Privacy Policy
INTRODUCTION
BizFunding (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the personal information of all persons who access and use the website located at www.bizfunding.co.za (“the Website”). This Privacy Policy is issued in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and governs the collection, use, sharing, and retention of your personal information.
BizFunding operates exclusively as an online lead generation platform. We collect information submitted by users and facilitate introductions to third-party financial service providers. We do not provide funding, credit, loans, or any other financial product or service, and we do not make any lending or creditworthiness decisions.
By accessing or submitting information on the Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. This Policy is to be read in conjunction with BizFunding’s Terms and Conditions of Use, which are available on the Website.
2. RESPONSIBLE PARTY AND INFORMATION OFFICER
BizFunding is the Responsible Party as defined under POPIA in respect of all personal information collected via the Website.
For any privacy-related queries, access requests, correction requests, or complaints, please contact the Information Officer at: info@bizfunding.co.za
3. INFORMATION WE COLLECT
We collect and process the following categories of personal information when you use the Website:
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
3.1.1 Full name
3.1.2 Contact number
3.1.3 Email address
3.1.4 Business name and registration details
3.1.5 Financial information, including funding requirements, revenue figures, and business financial history, submitted via enquiry forms
3.2 Technical Information Collected Automatically
3.2.1 IP address
3.2.2 Browser type and version
3.2.3 Device type and operating system
3.2.4 Pages visited and time spent on the Website
3.2.5 Referring website or URL
3.3 Cookie-Related Information
The Website may collect information via cookies and similar tracking technologies. Please refer to Section 9 of this Policy for full details.
Financial and business-related information submitted by users is treated with a heightened level of care, given its sensitivity and the purpose for which it is collected. BizFunding will not process such information for any purpose beyond those set out in this Policy.
4. PURPOSE AND LAWFUL BASIS FOR PROCESSING
BizFunding processes personal information only for the purposes set out below, and only where there is a lawful basis for doing so under POPIA:
4.1 To facilitate the introduction of the User to third-party financial service providers
4.2 To contact the User regarding their enquiry and follow up on the introduction
4.3 To send marketing and promotional communications from BizFunding relating to financial products and services
4.4 To improve and maintain Website functionality and user experience
4.5 Internal record keeping and compliance with legal and regulatory obligations
5. HOW WE OBTAIN YOUR CONSENT
Consent is obtained at the point of submission of any enquiry form on the Website. Prior to submitting any form, Users are required to actively tick a checkbox confirming that they:
5.1 Have read and understood this Privacy Policy;
5.2 Consent to the collection and processing of their personal information for the purposes described in Section 4;
5.3 Consent to their personal information being shared with third-party service providers as described in Section 6; and
5.4 Consent to receiving marketing communications from BizFunding (where applicable, via a separate opt-in checkbox).
Checkboxes are not pre-ticked. Submission of a form without completing the required consent checkbox is not permitted. BizFunding maintains records of consents obtained.
6. SHARING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH THIRD PARTIES
6.1 Third-Party Financial Service Providers
The core function of the BizFunding Website is to facilitate introductions between Users and third-party financial service providers, which may include:
6.1.1 Registered credit providers under the National Credit Act 34 of 2005 (“NCA”);
6.1.2 Financial intermediaries or brokers;
6.1.3 Business funding platforms and alternative lenders;
6.1.4 Other financial services entities operating within the Republic of South Africa.
When a User submits an enquiry, their personal and financial information will be shared with one or more of the above categories of third-party service providers to respond to the enquiry. These third parties may contact the User directly regarding financial products and services.
6.2 Third-Party Obligations and Limitations
Third-party service providers who receive User personal information via BizFunding are required to process such information in compliance with POPIA and all applicable data protection legislation. However, BizFunding does not control the data practices of third-party recipients and cannot guarantee their compliance. Users are advised to review the privacy policies of any third-party service provider before entering into any agreement with them.
Users are strongly advised to verify the NCA registration status and/or FSCA licensing of any third-party provider before concluding any financial arrangement.
6.3 Cross-Border Transfers
BizFunding only shares User personal information with third-party service providers located within the Republic of South Africa. No personal information is transferred to any party outside of South Africa without the User’s prior written consent. In the event that a cross-border transfer becomes necessary in future, BizFunding will only do so in compliance with Section 72 of POPIA.
