This Privacy Policy explains how SAEV Charge (Pty) Ltd ("SAEV Charge", "we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, shares and protects your personal information when you use the SAEV Charge mobile application (Android and iOS) and web application (together, the "Service"). It is intended to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").
This Privacy Policy also covers our website, www.saevcharge.co.za. Section 11 explains what the website collects, including through its enquiry forms and, if you agree, Google Analytics.
For the purposes of POPIA, SAEV Charge is the responsible party for the personal information processed through the Service.
By using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. Terms used here have the same meaning as in our Terms and Conditions unless otherwise defined.
1. Who we are and how to contact us
Responsible party: SAEV Charge (Pty) Ltd, registration number 2025/471342/07.
Address: 7B Lionel Solomons Boulevard, Richmond Park, Cape Town, 7441, South Africa.
Email: info@saevcharge.co.za.
Information Officer: Kaloyan Dimov (Director), reachable at kaloyan@saevcharge.co.za. Our Information Officer is registered with the Information Regulator of South Africa and is responsible for ensuring our compliance with POPIA.
2. Information we collect
We collect only the information we need to operate the Service.
a) Information you give us
- Account information: your first name, surname and email address when you register.
- RFID / NFC tags (optional): if you choose to add one or more RFID/NFC tags to your account to start charging sessions, we store the tag identifier(s) you provide.
b) Information generated through your use of the Service
- Wallet and transaction data: your SAEV Coin balance, top-up records, charging session records (including charger used, location of the charger, date, time, energy delivered and cost), and any negative balance owing on your account.
- Location data: with your permission, the app and web app use your device location (via Google Maps) to show you nearby chargers and to help you navigate to them. You can disable location access in your device or browser settings, though some features may then be limited. We do not continuously track your location in the background.
- Technical and log data: when you use the Service, or where an error occurs, we may collect technical information such as your IP address, device type and name, operating system and version, app version and configuration, and the date and time of your activity. This is used for security, troubleshooting and improving the Service.
c) Payment information
- Payments and top-ups are processed by our payment gateway, Stitch (which supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, Capitec Pay, Visa and Mastercard card payments, and Stitch Pay Later). We do not collect or store your full card or banking details. That information is handled directly by Stitch and the relevant payment providers under their own terms and privacy policies. We receive only confirmation of payment and limited transaction information needed to credit your wallet.
We do not knowingly collect any special personal information (such as health, biometric, or religious information) and we do not require your South African ID number to use the Service.
3. Why we process your information and on what basis
We process your personal information to:
- create and manage your account and authenticate you;
- maintain your SAEV Coin wallet, process top-ups, and bill charging sessions (including offline sessions billed on reconnection);
- enable and record charging sessions and manage any negative balance owing;
- show you chargers and provide mapping and navigation;
- provide customer support and respond to your queries;
- maintain the security, integrity and proper functioning of the Service;
- detect, prevent and address fraud, abuse or technical issues;
- comply with our legal and regulatory obligations; and
- improve and develop the Service.
Depending on the activity, we rely on one or more of the following POPIA grounds: performance of our contract with you (our Terms and Conditions); your consent (for example, location access); our legitimate interests (such as securing and improving the Service); and compliance with the law.
4. Who we share your information with
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described below.
- Operators (service providers) acting on our behalf: these process personal information under contract and on our instructions, and may not use it for their own purposes. They include:
- Stitch – payment processing;
- Google Maps – mapping, location and navigation features;
- Google Analytics – website analytics, only for visitors who accept it (see section 11);
- email service providers – to deliver our email, including enquiries sent through our website;
- hosting / cloud infrastructure providers – secure hosting of the Service and data;
- error and performance monitoring providers – to diagnose crashes and improve the Service.
- Third-party charger operators: where you use a charger listed on the Service that is owned or operated by a third party, limited session information may be shared with that operator to enable and reconcile the session.
- Legal and regulatory disclosure: where we are required to do so by law, court order, or a competent authority, or to protect our rights, users or the public.
- Business transfers: if SAEV Charge is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, your information may be transferred subject to this Privacy Policy.
5. Cross-border transfers
Some of our operators (for example, Google) may process your information on servers located outside South Africa. Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is afforded a level of protection consistent with POPIA, whether through the recipient being subject to comparable laws, binding agreements, or your consent, as permitted by section 72 of POPIA.
6. How long we keep your information
We keep your personal information only for as long as your account is active and as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy, or as required by law (for example, financial and tax record-keeping obligations). Because SAEV Coins do not expire and your wallet remains available to you, your account and related records remain active unless you request suspension or deletion. When information is no longer needed, we will delete or de-identify it. Note that we may retain records needed to resolve a negative balance or to meet legal obligations even after a deletion request.
7. How we protect your information
We value your trust and take the security of your information seriously. We use reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration and disclosure, including encryption in transit, access controls, and the use of reputable service providers. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a security compromise affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.
8. Your rights
Subject to POPIA, you have the right to:
- access the personal information we hold about you;
- request correction or updating of inaccurate or incomplete information;
- request deletion or destruction of your information where we are no longer entitled to keep it;
- object to certain processing of your information;
- withdraw consent where processing is based on consent (this will not affect processing already carried out); and
- lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer at kaloyan@saevcharge.co.za. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Most of your account information can also be viewed or updated directly in the app.
Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Website: inforegulator.org.za
Complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
9. Children
The Service is intended for users 18 years and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a person under 18 without proper consent, we will delete it. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us.
10. Cookies and similar technologies
Our web application may use cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage) to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and operate features such as maps. Third-party code and libraries we use (including Google Maps) may also set cookies. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, but some parts of the Service may not function properly as a result.
Our website sets cookies only for Google Analytics, and only if you accept them (see section 11).
11. Our website
This section covers our public website, www.saevcharge.co.za. The rest of this Privacy Policy, including your rights in section 8, applies to it too.
- Enquiry forms: when you send one of the website's forms (to apply to host a station, register a fleet's interest, suggest a charging site or contact us), we receive what you enter: for example your name, email address, company, site and fleet details, and your message. It is emailed to our team so that we can reply and consider your enquiry, and we keep it only for as long as we need it for that purpose.
- Analytics, only with your consent: if you accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics records which pages are visited and for how long, how visitors arrived, their approximate location (country and city), and their device and browser type. Google Analytics does not store IP addresses, and nothing typed into the website's forms is sent to it: we record only that a form was sent. We use this information to improve the website, not for advertising. If you decline, no analytics cookies are set and nothing is sent to Google. You can change your choice at any time on the website's Cookies page, and switching analytics off deletes its cookies.
- Server logs: like most websites, our web server records each request (the IP address, the browser, the page requested and the time) for security and troubleshooting. These logs are kept for a limited period and then deleted.
12. Links to other sites and third-party services
The Service may contain links to, or integrate with, third-party websites and services (such as Google Maps and Stitch). We do not control and are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those third parties, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.
13. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Policy on this page and updating the effective date above. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
14. Contact us
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us at info@saevcharge.co.za.