Privacy Policy

CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES (Pty) Ltd. ("CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES", "we", "us", or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting personal information that we process in connection with our websites, applications, products, services, and other digital experiences.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we may collect, how we use it, how it may be shared, how we protect it, how long we retain it, and the choices and rights available to you.

This policy applies to information processed through our primary website at chefu.co.za and, where applicable, our applications, platforms, account systems, forms, and other services operated by CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES.

Some CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES services may have their own additional privacy notices or terms that explain information practices specific to those services. Where such a notice applies, it should be read together with this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

The responsible entity for the processing described in this Privacy Policy is:

2. Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES and which services you use. We do not necessarily collect every category of information described below from every user.

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

You may provide information to us when you create an account, contact us, submit a form, request a service, communicate with us, or otherwise interact with our services.

This may include:

• Name or display name.
• Email address.
• Telephone or mobile number.
• Account credentials or authentication-related information.
• Information contained in messages or enquiries you send us.
• Information you voluntarily provide when requesting a product or service.
• Information contained in files, images, or other content you choose to upload to a service that supports uploads.
• Other information you voluntarily provide in connection with a CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES service.

2.2 Account and Authentication Information

Where a CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES service provides user accounts, we process information necessary to create, authenticate, secure, and maintain those accounts.

Depending on the authentication methods available in a particular service, this may include email-based authentication, authentication through supported identity providers, single sign-on functionality, or passkey-based authentication.

Passkeys are based on public-key cryptography. CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES does not receive or store the private cryptographic key material that remains protected by the user's device or credential manager. Authentication systems may nevertheless process information necessary to identify an account, authenticate a sign-in attempt, prevent abuse, and maintain account security.

2.3 Information Collected Automatically

When you access our websites or services, certain technical information may be processed automatically. Depending on the service and its configuration, this may include:

• IP address.
• Browser type and version.
• Operating system and device information.
• Language and regional settings.
• Approximate technical location derived from an IP address.
• Pages, routes, or features accessed.
• Referring and exit pages.
• Date and time of requests.
• Diagnostic, performance, and error information.
• Security-related information such as authentication or abuse-prevention events.

This information may be used to operate our services, understand technical problems, maintain security, diagnose errors, and improve reliability and performance.

3. Information We Receive From Third Parties

Some CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES services may allow you to authenticate or interact through third-party services. When you use such a service, we may receive information that the third party makes available to us in accordance with your choices and that provider's privacy practices.

The information received may include identifiers such as an email address, name, profile information, or technical account identifiers, depending on the provider and permissions granted.

We do not receive a third party's private credentials merely because you use that provider to authenticate with CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES.

4. How We Use Personal Information

We process personal information for legitimate and appropriate purposes connected with operating CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES and providing requested services.

This may include:

• Creating and maintaining user accounts.
• Authenticating users and protecting accounts.
• Providing products and services requested by users.
• Responding to enquiries and support requests.
• Processing information submitted through our forms and applications.
• Providing account-related communications.
• Maintaining and improving the functionality of our websites and applications.
• Detecting, preventing, and investigating fraud, abuse, attacks, and unauthorized activity.
• Monitoring system reliability and diagnosing technical failures.
• Maintaining the security and integrity of our infrastructure.
• Complying with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.
• Establishing, exercising, or defending legal rights where necessary.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Where applicable, we process personal information on the basis permitted by applicable data-protection law. Depending on the circumstances, this may include your consent, performance of a contract or steps requested before entering into a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, protection of legitimate interests, or another lawful basis recognized by applicable law.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw that consent where permitted by law. Withdrawal does not affect processing that occurred before consent was withdrawn or processing based on another lawful basis.

6. Authentication and Firebase Services

Some CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES applications use services provided by Google Firebase for functionality such as authentication, account management, database services, application infrastructure, or related features.

Depending on the specific CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES application, Firebase may process information required to provide these functions, including account identifiers, authentication information, application data, and technical information.

We configure third-party services according to the requirements of the relevant CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES service and only use the information necessary for the functionality being provided.

7. Data Stored in Cloud Services

CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES may use third-party cloud infrastructure and storage providers to operate its applications and services. Depending on the service, information may be stored in databases, application storage, or other hosted infrastructure.

The specific information stored depends on the application and the information you choose to submit. We do not claim that every CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES service uses every storage provider or stores every category of information described in this policy.

8. Images and Uploaded Content

Certain CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES services may allow users or customers to upload images or other files. Where such functionality is provided, uploaded content may be processed and stored through third-party infrastructure used by the relevant service.

You should not upload confidential, sensitive, or personal information belonging to another person unless you have the appropriate authority and lawful basis to do so.

