As a trusted guardian of customer personal information, Vodacom is committed to processing personal information honestly, ethically, with integrity, and always consistent with applicable laws and our privacy commitments.
Your privacy is important to us - just as knowing how we use your information is important to you. This Vodacom Privacy Portal gives you access to our privacy policy which offers visibility of how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information based on your interactions with Vodacom, our products and services that you use or subscribe to and how you make use of these products and services.
For your ease of use, we've broken this information down into sections so you can find the details you need as quickly and easily as possible.
Our privacy and cookies policy gets updated from time to time. Whenever we make a change, we’ll post this on our website and let you know if there is a material change.
HOW TO USE THIS PRIVACY AND COOKIES POLICY
In this privacy policy, we explain how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information when you use our products and services and our website.
It is important to note that when you engage with us, you acknowledge that we require your personal information, as defined in PoPIA and other related regulations and need to process such personal information to provide products or services to you for purposes including to confirm, update and enhance our records, to confirm your identity and additional purposes as detailed below and in other supplementary privacy policies and statements linked to specific services that you subscribe to.
The provision of your personal information in terms of this policy is mandatory and you will not be able to continue using our products and services, should you object to providing us with such information.
We are Vodacom (Pty) Ltd (hereinafter referred to as "Vodacom")
Our registered office is 082 Vodacom Boulevard, Vodavalley, Midrand, 1685. We are registered in the Republic of South Africa under company number 1993/003367/07.
In this privacy policy:
How to contact us
Your opinion matters to us - if you have any questions about our privacy and cookie policy or your privacy settings, please submit your query to [email protected] and a member of our dedicated team will respond to you. If you would like to mail us by post directly, send it to:
The Privacy Office - Legal Affairs
Vodacom (Pty) Ltd
Corporate Park
082 Vodacom Boulevard
Midrand
1685
Our principles
We are committed to respecting your privacy. We take privacy, security and complying with data protection and privacy laws seriously.
Here are our core Privacy Commitments. We aim to put these commitments at the heart of everything we do.
The information we collect about you and how we collect it can vary depending on the products and services that you use and subscribe to, how you have used the products and services, how you have interacted with Vodacom even if you aren't a customer, or what we have obtained from a third party with permission to share it with us.
To find the privacy supplements for our products and services, please go to the 'Privacy and our products and services' section of this Privacy Portal. Vodacom subsidiaries may have their own privacy statements governing the customers use of the particular service or product.
Vodacom will process your personal information based on:
We will collect your personal information when you, for example:
We are required to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure your personal information is complete, accurate, not misleading and updated on a regular basis. To ensure this, we will always endeavour to obtain personal information from you directly. Where we are unable to do so, we will make use of verifiable independent third-party data sources who have the necessary authority to provide us with such information. We also collect information from certain organisations, where appropriate and to the extent we have legal grounds to do so. These include fraud-prevention agencies, business directories, credit check reference/vetting agencies, billing calculating agencies and connected network providers.
We may also collect information about you on CCTV when you visit our premises or on other security cameras as part of our security and crime prevention measures.
Understanding what you want (the use of cookies)
We use cookies (small text files stored in your browser) and other techniques such as web beacons (small, clear picture files used to follow your movements on our website). This, in turn, helps us make our Website relevant to your interests and needs. They also help us find information once you have logged in or help us link your browsing information to you and your personal information, for example, when you choose to register for a service. We may use a persistent cookie (a cookie that stays linked to your browser) to record your details so we can recognise you if you visit our Website again.
Cookies by themselves cannot be used to discover your identity. Cookies do not damage your computer. You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie. This enables you to decide if you want to accept it or not. If you choose not to accept cookies from our Website this may limit its functionalities or performance. For more details on how we use cookies and your rights in respect thereof, please refer to the "Our Cookies policy" section which can be accessed here.
