Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Etosha GMS is the digital platform used to manage burial services, grave plot purchases, payments, and related operations. References to “we”, “us”, or “our” in this policy mean the organisation operating this system.

2. What data we collect

We collect only what is needed to provide the service, process payments, and meet legal or operational requirements.

From members (mobile app and account)

• Identity and contact: Name, email address, phone number, national ID (where required), date of birth, gender, address, country, city.
• Account: Email and password (passwords are stored in hashed form only).
• Transactions: Purchase history, payment amounts, payment method (e.g. PayNow, EcoCash, cash), and related references.
• Burial-related: Next of kin details, deceased details (where you provide them), and information needed for grave assignment.

From staff (web dashboard)

• Identity and contact: Name, email, phone, national ID, date of birth, address, staff type, and level.
• Account: Email and password (hashed).
• Activity: Actions performed in the system may be logged for security and audit (e.g. who processed a payment or assigned a grave).

Automatically

• Technical: IP address, device type, and similar technical data may be logged for security and troubleshooting.
• Usage: We may record that you logged in or used certain features; we do not track your behaviour for advertising.

3. Why we use your data

We use your data to:

• Create and manage your account.
• Process purchases and payments (including via PayNow and EcoCash).
• Manage burial arrangements and grave slot assignment.
• Send you important service messages (e.g. payment confirmations, receipts, reminders) by email or SMS where you have agreed or where necessary for the contract.
• Comply with legal or regulatory obligations.
• Protect the security of the system (e.g. detecting abuse, investigating incidents).
• Improve the system (e.g. fixing errors, improving performance), in a way that does not identify you personally where possible.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not use your data for third-party marketing.

4. Legal basis (where applicable)

Where data protection law requires a legal basis:

• Contract: Processing necessary to provide the service (account, purchases, payments, burials).
• Legal obligation: Where we must retain or report data for tax, anti-fraud, or other legal reasons.
• Legitimate interests: Security, fraud prevention, system improvement, and audit, where these do not override your rights.
• Consent: Where we explicitly ask for your consent (e.g. for certain SMS or communications beyond what is necessary for the service).

5. Who we share data with

We may share data only as follows:

• Payment providers (PayNow, EcoCash): Information needed to initiate and complete payments (e.g. amount, reference, status). They have their own privacy policies.
• SMS provider: Phone number and message content where we send SMS.
• Hosting and infrastructure: Our backend and database are hosted on third-party platforms. They process data on our instructions and under appropriate agreements.
• Legal and regulatory: Where required by law or to protect our rights and the security of users.

We do not share your data with third parties for their marketing.

6. How long we keep data

• Account and transaction data: Retained for as long as you have an account and for a period after closure as needed for legal, tax, or dispute purposes (typically several years, subject to local requirements).
• Audit and security logs: Retained for a defined period for security and compliance (e.g. one to two years, unless longer is required by law).
• Backups: Backups may retain data for the backup retention period; they are used only for restore and disaster recovery.

Specific retention periods can be confirmed on request.

7. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your data:

• Passwords are hashed (we never store plain-text passwords).
• Access to the system is controlled (login, roles, and permissions).
• Data in transit is protected with HTTPS.
• Access to personal data is limited to staff who need it for their role.
• We use environment variables and secure configuration for secrets; we do not put passwords or API keys in source code.

Payment card or bank account details are not stored by us; payment providers handle those in line with their own policies and standards.

8. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Ask for deletion of your data where the law allows.
• Object or restrict: Object to certain processing or ask for restriction in specific cases.
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format where technically feasible.
• Withdraw consent: Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
• Complain: Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

To exercise these rights, contact us using the details in section 10. We will respond within a reasonable time and in line with applicable law.

9. Children

Our service is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under the age of 16. If you believe we have collected such data, please contact us so we can delete it.

10. Contact and updates

For questions about this policy or your personal data:

• Contact the data protection or privacy contact for the organisation operating Etosha GMS (contact details to be inserted by the operator).
• Or write to the registered address of the organisation.

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. We encourage you to review the policy periodically. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy where permitted by law.