Privacy Policy

Last updated: 16 September 2026

PlayFair Sports (Pty) Ltd ("PlayFair," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This policy explains what personal information we collect when you use the PlayFair app and website, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what rights you have over it.

This policy is written to comply with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

1. Who we are

Our appointed Information Officer is Schalk Beukes, reachable at the address above.

2. What information we collect

Information you give us directly:

• Your name, email address, and profile photo (via Google, Apple, or Instagram sign-in)
• Listing details you create: photos, descriptions, price, condition, parcel dimensions
• Messages you send other users through in-app chat
• Delivery address, for items you buy
• If you're under 18, your parent or guardian's consent and contact details

Information collected automatically:

• Device information and push notification token, so we can send you app notifications
• General usage data (which screens you use, how often), via PostHog analytics
• Your approximate location, if you choose to share it, to show nearby listings

Information from third parties involved in a transaction:

• Payment and identity verification details you provide to TradeSafe (our escrow payment partner) when buying or selling — PlayFair does not see or store your full payment card or banking details; TradeSafe handles this directly under its own privacy policy
• Shipping and tracking information from The Courier Guy (via their Ship Logic platform), once a sale is confirmed

We do not collect more than we need to run PlayFair. We don't ask for your ID number, home address, or phone number unless a specific feature (like shipping or escrow verification) genuinely requires it.

3. Why we collect it

We use your information to:

• Create and manage your account
• Let you list items for sale and browse/buy from others
• Enable in-app chat between buyers and sellers
• Process payments securely through TradeSafe's escrow system
• Arrange shipping and delivery tracking through The Courier Guy
• Send you notifications about messages, offers, sales, and deliveries
• Investigate and resolve disputes between buyers and sellers
• Understand how people use PlayFair, so we can improve it
• Meet our own legal obligations (for example, keeping transaction records)

4. Who we share your information with

We only share what's necessary, and only with the following:

We never sell your personal information to advertisers or third parties. We only share what each of these services needs to do its specific job.

5. Chat message content

In-app chat automatically filters out phone numbers, email addresses, and similar contact details, to keep transactions — and your protection through escrow — inside the platform. This means we do process the content of your messages to detect this pattern; we don't otherwise read or monitor your conversations.

6. If you're under 18

PlayFair is open to users aged 16 and older, with a parent or guardian's consent required for anyone under 18. If you're under 18, we ask for a parent or guardian's contact details as part of signup, and we treat your information with the additional care POPIA requires for children's data. A parent or guardian can contact us at any time to review, correct, or request deletion of their child's information.

7. How long we keep your information

We keep your account and transaction information for as long as your account is active, and for a period afterward as required by law (for example, financial and tax record-keeping obligations). If you delete your account, we remove your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we're legally required to retain it (such as completed transaction records).

Listing photos for sold items are automatically removed 30 days after a sale completes.

8. Your rights

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Be told what personal information we hold about you
• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Ask us to correct or update inaccurate information
• Ask us to delete personal information we no longer have a valid reason to keep
• Object to how we're processing your information
• Withdraw any consent you've given us, at any time
• Not be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing that significantly affects you
• Complain to us directly if you're unhappy with how we've handled your information
• Complain to South Africa's Information Regulator if you're not satisfied with our response

To exercise any of these rights, contact us via our contact form.

9. Keeping your information secure

We use industry-standard security practices to protect your information, including encrypted connections, access controls, and secrets management for anything sensitive (API keys, payment credentials). No system is 100% secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse.

10. Cookies and tracking on our website

Our waiting-list and marketing pages use minimal tracking: a signup form (to capture your email if you join our waitlist) and basic analytics to understand where visitors come from (via UTM parameters in ad links). We don't use invasive tracking or sell this data to advertisers.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as PlayFair grows. If we make material changes, we'll notify you in-app or by email before they take effect.

12. Complaints

If you believe we've mishandled your personal information, you can lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator:

Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Website: inforegulator.org.za

13. Contact us

Questions about this policy or your information: contact form

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