Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Incubation Station. You’re visiting our website at https://www.incubationstation.co.za. This Privacy Policy explains how Incubation Station (referred to as “we,” “us,” or “our“) collects, uses, discloses, and protects your information when you visit our website. We’re committed to protecting your privacy. This document outlines our practices clearly and directly. Please read it carefully.

For the purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), Incubation Station is the Responsible Party for the personal information described in this Privacy Policy. Our registered business address is 9 Curvy road, Blairgowrie, Randburg, Johannesburg, 2914, and you can reach us at [email protected] with any privacy-related questions or requests.

2. Information we collect

When you interact with https://www.incubationstation.co.za, we collect different types of information. Some of it you provide directly. Other data we gather automatically.

Personal Information You Provide

This is information that can identify you personally. We collect it when you voluntarily provide it to us. For example, if you send us an email through our contact form, you’ll provide your name and email address. We don’t ask for much personal information on this site, but what you give us, we handle with care.

• Contact Information: Your name, email address, and any other details you include in messages when you reach out to us at [email protected].

Information Collected Automatically (Usage Data)

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically. This data helps us understand how people use https://www.incubationstation.co.za. Some of this data, such as your IP address, is considered personal information under POPIA, and we handle it accordingly. On its own, this data does not usually tell us who you are.

• Log Data: Your IP address, browser type, browser version, the pages of our site that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, and other diagnostic data.
• Device Information: Information about the device you’re using, such as its operating system and unique device identifiers.

3. How we collect information

We collect information in a couple of ways. First, you might give it to us directly. Second, we use technology to gather data about your visit.

Directly From You

This happens when you choose to communicate with us. If you send an email to [email protected], you’re providing us with your contact details and the content of your message. We only collect what you send.

Automatically Through Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Like most websites, https://www.incubationstation.co.za uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. These tools help us understand how you use our site and improve your experience. Here’s what that means:

• Cookies: Small data files placed on your device. They help our website remember things about you, like your preferences or if you’ve visited before.
• Google Analytics: A web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). We use it to track and report website traffic.

4. Cookies and tracking technologies

Cookies are small text files stored on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They’re widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to the site’s owners. Incubation Station uses cookies for several reasons.

What Are Cookies?

A cookie is a small piece of data sent from a website and stored on your computer by your web browser while you are browsing. When you load the website again, the browser sends the cookie back to the server to notify the website of your previous activity. This helps us understand what content is popular and how our site performs.

How Incubation Station Uses Cookies

We use cookies primarily to enhance your experience and to gather aggregated usage data. For example, cookies help us remember if you’ve dismissed a certain notification, so you don’t see it repeatedly. They also help us track how many people visit our site and which pages they look at.

• Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the website to function properly. They enable basic functions like page navigation. Our site wouldn’t work without them.
• Analytical/Performance Cookies: These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. The information these cookies collect is aggregated before we view it and does not directly identify you.

Your Choices Regarding Cookies

You have control over cookies. Most web browsers allow you to manage your cookie preferences. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. But here’s the thing: if you don’t accept cookies, some parts of https://www.incubationstation.co.za might not function as intended. You can usually find these settings in your browser’s “options” or “preferences” menu.

5. Google analytics

Incubation Station uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our website. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.

What Google Analytics Tracks

Google Analytics helps us understand how visitors engage with our website. It collects information such as:

• The pages you visit on https://www.incubationstation.co.za.
• How long you spend on each page.
• How you arrived at our site (e.g., from a search engine, a direct link).
• What you click on while visiting our site.
• Your general geographic location (city/country).

We view this information in aggregated form; it shows us trends and patterns in how people use our site rather than identifying you to us personally. Note, however, that data such as IP addresses is personal information under POPIA, and Google processes this data subject to its own privacy policies. We have enabled IP anonymisation in Google Analytics where available.

Opting Out of Google Analytics

You can opt-out of having your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. This add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity. It’s a simple way to maintain your privacy if you prefer not to be tracked by Google Analytics.

6. How we use your information

We use the information we collect from https://www.incubationstation.co.za for various purposes. Our goal is to operate our website effectively, understand our audience, and improve the content we offer.