The types of information we may process are, where applicable:
We'll also get information about how you use our products and services, such as:
We will use, process and analyse your personal information for the following purposes:
To provide you with your services
Processing your order and providing you with your products and services
Billing and customer care
Service messages
We will contact you with customer service messages to keep you updated with current information about products and services you’ve taken. For example, changes to our terms and conditions or service interruptions.
Providing roaming services
To improve our service
Improving and innovating our products and services
Managing our networks and understanding network usage
Marketing and tailoring our service to you
Marketing
Advertising online
Research and analytics
We use a variety of analytics methods including what is commonly referred to as "Big data analytics". Big data analytics are mathematically driven analysis techniques on large and varied data sets (that is why it is "big" data) to uncover hidden patterns and hitherto unrevealed trends. Vodacom Analytics is an end-to-end insight platform that offers responses to questions from businesses and public entities by analysing Vodacom network data. It isn’t about individuals - it's about overall patterns, rather than any one person. Vodacom Analytics doesn't identify you, or give anyone information which would enable them to contact you.
At Vodacom we take governance of big data analytics seriously. Our data scientists are required to adhere to a Code of Ethics. We have a strict use case process that requires that privacy and data protection law checks are carried out before any use case commences. We also have strict rules ensuring that personal information is protected at the appropriate stage in the process.
We use our analytics to, for example:
Credit checks, fraud prevention and security
We will sometimes need to profile you and make an automated decision, for credit, fraud, and security purposes. When we conduct such profiling or automated decision making activities, we will do so in accordance with the provisions of the relevant legislation or lawful requirement
Credit checks and ID
Fraud prevention and security
Where applicable, we share information about you with:
Fraud management and law enforcement
Mergers and acquisitions
If we become involved in a proposed or actual merger, acquisition, or any form of sale of assets, we may use and disclose your personal information to third parties in connection with the evaluation of the transaction. Any acquiring company would have access to your personal information.
Third parties that we work with
Where you’ve purchased Vodacom products and services using a third party or partner organisation, we often need to exchange information with them as part of managing that relationship and your account - for example, to be able to identify your order and be able to pay them.
If we have a contract with a service provider or contractor to provide us with services or provide a service on our behalf, and they may have access to your personal information, we don't authorise them to use or disclose your personal information except in connection with providing their services. We ensure that all our service providers and contractors align to our policies and requirements.
We collect and combine information in order to monitor your use of products and services, and that of our other customers, as well as to help us to improve the quality of our products and services.
Third-party products that you buy through your Vodacom account
Where you buy a third-party product or service through your Vodacom account (such as Charge to Bill service for mobile), the contract for it is with the party selling that product or service. Vodacom is only charging the amount directly to your bill as part of its arrangements with the seller (or with a third party authorised by the seller). As part of this, you're agreeing that Vodacom may pass certain personal information to such parties to complete your purchase.
The seller's terms and conditions and privacy and cookies policies will apply to how it uses your personal information - please read them carefully.
You may connect third party devices to your SIM, either manually via a SIM card or electronically through our OneNumber product. These include mobile phone devices or connected devices such as smart speakers or smart watches.
When you connect your SIM to these devices those third parties may record your SIM details or your interaction with the network. The third-party device manufacturers will process your personal information in accordance with their privacy policies and we recommend that you read these before choosing to connect.
We may also need to transfer your information to other Vodafone or Vodacom group companies or service providers in countries outside South Africa, in which case we will fully comply with applicable data protection legislation. This may happen if our servers or suppliers and service providers are based outside South Africa, or if our services are hosted in systems or servers in Vodacom or Vodafone Operating Companies outside South Africa including the United Kingdom, European Economic Area (EEA) or India and/or if you use our services and products while visiting countries outside South Africa. Countries in the United Kingdom and EEA are considered to have adequate data protection laws which are similar to those of South Africa, however, we will make sure that your information is protected and enter into appropriate agreements to achieve this.
If you are visiting this Website from a country other than South Africa the various communications will necessarily result in the transfer of information across international boundaries.
Where we transfer your personal information outside of the borders of South Africa, we will ensure that the third party recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules or binding agreement which provides an adequate level of protection for your personal information that is substantially similar to the data protection laws applicable to South Africa.
