Privacy Policy for Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers South Africa (“ICS SA“)

Effective Date: 08/12/2025

1. Introduction

At ICS SA, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is collected and used lawfully, transparently and in accordance with POPIA. This Privacy Policy explains:

  • what information we collect;

  • how and why we collect and use it;

  • how we protect it;

  • your rights; and

  • how you can contact us if you have questions.

2. Definitions

Personal Information – any information relating to an identifiable, living, natural person (or, where applicable, a juristic person). This may include, but is not limited to: name, contact details (email, phone, postal address), identification number, demographic information, IP address, device information, and any other information which can identify an individual. 
Data Subject – the person to whom the personal information belongs.
Responsible Party / Controller – ICS SA, the entity deciding how and why personal information is processed under POPIA.
Operator / Processor – any third-party service provider acting on behalf of ICS SA and processing personal information under instructions from us.

3. Information We Collect

Depending on how you engage with our website or services, we may collect:

  • Information you provide directly: when you sign up, fill out a contact / inquiry / registration form, request services, or otherwise voluntarily provide information – e.g. name, email address, phone number, mailing address, company name (if applicable), and any other information you submit.

  • Technical / usage information: when you visit or use our website, we may collect device information, browser type, IP address, cookies and similar tracking technologies, usage data (pages visited, links clicked, time and date of access), and other analytics data.

  • Communications and correspondence data: if you contact us – via email, contact form, telephone, or other – we may keep a record of that communication.

4. Purpose of Processing & Legal Basis

We will use your personal information only for legitimate, specified purposes. Typically, we process personal information in order to:

  • respond to your inquiries or requests;

  • provide and manage our services;

  • communicate with you (including sending updates, notifications, or information related to services you use);

  • improve and maintain our website and services, including analytics and usage tracking;

  • comply with legal or regulatory obligations;

  • maintain records for business or legal purposes (e.g. accounting, compliance, disputes).

Under POPIA’s “processing limitation” requirement, we ensure that all personal information is processed lawfully and only when there is a valid purpose (e.g. with your consent, or where required for contractual or legal obligations).

5. Disclosure & Sharing of Personal Information

We will not share or disclose your personal information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

  • With your consent, where you have explicitly agreed we may do so;

  • With our service providers / operators, who process information on our behalf (e.g. hosting, analytics, communications), under strict confidentiality and security obligations;

  • Where required by law, regulation, or legal process, or to protect ICS SA’s legal rights, property or safety;

  • For legitimate business purposes, such as fraud prevention, internal audits, or safety and security.

We will ensure that any third parties we share information with adhere to the same privacy standards we follow.

6. Security and Data Safeguards

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to safeguard personal information against loss, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. This includes (but is not limited to):

  • securing physical and electronic systems;

  • restricting access to personal information only to those employees, contractors or agents who need it to perform their duties;

  • ensuring third-party service providers are bound by confidentiality and security obligations;

  • regularly reviewing and updating our security measures.

7. Data Retention & Deletion

We will retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or to comply with legal or regulatory obligations. Once the information is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

If you wish to request deletion of your personal information (subject to any legal or regulatory retention requirements), you may contact us (see “Contact Us”).

8. Your Rights under POPIA

Where applicable you have the right to:

  • request access to the personal information we hold about you;

  • request corrections or updates to your information if it is inaccurate or incomplete;

  • request deletion or destruction of your personal information (subject to legal and contractual obligations);

  • object to processing in certain circumstances;

  • withdraw consent at any time (if processing is based on consent);

  • lodge a complaint if you believe we have violated your privacy or mishandled your personal information – including with the relevant supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us as described below.

9. International Transfers

If we transfer your personal information to third parties outside South Africa (e.g. hosting providers, service providers in other countries), we will ensure appropriate safeguards and protections are in place, in line with POPIA’s requirements for cross-border transfers.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, as our services evolve or laws change). We will publish any updates on our website and indicate the effective date.

11. Contact Information

If you have any questions, requests, or complaints about this policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact:

ICS SA
The Sails, 14 Timeball Boulevard,
Unit C101 – C103,
Durban, South Africa
Email: +27 31 824 1388
Phone: ics@icssa.co.za