StokvelPal

1. Who we are

StokvelPal is owned and operated by Matchpad Technologies (Pty) Ltd, a company registered in the Republic of South Africa (registration number 2026/344948/07), based in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng.

We are the responsible party for your personal information as defined under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

2. What information we collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide the StokvelPal service:

• Mobile phone number — used to create and verify your account via one-time password (OTP). This is your unique identifier in the app.
• Name — the name you or your group treasurer enters when setting up your profile or adding you as a group member.
• Group information — the name of your stokvel group, contribution amounts, due dates, and payout rotation details entered by the treasurer.
• Contribution records — records of payments marked as received, including amounts, dates, and who recorded them. These records are append-only and cannot be deleted.
• Proof of payment photos — photographs of deposit slips or bank confirmations uploaded optionally by the treasurer as proof of contribution. Stored in Firebase Storage.
• Device information — basic device and app usage data collected automatically by Firebase Analytics to help us improve the app (device type, OS version, app version, crash reports).
• Disclaimer acceptance record — a record of when you accepted the app's terms, including the app version and timestamp.

3. How we use your information

We use your information only for the following purposes:

• To create and manage your account and verify your identity via OTP.
• To display your group's contribution records and pot balance to you and your verified group members.
• To send you push notifications about your group's payment status and reminders.
• To allow the treasurer to generate statements and share group summaries.
• To maintain an immutable audit trail of all financial records entered into the app.
• To provide technical support when you contact us.
• To improve the app using anonymised usage and crash data.

We do not use your information for any other purpose. We do not sell your information. We do not use your information for advertising or marketing by third parties.

4. Who can see your information

Your information is shared only as follows:

• Your group members — all verified members of your stokvel group can see the group's contribution records, payment status, and pot balance. This is the core function of the app.
• Matchpad Technologies — as the operator of the app, we have access to your data for the purposes of operating, maintaining, and supporting the service. We access individual group data only when providing technical support or investigating a reported issue.
• Google Firebase — your data is stored on Google Firebase infrastructure (Firestore, Storage, Authentication, Cloud Messaging). Google processes this data on our behalf as a data operator under a data processing agreement. Firebase servers used are located in Belgium (europe-west1). See Google's privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy.

We do not share your information with any other third parties.

5. How we protect your information

• All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections.
• All data stored in Firebase is encrypted at rest by Google.
• Access to your group's data is controlled by Firestore security rules — only verified members of your group can read your group's records.
• Contribution records are append-only and cannot be deleted or altered, protecting the integrity of your financial history.
• Firebase App Check ensures only the legitimate StokvelPal app can access your data — direct API access is blocked.

6. Data retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service.

Contribution records and audit logs are retained indefinitely by design — they form the immutable financial history of your stokvel group. Members of your group rely on these records.

If you request deletion of your account, we will remove your personal profile and phone number. Group contribution records that reference your name may be anonymised rather than deleted where other group members have a legitimate interest in the financial history.

7. Your rights under POPIA

As a data subject under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you.
• Request access to your personal information.
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our retention obligations noted above.
• Object to the processing of your personal information.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 9.

8. Children's privacy

StokvelPal is intended for users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

9. Contact us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, want to exercise your POPIA rights, or need to report a data concern, please contact us:

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time as the app grows and new features are added. When we make material changes, users will be asked to review and accept the updated policy before continuing to use the app. The effective date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version.