PRIVACY POLICY

Effective 1 December 2021

Ammended 1 November 2025

Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013

This Privacy Policy explains in detail how Ulwazi Educational Foundation ("Ulwazi Educational Foundation", "we", "our", "us") collects, uses, stores, shares, and sells personal and behavioural information when you use ulwazifoundation.co.za. Ulwazi Educational Foundation is an independent Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) registered in South Africa, dedicated to providing accessible educational resources and technology. Additional disclosures, governance frameworks, and compliance documentation can be found at:

https://policy.ulwazifoundation.co.za

We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and adopt global privacy norms similar to those used by major analytics, ad-tech, and cloud providers. This policy provides expanded explanations to ensure transparency, clarity, and full awareness of how your data is handled.

By using our website, you consent to all practices outlined here.

1. Information We Collect

We collect different categories of information to operate, improve, and monetise the platform.

1.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

You may voluntarily provide information when interacting with Ulwazi Educational Foundation. This includes:

Submitting your name or email in forms
Contacting support
Requesting assistance or sharing feedback
Participating in any promotional or research activities

This information helps us respond to enquiries, improve the platform, and maintain accurate user communication records.

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you browse the website, various technical and behavioural data points are collected automatically through browser requests, cookies, and analytics systems. These data points help us understand how you interact with the site, diagnose errors, analyse user patterns, and optimise performance.

Examples include:

IP address and general geographic location (region/city)
Device category (mobile, desktop, tablet)
Operating system and browser version
Content interaction, scrolling behaviour, and click paths
Session duration and timestamps
Downloads and resource access patterns

This information paints a broad picture of platform usage, allowing us to enhance educational materials and maintain operational stability.

1.3 Cookies, Pixels, and Tracking Technologies

We use multiple forms of tracking technologies, each serving different purposes:

Essential cookies maintain login sessions, prevent fraud, and ensure core features work.
Analytical cookies (e.g., Google Analytics) help us measure site performance and identify which resources are useful.
Advertising cookies from Google AdSense personalise ads, track ad performance, and limit repeated impressions.
Heatmapping/session replay technologies (available via Wix) show aggregated user interactions to improve usability.

Cookies are standard industry tools that support user experience and platform optimisation.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process and analyse collected information to operate effectively and improve our services. Common purposes include:

Delivering and maintaining website functionality
Improving the accuracy, quality, and discoverability of educational resources
Monitoring how users navigate the site to enhance readability and structure
Personalising content, site layout, or ad delivery
Conducting system diagnostics, fraud detection, and security monitoring
Developing new features or educational tools to further our non-profit educational mission

We also use aggregated trends for reporting, operational strategy, and development of educational insights.

3. Data Selling & Data Licensing (Important Disclosure)

Ulwazi Educational Foundation may engage in data selling, licensing, and data-driven commercial partnerships as a funding mechanism to support our non-profit mission. This is conducted under strict internal governance and NPO compliance standards.

3.1 Types of Data That May Be Sold or Licensed

We may sell or license non-sensitive categories of personal and behavioural information, including:

Device metadata
Session patterns and usage metrics
Behavioural data (interaction patterns, downloads, resource access)
Advertising identifiers
Demographic approximations (e.g., grade level, region)
Aggregated or anonymised educational analytics

This data is sold primarily for research, academic insights, ad-tech optimisation, or market analysis.

3.2 Types of Data We Do NOT Sell

We do not sell data that directly identifies you, including:

Names
Email addresses
Direct contact information
User messages
Uploaded content or documents

3.3 Why Data Is Sold

Data sales and licensing help fund:

Free access to educational material
Development of learning tools
Expansion of exam paper collections
Infrastructure costs, security, and maintenance

The revenue supports ongoing improvement of Ulwazi Educational Foundation as a fully accessible educational platform.

3.4 How Data Is Processed Before Sale

Before any dataset is sold or licensed:

Sensitive identifiers are removed
Records may be anonymised or aggregated
Partners must follow data-use restrictions

More details on data-handling policies are available at https://policy.ulwazifoundation.co.za.

4. Google AdSense & Advertising Technologies

We use Google AdSense, which allows advertisers to display tailored ads based on browsing behaviour.

Google may collect:

Cross-site browsing activity via cookies and pixels
Interaction data such as ad clicks or views
Device identifiers and ad IDs

This helps Google deliver relevant advertising and measure campaign effectiveness.

Ulwazi Educational Foundation adheres to:

Google's Publisher Policies
Restrictions on sensitive personal data usage
POPIA-compliant consent standards
Requirements for valid cookie-based tracking

Users may adjust their Google ad preferences or opt out of personalised advertising.

5. Data Sharing with Third Parties

We share information with certain categories of partners:

5.1 Technical Service Providers

We work with technical partners including Taptic (Pty) Ltd for infrastructure, analytics, and governance support. Data may be shared with these providers for technical or operational purposes under strict contractual obligations.

5.2 Service Providers & Integrations

We rely on partners including:

Wix for website hosting, analytics, infrastructure, and session tools
Google for ads, analytics, and cloud services
Email and security service providers
Data buyers or licensees, in accordance with our commercial model

All partners must meet POPIA-compliant standards.

5.3 Legal, Compliance, and Protection Requirements

We may disclose information to:

Law enforcement agencies
Courts or regulatory bodies
Legal representatives or auditors

This occurs only when legally required or when protecting our rights.

5.4 Business Transfers

In a merger, restructuring, or transfer of assets involving Ulwazi Educational Foundation, user data may be transferred as an asset, subject to NPO regulatory requirements and donor agreements.

6. Data Security

We use multi-layered protections including:

HTTPS encryption
Server-side firewalls and intrusion prevention
Continuous infrastructure monitoring
Access-restricted data storage
Built-in Wix cloud security safeguards

Although no system is perfectly secure, we follow industry-leading practices to reduce risk.

7. Your POPIA Rights

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

Access your personal information
Request correction or updates
Request deletion where applicable
Object to processing or data-selling practices
Withdraw consent for non-essential data processing
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

You may submit any request to contact@ulwazifoundation.co.za.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for:

Operating the website
Meeting legal and commercial obligations
Maintaining security and preventing fraud
Analytics and internal research to advance our educational mission
Compliance with NPO governance and donor requirements

Data may be anonymised instead of deleted when appropriate.

9. Educational Resources & Past Papers

Ulwazi Educational Foundation provides educational materials for student learning and exam preparation. These include:

Official past papers
Model or reconstructed papers
Study guides and reference material

Accuracy may vary, and content may not reflect the latest curriculum updates.

Cookies help track download popularity, identify important subjects, and enhance academic resource distribution.

10. Copyright & Content Ownership

We do not claim ownership over all materials hosted on Ulwazi Educational Foundation. Content may come from:

Public domain sources
Contributors or educators
User submissions

We review takedown requests promptly in accordance with South African copyright law.

11. Branding & Intellectual Property

"Ulwazi Educational Foundation" is a registered trademark and brand of the organisation.
Logos, design elements, and interface layouts are protected.
Unauthorized reproduction of branding may result in formal action.

Some layouts may fall under fair academic use.