Privacy policy

Mezzanine World respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store and protect personal information when you visit our website, contact us, request a quotation or sign up to receive our newsletter. We process personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECT Act). By using this website or submitting your information to us, you confirm that you have read and understood this policy. If you do not agree with how we handle personal information as set out here, please do not submit your details through this website.

Who we are.

Mezzanine World is a South African company established in 2017. We design, engineer and install mezzanine floors, storage platforms, racking and fit-outs for warehouse, industrial, retail and office spaces. For the purposes of POPIA, Mezzanine World is the responsible party for the personal information described in this policy. You can reach us at: 100 Boston Road, Merrivale, Howick, 3291, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Email: info@mezzanine.co.za. Phone: 033 346 0634.

Information Officer.

Under section 56 of POPIA, the head of Mezzanine World acts as our Information Officer and is responsible for compliance with POPIA and for handling privacy queries and requests. You can reach our Information Officer by email at info@mezzanine.co.za, by phone on 033 346 0634, or by post at 100 Boston Road, Merrivale, Howick, 3291.

Definitions.

To help you read this policy, some key terms have the meanings given in POPIA. Personal information means any information that can identify a living person or, where relevant, an existing company, such as a name, contact details, company information or online identifiers. Processing means anything done with personal information, including collecting, storing, using, sharing or deleting it. A data subject is the person to whom the personal information relates, which in most cases is you. A responsible party is the body that decides why and how personal information is processed, which is Mezzanine World. An operator is a third party that processes personal information on our behalf under our instructions, such as a hosting or email provider.

The information we collect and/or receive

We collect personal information directly from you when you choose to give it to us, and we collect limited technical information automatically through your browser. We only collect what we need for the purposes set out in this policy.

Contact Information.

When you complete a contact or enquiry form on our website, we collect the details you provide, which are your first name, last name, company or agency name, job title, the subject of your message and the content of your message. The source of this information is you, supplied directly and voluntarily.

Newsletter Email.

When you sign up to receive our newsletter, we collect your email address. You give us this information directly, and signing up is voluntary and based on your consent. You can withdraw that consent and unsubscribe at any time.

Website Usage Information.

When you browse our website, we automatically receive certain technical details that help us keep the site running and improve it. These details can include your device IP address, the type and language of your browser, the pages you arrived from and left through, the date and time of your visit, how long you spend on each page and which sections you view. We refer to this as usage information. The source of this information is your browser and device.

From Cookies.

We also gather usage information through cookies. A cookie is a small file that a website saves on your device so it can recognise your device and remember details about your visit. We use essential cookies that are needed for the site to work, and we may use analytics cookies that help us understand how the site is used. Non essential cookies are only set with your consent. You can manage or refuse cookies through your browser settings, and your browser help pages explain how to block or delete them. If you choose to block essential cookies, some parts of the website may not work as intended.

Third-Party Analytics.

We may use third party analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to understand how visitors use our website and to improve it. These tools collect usage information such as device and browser details, the pages viewed, time spent on the site and similar activity. They rely on cookies and similar technologies to gather this data on our behalf. Where these tools use non essential cookies, we set them only with your consent, which you give through our cookie banner or browser settings and can withdraw at any time.

You can control analytics tracking by adjusting your cookie choices on our website or by changing your browser settings. Google offers a browser add on that lets you opt out of Google Analytics across websites. If you limit these tools, the website will still work, although some usage measurement will not take place.

Why we collect your information and our lawful basis.

We only process personal information for clear and lawful purposes. We use your contact form details to respond to your enquiry, prepare and send quotations, arrange site surveys and manage our dealings with you, which we do to take steps at your request and to pursue our legitimate business interests. We use your newsletter email to send you updates and information you have asked for, which we do on the basis of your consent. We use website usage information and cookies to keep the site secure and to improve it, which we do on the basis of consent for non essential cookies and our legitimate interest in a working website for the rest. We may also process personal information where the law requires us to. We do not further process your information in a way that is incompatible with the purpose for which it was collected.

How we comply with POPIA.

We aim to meet the eight conditions for lawful processing set out in POPIA. We take accountability for the personal information in our care. We limit our processing to what is necessary and lawful. We specify the purpose for each type of information we collect. We do not use information for unrelated new purposes without a lawful basis. We take reasonable steps to keep information accurate and up to date. We are open about our processing through this policy. We protect information with appropriate security safeguards. We respect your right to participate in decisions about your own information.

How We Use and Share Your Information

We use the contact details, newsletter email and usage information we hold to respond to your enquiries, prepare quotations, plan and carry out site surveys and installations, send you information you have requested, improve our website and services, and meet our legal obligations. We may share personal information in the limited ways described below, and only as far as the law allows.

Service Providers and Operators.

We may use trusted service providers, known as operators under POPIA, to carry out certain functions for us, such as website hosting, email delivery, IT support and analytics, and we may use sub contractors and installers to deliver projects. These operators may access personal information only as needed to do their work for us, and we require them by written contract to keep it confidential and to apply security measures at least equal to ours. We do not sell your personal information.

