Privacy Policy

Introduction

1. Any capitalised terms have the meanings ascribed to them in the Terms.
2. This is the Privacy Policy applicable to your personal information, your customers’ personal information and the personal information of any other person collected by Bridgement (Pty) Ltd (Bridgement) through its website, https://www.bridgement.com/ (Website).
3. Bridgement respects privacy rights and complies with all laws in respect of the handling of all personal information, including collection, use, storage, sharing and disposal.
4. This Privacy Policy aims to help you, your customers and your directors and members understand how Bridgement handles personal information when you use the Website.
5. This Privacy Policy does not apply to any third party websites which may be accessible through links on the Website. Bridgement makes no representations or warranties about the privacy practices of any third party and does not accept any responsibility for the privacy practices of, or content displayed on, third party websites. Third party website providers are responsible for informing you about their own privacy practices.

Changes to Privacy Policy

Bridgement reviews its policies regularly and occasionally may need to change or update them. Any updated versions of this Privacy Policy will be posted on the Website and will be effective from the date of posting. Where practical, and at Bridgement’s discretion, notice of the change will be displayed on the Website or emailed to you in Bridgement’s sole discretion. This Privacy Policy was last reviewed and updated on 10 December 2024

What personal information does Bridgement handle?

1. When used in this Privacy Policy, the term “personal information” has the meaning given to it in the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPI). Generally speaking, personal information is any information that can be used to personally identify a natural or juristic person.
2. Personal information that Bridgement collects, when you register for and use the Website, may include your and your directors’/members’ and customers’ names, addresses, registration / VAT / identity numbers, contact details, country of citizenship, position, financial information and any other information relating to you and your business which Bridgement lawfully receives and which may be relevant to the use of the Website. This includes all information on your invoicing or accounting solution account, your bank account information and online banking login details that you provide, publicly available information and information from third parties, such as credit bureaux.
3. If the information that Bridgement collects personally identifies you, your customers or any of you are reasonably identifiable from it, Bridgement will treat it as personal information.

How does Bridgement collect personal information?

1. Bridgement collects personal information directly from you in the following ways, namely:
   1. through your registration for, access to and use of the Website; and
   2. when you communicate with Bridgement in any way.
2. Bridgement also collects personal information from third parties, including credit bureaux and your bank and any public information sources.
3. The Website uses cookies. If you turn off cookies in your internet browser, some functionality of the Website may not be available to you.

What if you do not provide personal information requested by Bridgement or allow Bridgement to collect personal information?

1. If you do not provide Bridgement with personal information where Bridgement requires it, you will not be able to register on, or use the services of, the Website.

For what purposes does Bridgement handle personal information?

Bridgement collects personal information and handles it for the purposes of:

1. registering and accepting you as a user of the Website;
2. purchasing invoices;
3. meeting legal or other regulatory obligations imposed on it;
4. updating its records; and
5. processing and responding to any queries;
6. managing credit risk and fraud;
7. reassessing and monitoring your eligibility for funding, after your initial application whether it was approved or declined;
8. analysing information in order to identify new trends and develop new products and services;
9. sending you marketing materials about Bridgement products and services (unless you have elected not to receive such materials and, if you have, from which you may opt out at any time by sending an email to [email protected]).

Who does Bridgement disclose personal information to?

1. Bridgement may disclose personal information to:
   1. its employees, affiliates, contractors or third party service providers in connection with the Website and the services that it provides to you, including its information technology service providers;
   2. your customers whose invoices are sold to Bridgement;
   3. its insurers and professional advisors, including its accountants, business advisors and consultants as well as other third party service providers;
   4. employees and other relevant people connected with any entity with which Bridgement merges, combines or to which it divests a part or the whole of its business;
   5. law enforcement or regulatory bodies as required by law; and
   6. any other juristic or natural person for any authorised purpose with your express consent.
2. Bridgement will ensure that all its employees, third party service providers, divisions and partners having access to your personal information are bound by appropriate and legally binding obligations in relation to your personal information.
3. Bridgement undertakes never to sell personal information.

Does Bridgement disclose personal information to anyone outside South Africa?

1. Bridgement may need to transfer Personal information to, or store it with, third party suppliers and service providers, such as hosting or information technology service providers, located outside of South Africa for some of the purposes listed above.
2. Where personal information is transferred outside of South Africa, your rights and the rights of your customers and your directors/members will continue to be respected and Bridgement will take all reasonable steps to ensure transferred personal information is kept secure and receives a similar level of protection as that which it receives in South Africa.

Security and data quality

1. Bridgement may hold personal information in either electronic or hard copy form. In both cases Bridgement takes reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure that the personal information is protected from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
2. Bridgement is committed to providing secure online services. As such, Bridgement protects the transmission of your personal information, when completing online applications forms, by way of encryption. Bridgement’s Internet servers are protected by firewalls and intrusion detection systems. Access to information on these servers is restricted to authorised personnel only.
3. Personal information is destroyed or de-identified when no longer needed or when Bridgement is no longer required by law to retain it (whichever is the later).

How can you, your customers or your directors/members access and correct your and their personal information?

1. You, your customers or your directors/members have the right to contact Bridgement at any time requesting:
   1. confirmation that Bridgement has the personal information;
   2. access to the records containing the personal information or a description of the personal information that we hold; and
   3. the identity or categories of third parties who have had, or currently have, access to the personal information.
2. When making a request Bridgement requires adequate proof of identity which will include providing a certified copy of identity / registration documents.
3. Bridgement will try to provide any person entitled to access their personal information with suitable means of accessing information, by for example, posting or emailing it to them.
4. There may be instances where Bridgement cannot grant access to personal information. For example, if granting access would interfere with the privacy of others or would result in a breach of confidentiality, Bridgement may need to refuse access. If Bridgement refuses access, it will give written reasons for its refusal.
5. If any person believes that any personal information that Bridgement holds about them is inaccurate, irrelevant, outdated, incomplete or misleading, that person may request Bridgement to correct it. If they believe that any personal information that Bridgement holds about you or them is excessive or has been unlawfully obtained or that Bridgement is no longer authorised to retain the information, they may request that Bridgement destroys or deletes it. Bridgement will consider if the information requires correction, deletion or destruction and if Bridgement does not agree that there are grounds for such action, the person making the request may require Bridgement to note your request.
6. Bridgement may charge a reasonable fee to cover its administrative and other reasonable costs in providing personal information requested.

Unlawful access to personal information

1. If any person believes that their personal information has been unlawfully accessed or acquired, they may contact Bridgement using the contact information below and provide details of the incident so that Bridgement can investigate it.
2. Bridgement will treat such queries confidentially (unless otherwise required by law), investigate them and aim to achieve resolution within a reasonable time.

Indemnity

1. You must ensure that you are permitted to disclose your customer and director/member information as well as information concerning any other person or entity you disclose to Bridgement.
2. Bridgement and its employees, directors or agents will not be liable for, and you indemnify and hold Bridgement harmless against, any loss or harm, direct, indirect or consequential, arising from, or connected to the use of your customers’ and your directors’/members’ personal information or the disclosure to Bridgement of such personal information by you.

Changes to personal information

Should any person’s personal information change, please inform Bridgement and provide Bridgement with all changes as soon as reasonably possible to enable Bridgement to update the personal information. It is your responsibility to ensure that all personal information is kept up to date as Bridgement has no way of doing so directly.

Contact information

If any person has questions about this Privacy Policy or need to contact Bridgement in connection with their personal information, they may contact Bridgement’s Information Officer at [email protected]