We may process uploaded content only to the extent reasonably necessary to provide, maintain, secure, or improve the service for which the content was submitted, or where otherwise permitted or required by law.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our websites and applications may use cookies, local storage, session storage, and similar technologies.

These technologies may be necessary for functions such as authentication, maintaining sessions, remembering preferences, preventing abuse, maintaining security, and ensuring that services operate correctly.

Depending on the particular service, additional technologies may be used for functionality, diagnostics, performance monitoring, or understanding how a service is used.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies or storage technologies may cause parts of a service to stop functioning correctly, particularly features that require authentication or session management.

10. Communications

If you contact us, submit an enquiry, create an account, request support, or otherwise communicate with CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES, we may retain the information contained in that communication and use it to respond to you and maintain an appropriate record of the interaction.

We may also send necessary service-related communications, including account, security, transactional, or administrative messages.

Where marketing communications are sent, we will provide an appropriate means to opt out where required by applicable law.

11. When We Share Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information as a product or commodity.

We may disclose or make personal information available where reasonably necessary for the operation of our services, including to:

• Technology, hosting, authentication, storage, and infrastructure providers.
• Service providers that process information on our behalf.
• Professional advisers where reasonably necessary.
• Authorities or other parties where disclosure is required by law or valid legal process.
• Parties involved in protecting our rights, property, users, or services against fraud, abuse, or security threats.
• A successor or transaction party in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, sale of assets, or similar corporate transaction, subject to applicable law.

Third-party service providers are not permitted to use personal information provided to them by or on behalf of CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES for purposes inconsistent with the services they provide to us, subject to their contractual and legal obligations.

12. Third-Party Services

Our services may rely on or integrate with third-party platforms. Those providers may independently process information in accordance with their own privacy policies and terms.

Examples of infrastructure or technology that may be used by particular CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES services include Firebase and Cloudinary. The use of a particular provider depends on the application and functionality involved.

We encourage users to review the privacy policies of third-party services where those services are used to provide functionality you access.

13. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, loss, misuse, or destruction.

Security measures may include access controls, authentication mechanisms, encryption where appropriate, security monitoring, secure development practices, infrastructure protections, and measures designed to reduce unauthorized access.

However, no method of transmitting or storing information over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security of information.

You are also responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of credentials and devices used to access your account and should notify us if you believe your account has been compromised.

14. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including providing services, maintaining business and transaction records, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements, maintaining security, and satisfying legal or regulatory requirements.

Retention periods may therefore differ depending on the type of information, the service involved, the purpose for which the information was collected, and applicable legal requirements.

When information is no longer required, we may delete it, anonymize it, or otherwise securely dispose of it, subject to technical, legal, and operational requirements.

15. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights relating to your personal information.

These may include the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of personal information where applicable.
• Object to or request restriction of certain processing.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Request information about how your personal information is processed.
• Complain to an appropriate data-protection authority where you believe your rights have been infringed.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limitations, exemptions, or conditions.

16. South African Privacy Protection

CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES operates in South Africa and aims to process personal information in accordance with applicable South African privacy and data-protection requirements, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"), where applicable.

We seek to process personal information lawfully and reasonably, collect information for specific and legitimate purposes, avoid collecting information that is unnecessary for those purposes, and take reasonable measures to protect information against unauthorized access or other unlawful processing.

If you wish to exercise a privacy right or raise a concern about our handling of personal information, please contact us using the details provided below.

17. International Processing

Some technology and infrastructure providers used to operate online services may process or store information in countries outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred or made accessible across borders, we seek to do so in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements and appropriate safeguards.

18. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intentionally designed to collect personal information from children in circumstances where such collection is prohibited by applicable law.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us in circumstances where it should not have been collected, please contact us so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

19. Links to Other Websites

Our websites or applications may contain links to websites, applications, or services operated by third parties.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of third-party websites. Once you leave a CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES service, the privacy policy of the destination service may apply.

20. Business and Service Transactions

Where you request a product or service from CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES, we may process information necessary to administer the relationship, provide the requested service, communicate with you, maintain relevant records, and meet applicable legal or contractual obligations.

Where a particular service involves payment processing, the payment provider may independently process payment and transaction information under its own terms and privacy policy. CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES does not need to receive or store payment-card credentials merely to facilitate a transaction through an external payment provider.

21. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, technology, legal requirements, or information practices.

When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy. Where required by applicable law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent before changes take effect.

Your continued use of a CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES service after an updated policy becomes effective may be subject to the updated policy to the extent permitted by applicable law.

22. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to request access to or correction of your personal information, wish to exercise an applicable privacy right, or have a concern about how your information is handled, please contact CHEFU TECHNOLOGIES.

Privacy enquiries: privacy@chefu.co.za

We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests concerning personal information in order to protect your account and prevent unauthorized disclosure.

23. Effective Date

This Privacy Policy is effective from August 22, 2026.