Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Unified Marketing ("we", "us", "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over your own information.

This policy applies to visitors of unifiedmarketing.co.za, clients, prospective clients, and anyone who submits their information to us through our website, forms, WhatsApp, phone or email.

2. Who We Are (Responsible Party)

Unified Marketing is the "Responsible Party" as defined under POPIA for the personal information described in this policy. Our contact details are:

3. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Contact information: name, email address, phone number, WhatsApp number, company name
• Enquiry details: information you provide in contact forms, quote requests or audit requests, including your website URL and business details
• Communication records: emails, WhatsApp messages, call notes and meeting notes related to our engagement with you
• Billing information: for clients, invoicing and payment-related details necessary to provide our services
• Technical information: IP address, browser type, device information and pages visited, collected automatically via cookies and analytics tools (see Section 8)

We do not knowingly collect special personal information (such as health, religious belief or biometric information) unless you voluntarily provide it as part of a specific engagement (for example, if you are a healthcare client discussing HPCSA-related marketing content), and only to the extent necessary for that purpose.

4. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information when you:

• Submit a contact, quote request, or free audit form on our website
• Contact us via phone, WhatsApp or email
• Engage us as a client for our services
• Browse our website (via cookies and analytics tools)
• Interact with our social media pages or Google Business Profile

5. Why We Collect and Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries, quote requests and free audit requests
• Provide, manage and improve our SEO, digital marketing, website design and related services
• Communicate with you about your project, campaign or account
• Send invoices and process payments
• Send relevant marketing communications, where you have consented or where permitted under POPIA's direct marketing provisions (you may opt out at any time)
• Comply with our legal, tax and regulatory obligations
• Analyse and improve our website's performance and user experience

6. Our Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on one or more of the following legal bases recognised under POPIA:

• Consent: where you have given clear consent, such as submitting a contact form
• Contract: where processing is necessary to perform a service agreement with you
• Legitimate interest: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests (such as responding to an enquiry) and does not override your rights
• Legal obligation: where we are required to process information to comply with South African law (for example, tax record-keeping)

7. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with:

• Service providers: hosting providers, email and CRM tools, analytics platforms (such as Google Analytics), and payment processors (such as PayFast, Peach Payments, Yoco or Ozow) who process information on our behalf under appropriate confidentiality and security terms
• Third-party platforms: where necessary to deliver services on your behalf, such as Google Ads or Meta, in connection with campaigns we manage for you
• Legal or regulatory authorities: where required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights

We require all third-party service providers to maintain appropriate levels of data security and to process personal information only for the purposes we specify.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience, analyse site traffic, and understand how visitors use our website (for example, via Google Analytics). You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings; disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.

9. How We Protect Your Information

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure, including secure hosting, access controls, and secure form handling. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law (for example, tax and financial record-keeping obligations under South African law). Enquiry information from prospective clients who do not proceed with our services will be retained for a reasonable period and then deleted or anonymised.

11. Your Rights Under POPIA

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Be informed that your personal information is being collected
• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant or unlawfully obtained information
• Object to the processing of your personal information, including for direct marketing purposes
• Withdraw consent, where processing is based on consent, at any time
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your information has been processed unlawfully

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 15 below.

12. Children's Information

Our services and website are intended for businesses and individuals over the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate consent from a parent or guardian, as required under POPIA.

13. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Some of the third-party tools we use (such as international hosting, analytics or advertising platforms) may process data outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure such transfers comply with POPIA's cross-border transfer requirements, including ensuring recipient parties are subject to comparable data protection obligations.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

15. Contact Us / Information Officer

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise any of your rights under POPIA, please contact us:

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