Privacy & Cookies Policy

1. Introduction

The South African Gwijo Awards (SAGA), operated by the Gwijo Arts Council (GAC), is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy & Cookies Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website or interact with our services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Account Information: Full name, email address, and password when you register on our website.
• Nomination Data: Artist names, category selections, and related details submitted through the nomination form.
• Communication Data: Information you provide when contacting us via email or other channels.
• Usage Data: Information about how you use our website, including pages visited, time spent, and actions taken.
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and IP address.
• Voting Data: Information related to your votes, if applicable.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To process and manage nomination entries.
• To create and manage your user account.
• To communicate with you about the awards, including updates, results, and event information.
• To conduct voting processes and verify vote integrity.
• To improve our website and services.
• To comply with legal obligations.
• To prevent fraud and ensure the security of our platform.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on:

• Consent: When you voluntarily provide your information through forms or account registration.
• Legitimate Interest: To operate and improve our services, prevent fraud, and ensure platform security.
• Legal Obligation: When required by South African law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
• Contractual Necessity: To fulfil our obligations when you participate in the awards process.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your data with:

• Service Providers: Third-party services that help us operate our website (e.g., hosting, email delivery, analytics).
• Judging Panel: Nomination data may be shared with the SAGA judging panel for evaluation purposes.
• Legal Authorities: When required by law or to protect our rights and safety.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. Nomination data is retained for the duration of the awards cycle and for a reasonable period thereafter for record-keeping. Account data is retained until you request deletion.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption, secure servers, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights (POPIA)

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), you have the right to:

• Access your personal information held by us.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of your personal information.
• Object to the processing of your personal information.
• Withdraw your consent at any time.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@sagwijoawards.co.za.

9. Cookies Policy

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website.

Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly. These include authentication cookies that keep you signed in, and security cookies that protect against fraud. These cookies cannot be disabled.
• Functional Cookies: Help us remember your preferences and settings (e.g., language, region). These improve your experience but are not strictly necessary.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting information about pages visited, time spent, and navigation patterns. We use this data to improve our services. These cookies are provided by third-party analytics services.
• Performance Cookies: Monitor website performance and help us identify and fix issues to provide a better user experience.

Managing Cookies:

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information on managing cookies, visit your browser's help documentation.

Third-Party Cookies:

We may use third-party services (such as Vercel Analytics) that set their own cookies. These cookies are governed by the respective third party's privacy policy. We do not control these cookies.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete such information.

11. International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside of South Africa where our service providers are located. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with POPIA and applicable data protection laws.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy & Cookies Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy & Cookies Policy, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us:

• Email: info@sagwijoawards.co.za
• Phone: +27 67 253 3257

14. Information Regulator

If you are not satisfied with how we handle your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

• Website: inforegulator.org.za
• Email: complaints.bi@inforegulator.org.za