Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how VELDWATCH (PTY) LTD (registration number 2026/409852/07) (“VeldWatch”, “we”) collects and processes personal information. It is written to comply with the South African Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

Our Information Officer can be contacted at support@veldwatch.com.

1. What we collect

We collect the following personal information:

• Account information: the email address you use to sign in, and the name of your agricultural operation.
• Staff information: the phone numbers (in E.164 format), names, and consent status of each staff member you add as a reporter.
• Operational messages: the text of WhatsApp messages sent by staff to the VeldWatch number, timestamps, and any associated media references.
• Voice note transcriptions: where staff send voice notes, the audio is transcribed using an AI speech-to-text service (OpenAI). The transcription text is stored alongside the original audio reference. Audio files are hosted by Twilio and expire after 30 days. The transcription is used to classify the message and display it on your dashboard.
• Photos and media: images sent by staff may include personal information such as faces or vehicle registration plates. Photos are stored via Twilio and proxied through VeldWatch for display in your dashboard. They are not analysed or processed beyond storage and display.
• Classification and location data: the incident type assigned by our classifier and any location text or GPS coordinates derived from the messages.
• Technical information: session cookies needed for authentication, IP addresses on webhook requests, and basic request logs for security and debugging.

2. Why we collect it

We process personal information only to the extent necessary to deliver the VeldWatch service: logging operational messages, displaying them on your dashboard, routing alerts to recipients you configure, and building a searchable operational record for your agricultural operation. We do not use personal information for advertising, profiling, or any purpose unrelated to the service.

3. Lawful basis

We process your personal information on the basis of (i) the contract you enter into with us when you create an account, and (ii) legitimate business operations, since operational logging is a normal and necessary activity for agricultural operations. Where personal information of staff members is processed, the account holder is responsible for ensuring staff are informed and have acknowledged this through the VeldWatch opt-in process. VeldWatch requires each staff member to reply YES from their own phone before their messages are recorded - this reply constitutes their active, phone-verified acknowledgement.

4. Where your data lives

VeldWatch data is stored in a PostgreSQL database hosted by Supabase, currently in the European Union (Ireland). Connections to the database are encrypted in transit. Authentication is handled by Supabase’s authentication service. Our web application is hosted on Vercel. Voice note transcription is processed by OpenAI (United States). Audio files are hosted by Twilio (United States).

Because personal information may be processed outside of South Africa, we rely on destination countries having comparable data protection standards to South Africa, as permitted by POPIA. Supabase is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022, covering information security management across its platform.

5. Who we share data with

We do not sell personal information. We share data only with:

• Infrastructure providers necessary to operate the service - Supabase (database and authentication), Vercel (hosting), Twilio (WhatsApp messaging and media storage), and OpenAI (voice note transcription) - under data processing agreements.
• Recipients you configure when you set up Alert Rules that forward incident data to the WhatsApp contacts or security services you specify.
• Authorities, when required by a valid legal order.

6. How long we keep your data

Operational records, voice note transcriptions, GPS coordinates, and associated media references are retained for the duration of your account, and for a period of 5 years from the date of each record to support legitimate operational and legal requirements. Audio files hosted by Twilio expire automatically after 30 days.

On account closure, personal information is deleted within 30 days, except where a longer retention period is required by law. You may request earlier deletion of specific records by contacting support@veldwatch.com.

7. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Object to the processing of your personal information
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of these rights, email support@veldwatch.com. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Cookies and analytics

VeldWatch uses cookies for authentication (keeping you signed in) and basic technical functioning. We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking.

We use Vercel Analytics to measure aggregate site usage (page views, geographic region, device type). This service does not use cookies, does not track individuals across sites, and does not collect personal information. The data helps us understand how visitors interact with our marketing pages.

9. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information, including encryption in transit, access controls, and periodic review of access permissions. No online service can be made perfectly secure, but we endeavour to follow accepted industry practice.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top and notify active users by email if the changes are material.

11. Contact

For privacy questions or to exercise your POPIA rights, contact support@veldwatch.com.