6.4 Other Permitted Disclosures
BizFunding may also disclose personal information where required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of BizFunding, its users, or the public.
7. DATA RETENTION
BizFunding retains personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. The following retention periods apply:
| Category of Information | Retention Period |
| Enquiry and lead generation records | 3 years from the date of submission |
| Marketing consent records | For the duration of the marketing relationship, and for 3 years thereafter |
| Correspondence and support records | 3 years from the date of last correspondence |
| Technical and log data | 1 year |
At the end of the applicable retention period, personal information will be securely deleted or anonymised so that it cannot be linked to the individual concerned.
8. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA
As a data subject, you have the following rights in relation to your personal information held by BizFunding:
81 Right of Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
8.2 Right to Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal information
8.3 Right to Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information where there is no lawful basis for its continued retention.
8.4 Right to Object: You may object to the processing of your personal information.
8.5 Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw your consent to marketing communications at any time by sending a written opt-out request to info@bizfunding.co.za. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out prior to withdrawal.
8.6 Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your personal information has been processed in violation of POPIA.
To exercise any of the above rights (other than complaints), please submit a written request to: info@bizfunding.co.za. We will respond within a reasonable period and in any event within 30 days of receipt of a valid request.
9. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES
The Website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit a website.
9.1 Types of Cookies We Use
| Cookie Type | Consent Required? | Purpose |
| Essential / Functional | No – required for operation | Enable core Website functionality such as form submissions and session management |
| Analytics Cookies (e.g. Google Analytics) | Yes – opt-in required | Analyse Website traffic and user behaviour to improve performance |
| Marketing / Tracking Pixels (e.g. Meta Pixel, Google Ads) | Yes – opt-in required | Track conversions and enable retargeting of Users who have visited the Website |
9.2 Managing Cookies
Where consent is required for the use of non-essential cookies, we will obtain this via a cookie consent banner displayed on your first visit to the Website. You may at any time change your cookie preferences by:
9.2.1 Adjusting your browser settings to refuse or delete cookies;
9.2.2 Updating your preferences via the cookie consent tool on the Website.
Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality and performance of the Website.
10. SECURITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
BizFunding implements reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorised access, disclosure, misuse, alteration, or destruction. These measures include, but are not limited to:
10.1 Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for data transmitted via the Website;
10.2 Access controls limiting access to personal information to authorised personnel only;
10.3 Periodic review of security practices and procedures.
While BizFunding implements appropriate technical and organisational safeguards to protect personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, users acknowledge that any transmission of personal information is undertaken at their own risk
In the event of a security compromise affecting personal information, BizFunding will notify the Information Regulator and affected Users as required under Section 22 of POPIA.
11. DIRECT MARKETING AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
BizFunding may send marketing and promotional communications to Users who have expressly opted in to receive such communications, in compliance with Section 69 of POPIA and Section 45 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (“ECT Act”).
Every marketing communication sent by BizFunding will include a clear, functional, and cost-free opt-out mechanism. Users may also opt out at any time by sending a written request to info@bizfunding.co.za. BizFunding will process all opt-out requests within a reasonable period.
BizFunding will not send unsolicited electronic commercial communications (spam) to any person who has not consented to receiving them.
12. MINORS
The Website is not intended for use by persons under the age of 18. BizFunding does not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you are under 18, please do not submit any information via the Website. If BizFunding becomes aware that personal information has been collected from a minor without appropriate parental or guardian consent, we will take steps to delete such information.
13. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
BizFunding reserves the right to update or amend this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be published on the Website with a revised effective date. We encourage Users to review this Policy periodically. Continued use of the Website following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.
14. CONTACT AND COMPLAINTS
For any queries, requests, or complaints relating to this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal information, please contact BizFunding’s Information Officer at:
BizFunding – Information Officer
Email: info@bizfunding.co.za
Physical Address: Atrium on 5th, 9th Floor, 5th Street, Sandton, Johannesburg, 2196
If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you have the right to escalate it to the Information Regulator of South Africa:
Complaints email: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.co.za
General enquiries email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za