Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Phuture Digital ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal information when you use phuturedigital.co.za, submit a form, request a website audit, create a PhutureSync account, request guided onboarding, interact with our ads, or engage our marketing, branding, automation, digital product, website, and business-systems services. We process personal information in accordance with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

1. Responsible party

The responsible party is Phuture Digital, a Johannesburg-based marketing, branding, automation, and digital product studio operating in South Africa. PhutureSync is a product created and operated by Phuture Digital. Our Information Officer can be contacted at hello@phuturedigital.co.za. You can also use our data subject request form.

2. Information we collect

We collect only what is reasonably needed for the purpose explained at the point of collection. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

• Identity and contact details: name, email address, phone number, WhatsApp number, business name, and role.
• Enquiry details: project brief, business type, budget range, timeline, goals, and service interests.
• Audit details: the website URL you submit, audit scores, generated report content, and any business/contact details used to unlock or receive the report.
• PhutureSync account and optional onboarding details: business identity, business type, operating needs, and setup preferences.
• Quote/cart details: selected services, package interests, and submitted quote requirements.
• Newsletter details: email address and subscription source.
• Data request details: information needed to verify and respond to your POPIA request.
• Technical and attribution data: IP-derived information, browser/device type, pages visited, referrer, landing page, UTM parameters, gclid/fbclid, cookie identifiers, and event data.
• Files or assets you choose to send us, such as brand files, screenshots, documents, or portfolio/application material.

Form fields marked as required are necessary for us to respond or process that request. If you do not provide required information, we may be unable to respond, produce an audit, prepare a quote, add you to a account or onboarding request, or deliver the requested service.

3. Why we use personal information

• To respond to enquiries, quote requests, strategy call requests, audit requests, and collaboration submissions.
• To generate, send, and follow up on free website audits and related recommendations.
• To create and operate PhutureSync accounts and respond to optional guided-onboarding requests.
• To deliver agreed services, manage projects, provide support, and communicate about work in progress.
• To send transactional communications, including confirmations, quotes, reports, invoices, account notices, and service updates.
• To send marketing communications where you have consented or where POPIA allows us to contact an existing customer about similar services, subject to your right to opt out.
• To measure website performance, ad campaign effectiveness, form conversion, and content usefulness.
• To protect our website, systems, users, and business from spam, abuse, fraud, security incidents, and unauthorised access.
• To comply with legal, tax, accounting, platform, and regulatory obligations.

Our lawful grounds include consent, performance of a contract or steps before entering a contract, compliance with legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in operating, improving, securing, and marketing our business, depending on the context.

4. Cookies, analytics, and advertising pixels

We use essential cookies and local/session storage to operate the site, remember cookie choices, protect forms, and preserve campaign attribution during a visit. With your consent, we may also use analytics and advertising technologies such as Microsoft Clarity, Meta Pixel, and Google Tag Manager/Google Ads or Google Analytics tags.

These tools may process online identifiers, page views, clicks, form events, referrers, device/browser information, approximate location derived from network data, and ad click identifiers. We use this to understand site performance, improve the user experience, measure ads, avoid spammy follow-up, and build remarketing or conversion audiences where allowed by law and platform rules.

You can accept or reject non-essential cookies in our cookie banner. You can also control cookies through your browser settings and through the privacy controls offered by Meta, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and other platforms.

5. Who we share information with

We do not sell personal information. We share personal information only where reasonably necessary for the purposes in this policy, including with service providers and platforms acting for us or independently under their own terms. These may include:

• Supabase, database, authentication, storage, and serverless functions.
• Vercel, hosting, deployment, and edge logs.
• Resend and email providers, transactional and marketing email delivery.
• Microsoft Clarity, consent-based session analytics and site improvement.
• Meta, consent-based pixel/conversion measurement, WhatsApp/Instagram/Facebook interactions, and advertising services.
• Google, consent-based tag management, analytics, ads measurement, search tools, and related services.
• LinkedIn, lead, sharing, company-page, and advertising interactions where you choose to interact or we run campaigns.
• Paystack, payment processing where a paid service or future product payment is initiated.
• Professional advisers, such as accountants, legal advisers, and auditors where required.
• Authorities or regulators, where required by law or to protect rights, safety, and security.

Some providers process information outside South Africa, including in the EU, UK, or US. Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we take reasonable steps to use providers, contracts, and safeguards that support a comparable level of protection as required by POPIA.

6. Direct marketing and opt-out

We may contact you about audits, quotes, PhutureSync onboarding, related Phuture Digital services, or content you asked to receive. We will rely on your consent where required. Where POPIA permits direct marketing to an existing customer for similar services, you may object or opt out at any time.

To opt out, use any unsubscribe link we provide, reply with your opt-out request, or email hello@phuturedigital.co.za. We will not sell or rent your contact details to third-party mailing lists.

7. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for the purpose collected, unless a longer period is required or allowed by law. Lead, audit, onboarding-request, and enquiry records that do not become client records are generally kept for up to 24 months. Client, project, finance, tax, and accounting records are generally kept for at least 5 years after the end of the engagement. Analytics and advertising data may be retained according to the settings and policies of the relevant platforms.

8. Security and breach response

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information, including HTTPS, access controls, role-based permissions, authentication, database security controls, and limited access to admin systems. No internet transmission or storage system is completely secure.

If we become aware of a security compromise involving personal information, we will investigate, take reasonable remedial steps, and notify affected data subjects and the Information Regulator where POPIA requires notification.

9. Your POPIA rights

Subject to POPIA and other applicable law, you may ask us to:

• Confirm whether we hold personal information about you.
• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct or complete inaccurate personal information.
• Delete or destroy personal information where we are no longer authorised to keep it.
• Object to processing, including direct marketing.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Complain to the Information Regulator.

Submit a data subject request or email hello@phuturedigital.co.za. We may need to verify your identity before acting on the request. We aim to respond within 30 days.

10. Children

Our website, audits, account flows, and services are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

11. Complaints

If you believe we have not handled your personal information lawfully, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date shows the most recent revision. Material changes may be communicated through a prominent website notice or direct communication where appropriate.

13. Contact

For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact hello@phuturedigital.co.za.