Effective August 2026
This policy explains what personal information Hello World Systems collects when you use this website or our products, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what you can ask us to do with it. It is governed by the Protection of Personal Information Act.
What we collect
We collect information in three ways.
- Information you give us. When you complete a form on this website, such as a project enquiry, a demo request or a support request, we receive what you typed into it. That is usually your name, email address, phone number, organisation and whatever you told us about your enquiry.
- Account information. If you create an account with us, we hold the details you registered with and a securely hashed version of your password. We never store your password in a readable form.
- Technical information. Our servers record ordinary web request data, including your IP address, the pages requested and your browser type. This is how any web server works and it is what lets us diagnose faults and detect abuse.
Why we use it
- To reply to your enquiry and to do the work you asked us to do
- To provide, support and maintain the products you use
- To keep our systems working and protect them against abuse
- To meet obligations placed on us by law
We do not send marketing email to people who simply filled in an enquiry form.
Who we share it with
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for advertising. We share it only with the service providers we need in order to operate, and only to the extent they need it.
- Hosting and database providers, which store the data our applications run on
- Our email provider, which delivers the messages we send and receive
We may also disclose information where the law requires it, for example in response to a lawful order, or where it is necessary to protect our rights or someone else’s safety.
Where it is kept
Systems that hold citizen data for our government customers run in the AWS Africa (Cape Town) region, so that information stays in South Africa. Our other products run with reputable cloud providers, and data may be processed outside South Africa where that is the case.
How long we keep it
We keep enquiry and account information for as long as we have a working relationship with you, and afterwards only for as long as we need it for the purpose it was collected or to meet a legal obligation. You can ask us to delete it sooner.
How we protect it
Traffic to our platforms is served over TLS, data at rest is encrypted, access is limited by role so that people see only what their work requires, and passwords are stored hashed. No system is perfect, and we do not claim otherwise. If something goes wrong that affects your information, we will tell you. You can read more on our security and compliance page.
Cookies
This website uses cookies. What they are, which categories we use and how to switch them off is set out in our Cookie Policy, and you can change your choices at any time in Cookie Settings.
Your rights
Under POPIA you may ask us to do the following.
- Tell you what personal information we hold about you
- Correct it where it is wrong
- Delete it, where we are not required to keep it
- Stop using it for a particular purpose
To make a request, see My Personal Data. We may need to verify who you are first, so that we do not hand your information to somebody else. You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa.
Changes to this policy
We update this policy when what we do changes. The effective date at the top tells you when it last changed.
Contact us
For anything in this policy, or to ask what we hold about you, contact us at info@helloworld.africa or 087 188 6437.