Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Guildworks ("Guildworks", "we", "us" or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and disclose personal information when you visit guildworks.co.za, contact us, enquire about our services, or engage us to provide services.

Guildworks processes personal information in accordance with applicable South African law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

By using our website or providing us with your personal information, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Personal information we collect

"Personal information" means information that identifies you or can reasonably be used to identify you.

Depending on how you interact with Guildworks, we may collect:

• Contact information, including your name, email address and telephone number.
• Business information, including your company or business name, website address and information about your business or project.
• Enquiry and communication information, including information you provide when contacting us, requesting a quotation, discussing a project or communicating with us.
• Project information, including information, content and materials you provide to us in connection with a project.
• Payment and billing information, where required to invoice or receive payment for our services. Payment card or banking information may be processed directly by third-party payment providers where applicable.
• Technical information, including your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system and general network information.
• Usage information, including information about how you interact with and navigate our website, such as pages visited and approximate time spent on the website.

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

3. How we collect personal information

We may collect personal information from the following sources:

Directly from you, when you submit a contact or enquiry form, email us, communicate with us, request a quotation, engage our services or otherwise provide information to us.

Automatically through our website, including through cookies and similar technologies when you browse or interact with guildworks.co.za.

From service providers, where third-party providers collect or process information on our behalf, such as website hosting, analytics, email, payment or other technology providers.

From other sources, where you have authorised the disclosure or where permitted by applicable law.

4. How we use your personal information

We may use personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries and requests.
• Communicate with prospective and existing clients.
• Prepare quotations, proposals and agreements.
• Provide, manage and support our services.
• Communicate with you about projects and deliverables.
• Process invoices and payments.
• Maintain business, financial and contractual records.
• Improve our website, services and customer experience.
• Analyse website usage and performance.
• Maintain the security of our website and systems.
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse or unlawful activity.
• Comply with legal, regulatory or other lawful obligations.
• Send marketing or promotional communications where permitted by law.

We will process personal information only for a lawful, specific and clearly defined purpose and will not use it in a manner that is incompatible with the purpose for which it was collected.

5. Lawful processing

Where required by POPIA, we process personal information with your consent.

We may also process personal information where this is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, to perform a contract with you, to comply with a legal obligation, or where another lawful basis for processing applies.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent, subject to any legal or contractual requirements that may apply.

6. Cookies and analytics

Guildworks may use cookies and similar technologies to operate, secure and improve our website and to understand how visitors use it.

We may use analytics tools to collect information such as:

• Pages visited
• Approximate location
• Device and browser information
• Referring websites
• General website usage and interaction data

Analytics information is generally used in aggregated or statistical form to help us understand website performance and improve our services.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of parts of our website.

7. Third-party services

Guildworks uses various third-party platforms and service providers to operate our business and provide our services.

These may include providers for:

• Website hosting and infrastructure
• Shopify and Shopify-related services
• Website analytics
• Email and communications
• Payment processing
• Accounting and invoicing
• Domain registration
• Cloud storage
• Other software and business tools

These providers may process personal information on our behalf or independently in accordance with their own privacy policies and terms.

Where appropriate, we take reasonable steps to ensure that third parties processing personal information on our behalf maintain appropriate security and confidentiality safeguards.

8. Shopify

Parts of our website or services may use Shopify or Shopify-related technology.

Where Shopify processes personal information in connection with your interaction with our website, that information may be processed in accordance with Shopify's own privacy policies and terms.

Shopify may collect and process information relating to your use of Shopify-powered services, including technical and usage information.

You can review Shopify's consumer privacy information here: Shopify Privacy Policy ↗

9. Sharing personal information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to:

• Provide our services.
• Use third-party service providers.
• Process payments and manage invoices.
• Maintain our business systems and technology.
• Comply with legal or regulatory obligations.
• Respond to lawful requests from authorities.
• Protect our rights, property, systems or security.
• Prevent fraud, abuse or unlawful activity.

We will only disclose personal information where there is a lawful basis for doing so.

10. International transfers

Some of the service providers we use may store or process personal information outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, Guildworks will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer complies with the requirements of POPIA, including the requirements applicable to cross-border transfers of personal information.

11. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, damage, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.

However, no electronic transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Information transmitted to us electronically may therefore carry some risk.

We recommend that you do not send sensitive or confidential information through unsecured communication channels unless necessary.

If we become aware of a security compromise involving personal information, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable law.

12. Retention of personal information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or where retention is required or permitted by law.

The length of time information is retained may depend on factors including whether we need it to provide services, maintain business records, comply with legal or accounting obligations, resolve disputes or enforce agreements.

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy or anonymise it.

13. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of personal information where legally appropriate.
• Object to certain processing of your personal information.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.
• Request information about how your personal information is being processed.

These rights are subject to the limitations and requirements contained in applicable law.

We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details provided below.

14. Direct marketing

Where permitted by law, Guildworks may send you information about our services, updates or other relevant business communications.

You may opt out of receiving promotional communications from us at any time by contacting us or, where applicable, using the unsubscribe option included in the communication.

Opting out of marketing communications will not prevent us from sending necessary non-promotional communications relating to an existing project, service, invoice or business relationship.

15. Third-party websites

Our website may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content or functionality of third-party websites.

We recommend reviewing the privacy policy and terms of any third-party website you visit.

16. Children's information

The Guildworks website and services are intended primarily for businesses and adults.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children where such collection is prohibited by applicable law.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us without the appropriate consent, please contact us so that we can take reasonable steps to address the matter.

17. Complaints

If you have a concern or complaint regarding the way Guildworks processes your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so that we can attempt to resolve the matter.

You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa, which is responsible for administering and enforcing POPIA.

18. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our business, technology, services, legal requirements or privacy practices.

The latest version will be published on this page with the date it was last updated.

19. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, would like to exercise your rights, or have a concern regarding the processing of your personal information, please contact us:

Guildworks
Email: info@guildworks.co.za
Website: guildworks.co.za