Privacy Policy

This policy explains how Trainee Voices handles your personal information, in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). We keep what we collect to a minimum.

1. Who is responsible

The owner of Trainee Voices is responsible for your personal information. You can contact the owner at yedwaathabile@gmail.com about anything in this policy.

2. What we store

• Your username.
• Your password, which is securely hashed, so that we cannot read it.
• The programme (TIPP or TOPP) and trainee level that you choose.
• The voices, replies and reactions you submit, and the time they were posted.
• Basic technical information needed to run and protect the service, such as sign-in activity, error records and, through our hosting provider, technical data such as an IP address or device type.
• Any message you send us by email, and the details you give in it.

3. What we don't collect

We don't ask for your real name, email address, phone number or employer. Please don't put that kind of information in your username or posts.

4. What others see

Other trainees only see your programme and trainee level next to your posts. Your username is never shown. Your posts are visible to other users of the platform. Please remember that if you include details about yourself, your employer or your circumstances in a post, other people may be able to work out who you are.

5. Why we use your information

• To create and run your account and let you sign in.
• To show your voices, replies and reactions to other trainees.
• To keep the platform safe, moderate content, investigate reports and enforce the Terms of Use, including blocking accounts that are in breach.
• To respond to your emails and requests.
• To meet our legal obligations.

We rely on your consent when you create an account and use the platform, on our need to run the service, and on our legitimate interest in keeping the platform safe and lawful.

6. Who we share it with

We do not sell your information, and we do not use it for advertising. We share it only with:

• service providers that host and run the platform for us, who may only use the information to provide those services; and
• the authorities or other parties where the law requires it, a court orders it, or it is necessary to protect the safety or rights of any person.

Some of our service providers may store information outside South Africa. When this happens, we take reasonable steps to make sure it is protected to a standard comparable to POPIA.

7. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including storing passwords in hashed form and limiting who can access account information. No system is completely secure. If a security breach affects your information, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected users as the law requires, and because we hold no email addresses, we will do this through a notice on the platform.

8. How long we keep it

We keep your information for as long as your account exists and as long as we need it to run and protect the platform. When you delete a voice or reply, it is removed from the platform. If your account is deleted, we remove your username, programme, trainee level and content, except where we must keep limited records to prevent a blocked person from returning, to deal with a report or dispute, or to meet a legal duty. Technical records are kept only for as long as needed for security and troubleshooting.

9. Your choices and rights

You can delete your own voices and replies at any time. You may also ask us to:

• tell you what personal information we hold about you;
• correct information that is wrong;
• delete your account and the information linked to it;
• stop using your information for a particular purpose.

Email yedwaathabile@gmail.com with your request. Because we do not hold your name or email address, we will need to confirm that the account is yours, for example by asking you for your username and details of a recent post that only the account holder would know. We may refuse a request if we cannot verify it, or if the law requires us to keep the information.

10. Cookies and similar technology

We use only what is necessary to keep you signed in and keep the platform working. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

11. Age

Trainee Voices is for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone younger, and we will delete it if we find it.

12. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how your information is handled, please contact us first at yedwaathabile@gmail.com. You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it last changed. If we make a significant change, we will show a notice on the platform.

14. Contact

For any question about privacy or your information, contact yedwaathabile@gmail.com.