responsible party for the personal information collected on this website is LaunchPort Africa, [REGISTRATION NUMBER], [PHYSICAL ADDRESS].

Our information officer handles every privacy question and request: legal@launchportafrica.co.za. [CONFIRM: the relationship between LaunchPort Africa and NXTgen Foundation NPC for this processing, and whether TitanSoft Solutions acts as an operator.]

## what_we_collect

Founder applications: your name, email, optional phone number, team name and size, town or area, sector, stage, what problem you solve and how, whether it is tech-enabled, optional links, whether you have a device and internet access, whether you can commit weekly, how you heard about us, and your consent.

Partner enquiries: organisation, your name, email, partner type, how you want to help, your message, and your consent.

Collected automatically:

  • A one-way hash of your IP address, used only to limit repeated submissions. We never store the IP address itself, and the hash is deleted within 60 minutes.
  • Signals the bot check needs to tell people from automated scripts.
  • Cookieless, aggregate visit and page-speed statistics. These do not identify you.
  • Error reports when something breaks. We strip form contents and personal information before they are sent.

We do not set advertising or tracking cookies. [CONFIRM: cookies set by the bot check provider, if any.]

## why_we_use_it

  • To assess founder applications and select teams for a cohort.
  • To reply to partner enquiries and arrange partnerships.
  • To send you a confirmation and, where relevant, follow-up emails about your application or enquiry.
  • To keep the forms safe from spam and abuse, and the site working.
  • To report on the programme's impact, using anonymised summaries only (see retention).

We process your information with your consent, which you give when you submit a form, and where needed to protect the site from abuse. You can withdraw consent at any time (see your rights). We never sell your information. [CONFIRM: whether shortlisted applications are shared with programme partners for selection, and on what basis.]

## where_it_is_stored

Your information is stored outside South Africa, in the European Union. We use these service providers, who process it on our behalf:

  • Vercel: website hosting and server functions · Frankfurt, Germany (EU)
  • Neon: database that stores applications and enquiries · Frankfurt, Germany (EU)
  • Brevo: confirmation and notification emails · European Union
  • Cloudflare Turnstile: bot check on the forms · Cloudflare global network
  • Sentry: error reports, with personal information removed · Germany (EU)
  • Vercel Web Analytics: cookieless, aggregate visit and speed statistics · [CONFIRM REGION]

Section 72 of POPIA allows this transfer because these providers are bound by the EU General Data Protection Regulation and by agreements that give protection substantially similar to POPIA. [CONFIRM: data processing agreements in place with each provider.]

## how_long_we_keep_it

  • Declined or withdrawn applications: personal information is deleted 18 months after the decision. We keep an anonymised summary (sector, area, stage and outcome) for impact reporting; it cannot identify you.
  • Accepted founders: kept for the programme and 5 years after it, under the participation agreement.
  • Partner enquiries: deleted 24 months after our last contact.
  • Any time on request: ask us to delete your information and we will, unless the law requires us to keep it.

Deletion removes the personal information itself, not just its visibility.

## drafts_on_your_device

While you fill in the founder application, your answers are saved as a draft in your browser's storage on this device, so a dropped connection doesn't lose them. The draft never leaves your device until you submit. It is deleted when you submit, when you choose “clear draft”, or automatically after 7 days.

On a shared or public device, choose “clear draft” when you finish, or use a private browsing window.

## security

Information travels encrypted (HTTPS). Only authorised LaunchPort administrators can access submissions, with least-privilege database access. Admin notification emails carry a summary and reference only, not your full answers.

## your_rights

Under POPIA you may:

  • ask what personal information we hold about you, and get a copy;
  • ask us to correct or delete it;
  • object to processing, or withdraw your consent;
  • complain to the Information Regulator.

Email our information officer at legal@launchportafrica.co.za. We respond within [NUMBER] days. Information Regulator (South Africa): [VERIFY CURRENT CONTACT DETAILS] inforegulator.org.za.

## age

[CONFIRM: minimum age for applicants, and how applications from under-18s are handled.]

## changes

If this notice changes, we update the version above. The version you agreed to is recorded with your submission. General questions: info@launchportafrica.co.za.