We may not retain your personal information any longer than is necessary for achieving the purpose for which your personal information was collected or subsequently processed, unless:
We have specialised security teams who constantly review, improve, and ensure the implementation of appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, accidental loss, disclosure, or destruction. We are required in terms of PoPIA to notify you and the Information Regulator, if any of your personal information has been compromised.
Communications over the internet (such as emails) aren't secure unless they've been encrypted. Your communications may go through a number of countries before being delivered, as this is the nature of the internet.
We cannot accept responsibility for any unauthorised access or loss of personal information that is beyond our control.
We’ll never ask for your secure personal or account information by an unsolicited means of communication. You’re responsible for keeping your personal and account information secure and not sharing it with others.
Our website may provide links to third-party websites. We cannot be responsible for the security and content of such third-party websites. You are therefore required to make sure you read that company’s privacy and cookies policies before using or putting your personal information on their site.
The same applies to any third-party websites or content you connect to using our products and services.
You may choose to disclose your information in certain ways such as social plug-ins (including those offered by Google, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest) or using third-party services that allow you to post reviews or other information publicly, and a third party could use that information.
Social plug-ins and social applications are operated by the social network themselves and are subject to their own terms of use and privacy and cookies policies. You should make sure you’re familiar with these.
UNAUTHORISED THIRD PARTY ACCESS TO YOUR INFORMATION
Despite the security measures we have in place to protect your personal information, (firewalls, password access and encryption methods) you acknowledge that it may be accessed by an unauthorised third party, e.g. as a result of an illegal activity.
In the unlikely event of such access, we will notify you, where possible, via email, SMS or using the address you have provided us with, within a reasonable time of us becoming aware of such occurrence.
Below we set out details on how you can exercise your rights. If you have a question or cannot find the answer, please contact our Customer Services team at 082 135 or [email protected].
Right to access personal information
You have the right to request a record or description of the personal information that Vodacom holds about you. This includes the right to request Vodacom to confirm, free of charge, whether or not we hold any personal information about you; as well as information about the categories of third parties who have, or have had, access to your personal information. To make this request as an individual or an authorised third party, visit our Subject Access Rights page of this Privacy Portal which gives details on how to do this. Alternatively, you can contact our Customer Services team at 082 135 or [email protected].
Right to correct personal information
You have the right to correct information held about you if it's not accurate, out-of-date, excessive, irrelevant, or misleading. If the information we hold about you is inaccurate or needs to be updated, you can log in to My Vodacom to update it or you can contact our Customer Service team at 082 135 or [email protected].
Right to object to use of personal information
You have the right, in certain circumstances, to object to Vodacom processing your personal information. In order for Vodacom to provide you with products and services, Vodacom is required to process your personal information and as such the provision of your personal information is mandatory and you may not object to same in order to continue using our products or services. For more information or to exercise this right, please contact our Customer Services team at 082 135 or [email protected]. If this relates to an automated decision performed on you (this means with no human involvement), please let us know and we will review your request.
To opt out of marketing messages
If you no longer want to receive marketing messages from Vodacom, you can choose to opt out at any time. If you've previously opted in to receive personalised content based on how and where you use our network, you can also opt out at any time.
The easiest way to opt out is by using our marketing preferences page, found under your My Vodacom account settings.
There are also various other ways to opt out:
Please note: You may still receive marketing messages for up to 7 (seven) days after opting out while we update our records.
You may have received marketing from Vodacom even if you're not a customer or have never had contact with us. This is a result of third-party marketing lists which Vodacom may acquire from time to time, stating that you have given permission to be contacted by other organisations. If you've registered with us to opt out of marketing from Vodacom, you shouldn’t receive such communications. If you still do, we ask that you let us know immediately by contacting our customer care team on 082 135 or [email protected]. This will only stop marketing from us and not stop the third parties from sharing your personal information unless you contact them directly.
