How SAPawn Protects Your Information
SAPawn ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African privacy legislation. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our platform.
SAPawn is a cloud-based pawnshop management platform operating at sapawn.co.za. We provide software tools to pawnshop businesses across South Africa. We act as both:
| Data | Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Full name, email, phone | Account creation and communication | Contract / Consent |
| Business registration number | Verify lawful pawnshop operation | Legal obligation |
| VAT and NCR registration numbers | Tax and credit compliance | Legal obligation |
| Business address and contact details | Service delivery, public storefront | Contract |
| Bank account details | Displayed to customers for EFT payments | Contract / Consent |
| Login credentials (password hashed) | Authentication | Contract |
Pawnshops enter the following customer data into the Platform. The pawnshop is the Responsible Party for this data; SAPawn processes it on their behalf.
| Data | Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Customer identification, agreements | Legal obligation (Second-Hand Goods Act) |
| South African ID number | Identity verification, legal requirement | Legal obligation (Second-Hand Goods Act) |
| Phone number, email | Communication, notifications, portal access | Contract / Legitimate interest |
| Physical address | Legal requirement for pawn agreements | Legal obligation |
| ID document photo | Identity verification, fraud prevention | Legal obligation / Legitimate interest |
| Transaction history | Pawn, sale, and payment records | Contract / Legal obligation |
| Data | Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Full name, email, phone | Order processing and communication | Contract |
| Delivery address | Shipping and courier services | Contract |
| Payment reference (via PayGate) | Payment verification | Contract |
| IP address, browser info | Fraud prevention | Legitimate interest |
When you use the Platform, we may automatically collect:
This data is used for security monitoring, performance optimisation, and service improvement.
We use personal information to:
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
We may share personal information only in these circumstances:
Customer data entered by a pawnshop is accessible to that pawnshop's owner and authorised staff. Multi-shop businesses can access data across their shops.
The Platform integrates with the South African Police Service as required by the Second-Hand Goods Act. Police officers with approved access may:
All police access is logged and auditable. Police users must be approved before access is granted.
We use the following third-party services:
| Provider | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| PayGate / DPO Group (South Africa) | Payment processing | Payment amount, reference |
| Cloudinary | Image storage (item and ID photos) | Uploaded images |
| Cloudflare R2 | File storage (desktop sync) | Uploaded files |
| Render.com | Cloud hosting | All platform data (encrypted at rest) |
When a customer purchases an item on the Marketplace, the selling pawnshop receives the buyer's name, phone number, email, and delivery details to fulfil the order.
We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or valid legal process.
We implement industry-standard security measures, including:
In the event of a personal data breach that poses a risk to your rights, we will:
| Data Type | Retention Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Pawn transaction records | 5 years minimum | Second-Hand Goods Act requirement |
| Customer ID records | 5 years minimum | Legal compliance |
| Financial records | 5 years minimum | Tax and audit requirements |
| Account data (active accounts) | Duration of account | Service provision |
| Account data (after cancellation) | 90 days | Grace period for reactivation |
| Audit logs | 2 years | Security and compliance |
| Police query logs | 5 years | POPIA accountability |
| Sync deletion records | 90 days | Desktop sync consistency |
As a data subject, you have the right to:
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at accounts@sapawn.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.
The Platform uses the following cookies:
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
csrftoken |
Cross-site request forgery protection (security) | Session |
sessionid |
User authentication session | 2 weeks |
dark-mode |
User display preference (localStorage) | Persistent |
dashboard-widgets |
Dashboard layout preference (localStorage) | Persistent |
We do not use third-party advertising or analytics cookies. We do not track users across websites.
The Platform is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Pawnshop transactions in South Africa require customers to be at least 18 years of age.
Some of our service providers (Cloudinary, Cloudflare) may process data outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA section 72, including contractual protections and the provider's adherence to comparable privacy standards.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users via email of material changes at least 14 days before they take effect. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page indicates the most recent revision.
If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with:
The Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Tel: 012 406 4818
For privacy-related enquiries or to exercise your POPIA rights:
© 2026 SAPawn. All rights reserved. Made with love in South Africa.