Privacy Policy

1. Compliance Statement & Information We Collect

Zubis is committed to protecting your privacy in strict accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa. We collect and process personal information only to deliver and improve our marketplace services.

For Creators: When you register, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and account configuration. When building a Zubi Page, we store the content you choose to display, including business details, product descriptions, images, pricing, and external communication links (e.g., WhatsApp numbers).

For Buyers/Visitors: When you interact with a Zubi Page or initiate a purchase inquiry, we collect your name, contact information, message content, and persistent shopping cart data.

2. Purpose of Processing (How We Use Your Data)

We process your personal information to operate, secure, and optimize the Platform. This includes hosting Zubi Pages, routing communication, tracking stock, managing premium subscriptions, and troubleshooting technical issues. We strictly do not sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Data Sharing & Marketplace Handoffs

Buyer-Seller Inquiries: When a buyer submits an inquiry or triggers a communication handoff (such as a WhatsApp or SMS link), their contact details and message payload are shared directly with that specific Creator to facilitate the transaction. Creators act as independent responsible parties under POPIA for the data they receive.

Third-Party Operators: We may share minimal, encrypted data with trusted service providers who act as our operators (e.g., cloud hosting platforms, database infrastructure, and South African payment gateways). These entities are legally bound by strict confidentiality agreements.

4. Cookies & Local Storage

Zubis uses a minimal set of browser storage mechanisms, all of which are strictly necessary for the platform to function:

• zubis_session (cookie): An HTTP-only, Secure, SameSite=Lax session cookie used to keep you signed in. It expires automatically after 7 days of inactivity and is required for authenticated features such as your dashboard, editor, and account settings.
• zubis-dark-mode (localStorage): Stores your theme preference (dark/light) on your device. It is never transmitted to our servers.
• myZubiCollapsed (localStorage): Stores your sidebar collapse preference on your device. It is never transmitted to our servers.

Zubis does not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking cookies, or analytics networks. Any item view and click analytics we collect are first-party and tied only to engagement with the platform. You can configure your browser to reject cookies, though signed-in features will become unavailable.

5. Data Security

We implement robust administrative, technical, and physical security measures to safeguard your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. This includes industry-standard encryption for data in transit and at rest, secure database access tokens via Prisma, and regular security audits of our PostgreSQL infrastructure.

6. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject in South Africa, you hold specific legal rights regarding your personal information. You have the right to request access to the data we hold about you, request the correction or updating of outdated records, or object to processing. You can manage or delete your data directly from your account dashboard, or contact us to lodge a formal request. We will address all valid requests within 30 days.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as your account remains active or as required to fulfill operational, legal, and financial reporting obligations. Upon account deletion, creator data and associated storefront pages will be permanently purged from our active systems within 90 days, unless a legal hold applies.

8. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy to reflect regulatory changes or platform updates. Material revisions will be highlighted via in-app dashboard alerts or sent directly to your registered email address. Your continued use of the platform after updates take effect implies acceptance of the revised policy.

9. Contact Our Information Officer

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or need to contact our designated Information Officer regarding POPIA compliance, please contact us.