Privacy Policy
Last updated: 1 June 2026
MetaLogistics Institute (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we store and protect it, and what rights you have regarding your information.
1. Personal Data We Collect
When you apply for membership, register for courses, or interact with our platform, we collect the following categories of personal data:
| Personal Data | Purpose of Processing | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full name & title | Membership registration & verification | Application form |
| Email address | Account communication, course updates, newsletters | Application form |
| Phone number | Urgent account or event communication | Application form |
| Job title & company | Professional profile, directory listing | Application form |
| Years of experience | Tier eligibility assessment | Application form |
| Membership tier | Access control, billing, benefits administration | Account system |
| Payment information | Membership fee & course payment processing | Payment gateway |
| Course & CPD records | Progress tracking, certification issuance | Learning platform |
2. Why We Collect This Data
We process your personal data only for the following legitimate purposes:
- Membership application assessment, approval, and ongoing administration
- Tier verification and access control to member-only content and courses
- Communication regarding your account, membership renewals, and important updates
- CPD (Continuing Professional Development) tracking and certification issuance
- Event registration, attendance management, and related communications
- Payment processing for membership fees, courses, and merchandise
- Compliance with our legal and regulatory obligations under South African law
3. How We Store Your Data
Your personal data is stored securely using industry-standard measures:
- Encryption at rest and in transit — all data transmitted between your browser and our servers is protected by TLS 1.3, and stored data is encrypted using AES-256.
- MongoDB Atlas cloud database — hosted on AWS infrastructure in the Africa (Cape Town) region, with automated backups, encryption, and SOC 2 compliant security controls.
- Password hashing — account passwords are hashed using bcrypt and are never stored in plaintext.
4. Who Has Access
Only authorised administrative staff of MetaLogistics Institute have access to personal data. Access is role-based, logged, and revocable. We never sell your personal data to third parties, nor do we share it for marketing purposes without your explicit consent. We may disclose information where required by law or to protect our legal rights.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your membership is active, plus a period of one (1) year after membership expiry or cancellation. After this period, your data is securely deleted or anonymised for analytical purposes.
Payment information is retained only for the duration of the transaction and any applicable refund period, after which it is permanently deleted from our payment gateway records.
6. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a data subject under South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), you have the following rights:
- Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to Correction: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data, subject to legal retention obligations.
- Right to Object: Object to the processing of your data for certain purposes, including direct marketing.
- Right to Restrict: Request that we restrict processing while a dispute or verification is ongoing.
- Right to Data Portability: Request a machine-readable copy of your data to transfer to another service.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer at info@metalogistics.co.za. We will respond to your request within the statutory timeframe (21 days under POPIA). Verification of your identity may be required before processing your request.
7. Cookies & Analytics
Our website does not currently use cookies, tracking scripts, or third-party analytics services. We do not collect browsing behaviour data, page-view statistics, or any information about how you interact with our website beyond what you voluntarily submit through forms.
If we implement analytics tools in the future, we will update this policy and, where required by law, seek your consent before doing so.
8. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Members will be notified of material changes via email. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Email: info@metalogistics.co.za
Information Officer: info@metalogistics.co.za
Registration: MetaLogistics Institute is a registered professional body in South Africa.