POPIA Compliance

Last updated: February 2026

1. About POPIA

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), Act 4 of 2013, is South Africa's data protection law that regulates how organisations collect, store, process, and share personal information. Hammanskraal Elite Primary School is committed to full compliance with POPIA and to protecting the personal information of all learners, parents, guardians, staff, and visitors.

2. Information Officer

In terms of POPIA, Hammanskraal Elite Primary School has designated an Information Officer responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act and handling all information-related requests.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal information on the following lawful grounds as defined by POPIA:

• Consent: Parents/guardians provide consent during the admissions and enrolment process for the collection and use of their and their child's personal information.
• Contractual obligation: Processing is necessary to fulfil the enrolment agreement between the school and the parent/guardian.
• Legal obligation: We are required by law to maintain certain records, including learner attendance, academic records, and reports to the Department of Basic Education.
• Legitimate interest: Processing is necessary for the safe operation of the school, including safety measures such as sign-in registers, controlled access, and CCTV monitoring.

4. Categories of Personal Information

We collect and process the following categories of personal information:

• Learner data: Names, date of birth, identity numbers, academic records, medical information, immunization records, photographs, and behavioural records.
• Parent/guardian data: Names, identity numbers, contact details, home addresses, employment information, and financial information for fee payments.
• Staff data: Employment records, qualifications, contact details, and performance information.
• Visitor data: Names, contact details, and sign-in records for security purposes.

5. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to be notified: You have the right to be informed that your personal information is being collected and the purpose for which it is being processed.
• Right of access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you or your child.
• Right to correction: You may request that we correct or update any inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading personal information.
• Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information where it is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds.
• Right not to be subject to automated decision-making: You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing.

6. How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your rights under POPIA, you may submit a written request to the Information Officer using the contact details provided above. We will respond to your request within a reasonable time, and no later than 30 days from receipt of the request. We may require proof of identity before processing your request.

7. Security Measures

Hammanskraal Elite Primary School implements appropriate security measures to protect personal information, including:

• Controlled access gates with monitored entry and exit points
• Sign-in registers for all visitors
• Secure storage of physical records
• Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Staff training on data protection and confidentiality
• Fenced premises with continuous supervision

8. Data Breaches

In the event of a data breach that compromises the personal information of any data subject, Hammanskraal Elite Primary School will:

• Notify the Information Regulator as soon as reasonably possible
• Notify affected data subjects of the breach and the steps being taken to address it
• Take immediate steps to contain the breach and mitigate any harm
• Investigate the cause of the breach and implement measures to prevent recurrence

9. Lodging a Complaint

If you believe that your rights under POPIA have been infringed, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator:

10. Updates to This Notice

This POPIA compliance notice may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legislation or school practices. The latest version will always be available on this website. We encourage you to review this page periodically.