Privacy Policy for Helplink
This Privacy Policy outlines how Helplink (“we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, maintains, and discloses information collected from users (each, a “User”) of the help-link.co.za website (“Site”). This policy applies to the Site and all products and services offered by Helplink.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect personal identification information from Users in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to,1 when Users visit our site, register on the site, fill out a form (such as the Beneficiary Assessment), and in connection with other activities, services, features, or resources we make available on our Site.
The types of information2 collected may include:
– Personal Identification Information: Username, First Name, Last Name, E-mail Address, Age, Qualification, Comfort with technology, South African citizenship status, Ethnic Group, Gender, Identity Document (uploaded copy), Phone Number, Address.
– Business Information: Business name, ownership details, explanation of business activities, main business purpose, business type, duration of operation, competitors, unique selling propositions, product/service specialties, business location, previous funding received, revenue generation methods, profitability, financial tracking methods, budget, investment plans, customer understanding, customer needs addressed, industry practices, customer acquisition methods, social media usage, staff employment details, staff training, business strengths, challenges, opportunities, risks, business goals, company trade structure (Sole Proprietor, Private Company (Pty) Ltd).
– Sensitive Information: Questions about criminal record and judgments against your name.
– Technical Data: Information about technology used in your business (e.g., POS system, accounting software), knowledge and use of AI, automation tools, willingness to learn AI.
– Engagement Data: Responses to questions about resilience, problem-solving, skill improvement, and innovation.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context3 of your comment.
Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.
2. How We Use Collected Information
Helplink collects and uses Users’ personal information for the following purposes:
– To Assess Eligibility: To evaluate your business’s current position, challenges, and potential for scaling up with AI-driven solutions and digital transformation, and to determine whether you qualify for the Helplink Program and associated grants.
– To Provide Services: To deliver the Helplink Micro Program, including the AI course, mentorship, marketing support, and grant access.
– To Improve Our Site and Services: We may use feedback you provide to improve our products and services.
– To Personalize User Experience: 4 We may use information in the aggregate to understand how our Users as a group use the services and resources provided on our Site.
– To Send Periodic Emails: We may use the email address to send User information and5 updates pertaining to their application or participation in the program. It may also be used to respond to their inquiries, questions, and/or other requests.
– To Offer Alternative Support: If you do not qualify for the grant, your information allows us to identify other tailored solutions that Helplink or our partners may offer to help you grow.
3. How We Protect Your Information
We adopt appropriate data collection, storage, and processing practices and security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of your personal information, username, password, transaction information, and data stored on our Site.
4. Cookies
Our Site may use “cookies” to enhance User experience.
- If you leave a comment on our site, you may opt-in to saving your6 name, email address, and website in cookies for convenience. These cookies will last for one year.
- If you visit our login page, we will7 set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
- When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me,” your login will persist for two weeks.
- If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
- If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.
5. Embedded Content from Other Websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website. These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
6. Sharing Your Personal Information
We do not sell, trade, or rent Users’ personal identification information to others. We may share generic aggregated demographic information not linked to any personal identification information regarding visitors and users with our business partners, trusted affiliates, and advertisers for the purposes outlined above. If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email. Visitor comments may be checked through8 an automated spam detection service.
7. Data Retention
- If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
- For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
8. Your Rights Over Your Data
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
Helplink has the discretion to update this Privacy Policy at any time. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. We encourage Users to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this Privacy Policy periodically9 and become aware of modifications.
10. Your Acceptance of These Terms
By using this Site, you signify your acceptance of this policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our Site. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of changes to this policy will be deemed your acceptance of those changes.
11. Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this site, please contact us at:
– General Enquiries: info@help-link.co.za
– Project Lead (Beneficiaries, Mentors, Stakeholders): kim@help-link.co.za
– Project Director (Funders and Investors): adelaide@help-link.co.za
– Phone: +27 656 984 335
– Address: Linbro Business Park, Johannesburg
Links to Helplink Information:
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