1. Introduction

Wynand du Toit Attorneys Inc. (“WDT Attorneys”, “we” or “our”) respects the privacy of personal information and is committed to protecting it in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”), and applicable laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect personal information in the course of providing our legal and related professional services.

We process personal information lawfully, reasonably, and transparently, and only where necessary for legitimate business or legal purposes.

2. Responsible Party and Contact Details

3. Personal Information We Collect

We may collect and process personal information reasonably necessary to provide our legal services and operate our practice, including:

Full names and identity or passport numbers

Contact details, including email addresses, telephone numbers, and physical addresses

FICA-related documents

Banking and financial information

Correspondence and communications with clients and stakeholders

Information and documents relating to legal matters or transactions

We collect personal information only where necessary for lawful business and regulatory purposes.

4. How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect personal information directly or indirectly from:

Clients and their authorised representatives

Employees and job applicants

Third-party service providers

Regulatory authorities

Publicly available sources, where appropriate and lawful

Information may be collected through written, electronic, or verbal communications in the ordinary course of business.

5. Purpose of Processing Personal Information

We process personal information for legitimate business and legal purposes, including:

Providing legal advice and legal services

Drafting and reviewing legal documents

Litigation and dispute resolution

Conveyancing and property-related legal services

Compliance with legal, regulatory and professional obligations

Client administration and relationship management

We do not process personal information for unrelated purposes without lawful justification.

6. Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal information where permitted by law, including where processing is necessary:

To perform contractual obligations

To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

To pursue legitimate business interests

Where consent has been provided, where required

7. Storage and Security of Personal Information

Personal information may be stored:

On secure internal computer systems

On cloud-based platforms, including Microsoft 365 / OneDrive

Within our legal practice management system (GhostPractice)

Within document management software, including Adobe Acrobat

We implement reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect personal information, including password-protected systems, restricted access controls, firewall and antivirus protection, secure storage environments, and regular data backups.

These safeguards are designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

8. Sharing and Transfer of Personal Information

Where reasonably necessary and subject to applicable confidentiality, legal, and professional obligations, we may share personal information with:

Regulatory authorities and professional bodies

Professional advisors, advocates, correspondent attorneys, experts and other legal industry service providers where necessary

Technology and cloud service providers

Third-party service providers assisting in delivering our services

Other parties where required or permitted by law

Personal information may be stored or processed on systems located outside South Africa, where our service providers operate. We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information remains protected in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

9. Retention and Destruction of Personal Information

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including compliance with legal, accounting, tax, regulatory, and professional obligations.

Personal information is securely deleted, destroyed, or anonymised when no longer required, subject to applicable legal requirements.

10. Personal Information of Children

We may process personal information relating to children where necessary to provide legal services or comply with legal obligations.

Such information is obtained through authorised parents, guardians, or legal representatives where required by law.

11. Data Subject Rights

In accordance with POPIA, individuals have the right to:

Request access to their personal information

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

Request deletion of personal information, where appropriate

Object to processing under certain circumstances

Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

Requests may be submitted to the Information Officer using the contact details provided above.

We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

12. Availability of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is available on our website and may be provided upon request.

13. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal or operational requirements. Updated versions will be made available on our website or upon request.

14. Complaints

If you believe that your personal information has been processed unlawfully, you may contact our Information Officer.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator:

Website: www.justice.gov.za/inforeg

Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za