Aggregated Information.

We may combine usage information into aggregate statistics that do not identify you personally, so we can understand how our website and services are used and improve them. Because this information does not identify anyone, we may share it for ordinary business purposes.

Business Transfers.

If our business is involved in a sale, merger, restructure or transfer of assets, personal information may form part of the transferred assets. In that event we will require the receiving party to continue protecting your personal information in line with POPIA and this policy.

Legal Requirements.

We may disclose personal information where the law allows or requires it, for example to comply with a law, a court order or a lawful request from a competent authority, or where it is reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of Mezzanine World, our staff, our clients or the public.

Newsletter and Direct Marketing

We send our newsletter and marketing emails only to people who have given us consent by opting in, or to existing clients in relation to similar products and services where the law permits. We never pre tick consent boxes. Every marketing message identifies Mezzanine World as the sender and gives you a simple way to opt out. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any newsletter or by emailing info@mezzanine.co.za. Once you opt out we add you to a suppression list so that we do not contact you again for marketing, and we will still send any necessary messages that relate directly to your enquiry or project.

How We Protect Your Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information against loss, misuse, and unauthorised access, disclosure, change or destruction. These steps include access controls, encryption of information in transit, secure hosting and staff confidentiality obligations. We require any operator that processes information on our behalf to apply security measures that are at least equal to ours. No system can be guaranteed completely secure, but we work to keep your information safe and to meet our obligations under POPIA.

How long we keep your information.

We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purpose we collected it, or for as long as the law requires us to keep it. As a guide, we keep enquiry and quotation details for the duration of our dealings with you and for a reasonable period afterwards, and project and financial records for the periods required by South African tax and company law. We keep your newsletter email until you unsubscribe. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or de identify it.

Links to Other Websites

Our website may, from time to time, contain links to external websites. We encourage you to review the privacy and security policies of any external website you reach through ours. Mezzanine World accepts no responsibility or liability for the information practices of external websites that you can access through our website. Please check the privacy policy of any external website before you submit any personal information to it.

Transfers of Information Outside South Africa

Mezzanine World is based in South Africa and we process your personal information here. Some of the service providers we rely on, such as cloud hosting, email or analytics providers, may store or process information on servers outside South Africa. Where personal information is transferred abroad, we only do so where one of the conditions in section 72 of POPIA is met. That means the receiving party is subject to laws or binding agreements that provide protection substantially similar to POPIA, or you have consented to the transfer, or the transfer is necessary to perform or conclude a contract in your interest.

Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA you have a number of rights in relation to your personal information. You have the right to be told that we are collecting your information and to be notified if it has been accessed by an unauthorised person. You have the right to ask what personal information we hold about you and to receive a copy of it. You have the right to ask us to correct or delete information that is inaccurate, out of date, excessive or no longer needed. You have the right to object to processing on reasonable grounds, and to object to direct marketing at any time. Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw it. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@mezzanine.co.za or on 033 346 0634.

We respect your choices. We honour requests to unsubscribe and to withdraw consent, and we respect the cookie preferences you set through our cookie banner or your browser. If you ask us to stop a particular kind of processing and we are able to do so lawfully, we will act on your request without undue delay.

How to access, correct or delete your information.

You can make a request about your personal information by emailing info@mezzanine.co.za or writing to us at 100 Boston Road, Merrivale, Howick, 3291. Formal access requests can also be made using the prescribed PAIA Form 2 in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act. We will respond to your request within the timeframes the law allows, and we may need to verify your identity before acting on it.

Children's information.

Our website and services are intended for businesses and adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information about children without the consent of a parent or guardian, as POPIA gives children's information special protection. If you believe we hold a child's information without proper consent, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to address it.

Notifying you of a security compromise.

If we have reasonable grounds to believe that your personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will notify the Information Regulator and the affected data subjects as soon as reasonably possible, as required by section 22 of POPIA. Our notice will give you enough information to take protective steps where you can.

Complaints to the Information Regulator.

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal information or a request, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa. The Regulator can be reached at JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001, or by post at PO Box 31533, Braamfontein, 2017. Phone: +27 10 023 5200. Email for complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za. Complaints can also be submitted through the Regulator's eServices portal at https://eservices.inforegulator.org.za. We would, however, appreciate the chance to resolve your concern directly first.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. When we do, we will post the updated version on this website and change the date below. We encourage you to review this policy regularly so that you stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of the website after we publish changes means you accept the updated policy.

Governing law and contact details.

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, including POPIA, PAIA and the ECT Act, and any dispute relating to it falls under the jurisdiction of the South African courts. If you have any questions about this policy or about how we handle your personal information, please contact us. Mezzanine World, 100 Boston Road, Merrivale, Howick, 3291, KwaZulu-Natal. Email: info@mezzanine.co.za. Phone: 033 346 0634.