• To Provide and Maintain Our Website: This includes ensuring the site functions correctly and is accessible to you.
• To Improve and Personalize Your Experience: We use data to understand what content is most relevant and how we can make the site better for you.
• For Analytics and Understanding Usage: We analyze trends, track user engagement, and gather demographic information to improve our website’s design and content. This is where Google Analytics is particularly useful.
• To Communicate With You: If you contact us via email, we’ll use your information to respond to your inquiries and provide support.
• To Detect, Prevent, and Address Technical Issues: We monitor for problems and work to fix them quickly.

7. How we share your information

Incubation Station doesn’t sell your personal data. We don’t rent it or trade it either. We only share your information in limited circumstances, and always with your privacy in mind.

Service Providers

We may share your data with third-party companies and individuals who provide services on our behalf. These “Service Providers” help us operate our website. For example, Google is a service provider for our analytics. They only have access to your information to perform these tasks and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or a government agency). This includes situations where we believe such action is necessary to:

• Comply with a legal obligation.
• Protect and defend the rights or property of Incubation Station.
• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the website.
• Protect the personal safety of users of the website or the public.
• Protect against legal liability.

Business Transfers

If Incubation Station is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your Personal Information may be transferred. We will provide notice before your Personal Information is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

8. Cross-border data transfers

Some of the third-party service providers we use, such as Google Analytics, may process or store personal information on servers located outside South Africa. This means your information may be transferred to, and processed in, a country other than the one in which you reside.

Where this happens, we take steps to ensure such transfers comply with section 72 of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). In particular, we rely on the fact that these service providers are themselves subject to data protection laws, contractual terms, or corporate rules that provide an adequate level of protection for your personal information, and we only share the minimum information necessary for the service provider to perform its function (for example, website analytics).

If you would like more information about the safeguards in place for a specific service provider, please contact us at [email protected].

9. Data retention

We retain your Personal Information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. For example, if you send us an email, we’ll keep that correspondence for a reasonable period to address your query and for our records. We will retain and use your information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period, unless this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of our website, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer periods. Google Analytics data is subject to Google’s retention policies, which you can review on their website.

10. Data Security

The security of your data is important to us. We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we do our best to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You should always be mindful of the information you share online.

11. Your privacy rights (POPIA)

As a South African business, we process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). Depending on your location and applicable laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal information. While Incubation Station collects minimal personal data, we respect these rights.

• Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You have the right to request that we correct or update any inaccurate or outdated personal information we hold about you.
• Deletion: You have the right to request that we delete or destroy your personal information where we are no longer authorised to retain it.
• Objection: You have the right to object, on reasonable grounds, to the processing of your personal information.
• Opt-Out: As mentioned, you can opt-out of Google Analytics tracking. You can also manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

We process your personal information on the basis of your consent (for example, when you email us) and our legitimate interest in understanding and improving how our website is used (for example, through analytics). If you wish to exercise any of the above rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We’ll do our best to respond to your request promptly and in accordance with POPIA.

A copy of our manual prepared in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA) is available on request at [email protected].

If you believe we have not adequately addressed your concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with South Africa’s Information Regulator, whose contact details are available at https://inforegulator.org.za.

12. Client Data During Service Delivery

This Privacy Policy primarily covers visitors to our website. When we provide IT services to clients — for example desktop and server support, website support, or hosting — we may in the course of that work access or store personal information held on client systems, in client email accounts, in databases, or on hosted websites.

In those situations, we generally act as an “operator” under POPIA, processing personal information on behalf of and on the instructions of our client, who remains the Responsible Party for that information. We treat all client data as confidential, access it only to the extent necessary to deliver the agreed services, apply reasonable security safeguards, and do not use it for any other purpose. Specific data handling terms for an engagement may be set out in the applicable service agreement.

If your personal information is held on a client’s system that we support or host, and you have questions about how it is used, your first point of contact should be that client as the Responsible Party. You may, however, also contact us and we will assist where we can.

13. Third-party websites

We may terminate or suspend your Account and bar access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, under our sole discretion, for any reason whatsoever and without limitation, including but not limited to a breach of the Terms. If you wish to terminate your Account, you may simply discontinue using the Service or contact us directly. All provisions of the Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

14. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not intended for children, and under POPIA we do not knowingly process the personal information of a child without the consent of a competent person (such as a parent or legal guardian). If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that a child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected a child’s personal information without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

15. Changes to this privacy policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We’ll notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We’ll also update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

16. Contact us

If you have any questions about these privacy policy, please contact us:

• By email: [email protected]
• Business address: 9 Curvy road, Blairgowrie, Randburg, Johannesburg, 2914