Privacy Policy & PAIA Manual

Overview

Cybernaut Studio (Pty) Ltd ("Cybernaut Studio", "we", "us") designs and builds custom business software and websites for growing South African companies, and offers a smaller website package for early-stage businesses. This policy explains what personal information we collect through cybernaut.studio and through the services we provide, why we collect it, and what rights you have over it.

TraceGrid, our SaaS product, has its own privacy policy at tracegrid.cybernaut.studio/privacy(opens in a new tab), which applies to use of TraceGrid.

We handle personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

Information we collect

• Contact details you give us directly, your name, business name, email address, phone or WhatsApp number, and anything you tell us in a message or project enquiry. We communicate by email or WhatsApp, and a WhatsApp message shares your phone number with us.
• Project and discovery information, details about your business, workflows, existing systems, sample documents or data you share with us so we can scope and build a custom solution.
• Billing details, the name, contact details, and billing information needed to invoice a project or manage a subscription. For small-business subscriptions, card details are collected and processed directly by PayFast, our payment processor; we never see or store them.
• Website or system content, any text, images, logos, or business details you send us so we can build and update your site or software.
• Basic technical information, standard server logs (such as IP address and browser type) and, where enabled, analytics data collected through Google Analytics (GA4) and Cloudflare Web Analytics, used to understand traffic and improve our service.

How we use it

• To scope, build, host, secure and maintain your website or custom software
• To communicate with you by email or WhatsApp about your project, invoices, and support requests
• To process once-off setup fees and monthly subscriptions through PayFast, where applicable
• To register a domain in your name, where applicable
• To improve our own service and website

We don't sell your information, and we don't use it to market to you unless you've agreed to that.

Who we share it with

• PayFast (Pty) Ltd, to process once-off and monthly payments where applicable. Their own privacy policy governs how they handle your payment data.
• Domain registrars and infrastructure providers (for example, our hosting and DNS providers), strictly to register domains and keep sites and email running.
• Google Analytics (GA4), on cybernaut.studio, to measure traffic and understand how visitors use the site. Google's own privacy policy governs how they handle this data.
• Cloudflare Web Analytics, on cybernaut.studio, to measure traffic in aggregate. It does not use cookies. Cloudflare's own privacy policy governs how they handle this data.
• Substack, if you subscribe to Cybernaut Studio's published articles. Substack collects and manages subscriber email addresses directly under its own privacy policy; we do not receive your password or payment details.

We don't share your information with anyone else, unless we're required to by law.

Cookies & analytics

On cybernaut.studio we use Google Analytics (GA4), which sets cookies in your browser to measure traffic and understand how visitors use the site. A consent banner is shown to every visitor on their first visit, before these cookies are set, and you can decline non-essential cookies if you prefer. If you don't accept, Google Analytics receives limited, cookieless signals that can't identify you. See Google's own privacy policy(opens in a new tab) for how they collect and handle this data.

You can change your choice at any time with "Cookie preferences" in the footer. We store your choice in your browser so we don't ask again.

On cybernaut.studio we also use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which counts visits without setting cookies or tracking you across sites. See Cloudflare's privacy policy(opens in a new tab) for how they handle this data.

How long we keep it

We keep your information for as long as you're a client, and for a reasonable period afterwards (typically up to five years) to meet our accounting, tax, and legal record-keeping obligations. After that, it's deleted or anonymised.

Your rights

Under POPIA, you can ask us to:

• Confirm what personal information we hold about you
• Correct information that's wrong or out of date
• Delete information we no longer need or have no right to keep
• Object to how we're using your information

To exercise any of these rights, email legal@cybernaut.studio. If you're not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator(opens in a new tab).

Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your information, including encrypted connections (SSL/TLS) on every site and system we build and restricted access to client data. No system is completely secure, but we treat your information the way we'd want our own treated.

Children

Our services are aimed at business owners and are not directed at children. We don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time as our services change. We'll update the "last updated" date at the top of this page whenever we do.

PAIA manual

This section serves as Cybernaut Studio's manual under section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA), which sets out how you may request access to records held by the company.

Records held. In the ordinary course of business, Cybernaut Studio holds records including: client and project records (correspondence, proposals, contracts, invoices); financial and accounting records; supplier and service-provider records; and internal corporate records (company registration and statutory documents). Personal information held about individuals is described in the sections above.

Requesting a record. A request for access to a record should be made in writing to the Information Officer at legal@cybernaut.studio, describing the record sought in enough detail for it to be located, and the form of access required. Prescribed request forms and fees under the PAIA Regulations may apply. We will respond within the timeframes set out in PAIA.

Regulator oversight. If a request is refused, or you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator at the details below.

Contact us & Information Officer

Cybernaut Studio (Pty) Ltd
Registration number: 2026/495848/07
Information Officer: Jean-Jacques Strydom
IO registration number: 2026-065878 (registered 3 September 2026)
Privacy and PAIA requests: legal@cybernaut.studio
General enquiries: hello@cybernaut.studio
WhatsApp: +27 68 631 2178(opens in a new tab)
Johannesburg, South Africa

Information Regulator (South Africa)
Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg
P.O. Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017
inforegulator.org.za(opens in a new tab)