How to lodge a complaint
If you want to contact us about any of your rights or should you believe that Vodacom has used your personal information contrary to applicable law, you undertake to first attempt to resolve any concerns with Vodacom directly. Kindly contact our customer care teamon 082 135 or [email protected]. We will do our best to help but if you are still unhappy, you can contact the Privacy Office at [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with such process, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator at:
The Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House
27 Stiemens Street
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2001
Complaints emails:
Right to restrict use of your personal information
If you feel that the personal information we hold on you is inaccurate, or you believe we shouldn’t be processing your personal information, please contact our Customer Services team on 082 135 or [email protected]. to discuss your rights. In certain circumstances, for example where you contest the accuracy of your information, or where Vodacom no longer requires your information for achieving its purpose but must maintain it for purposes of proof, you have the right to ask us to restrict processing.
Right to deletion
Vodacom strives to only process and retain your personal information for as long as we need to. In certain circumstances, for example, where you indicate that your personal information is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading, or obtained unlawfully, you have the right to request that we erase your personal information that we hold. If you feel that we are retaining your personal information longer than we need, it is worth first checking that your contract with Vodacom has been terminated, which you can do with Customer Services on 082 135 or [email protected]. If your contract with Vodacom has been terminated, we may still have lawful grounds to process your personal information.
We are continually improving our methods of communication and adding new functionality and features to this Website and to our existing products and services. Because of these ongoing changes, changes in the law and the changing nature of technology, our data protection practices will change from time to time. If and when our data protection practices change, we will update this privacy policy to describe our new practices. If we do, we will notify you the next time you visit this site or interact with us through any of our other communication channels. We encourage you to check this page regularly. Please see all the history of changes in the section below:
History of Changes
Section Heading |
Changes |
Date of Update |
---|---|---|
Third party devices that you connect your sim with, Third party products that you buy through your Vodafone account |
Third party devices that you connect your sim with.
Third party devices that you connect your sim with may process your personal information. Therefore, it is important that you familiarise yourself with their privacy policies before choosing to connect.
Third party products that you buy through your Vodafone account
Where you buy a third-party product or service through your Vodacom account, the contract for it is with the party selling that product or service. Therefore, the seller’s terms and conditions and privacy and cookies policies will apply to how it uses your personal information – please read them carefully.
|
30 June 2021 |
Information that we process
|
Retention of the history sites you visit in line with our retention policy. This is done for the additional purposes listed below:
|
03 March 2022 |
Credit checks, fraud prevention and security |
The use of automated decision-making for profiling activities such as credit checks, fraud prevention and security.
|
Last updated: 03 March 2022
To ensure exceptional customer service and convenience for our customers, Vodacom provides you with a number of channels to access information and to further exercise your rights. For a view of your privacy rights, please visit the 'Your Rights' section in our privacy statement. Should you wish to request access to information or records owned, held by or otherwise under our control, please see our Promotion of Access to Information Manual (PAIA Manual).
Please see the records that are automatically available without having to request access in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 here.
Please use the access request form to request access to information as provided in the PAIA Manual here.
Please see the PAIA Guide as provided by the Information Regulator to guide any person wishing to exercise their rights:
You have various rights in relation to your personal information. In the 'Your Rights' section of our privacy statement, we've provided the pertinent information and instruction on what to do if you wish to exercise any of your rights. Below are some links that may help you to exercise these rights relating to your personal information:
My Vodacom App: You can update the personal information we have on your account and view or download a copy of your bill.
Contact us: Our customer services team will gladly assist you with queries; including how to manage your marketing preferences.
Privacy queries: Our privacy statement was created to ensure transparency on the collection, sharing and protection of your personal information. If you are unable to find an answer to any of your privacy questions, or if you'd like to contact our Privacy Officer, please click on Privacy queries link.
Data and voice usage request form: To request your URL or data usage information, please fill the relevant form under access to information tab, and submit with all the documents as requested.
Objection, Correction or Deletion Request: Please complete the relevant form by clicking on “request form”, and submit with all the documents as requested if you wish to request objection, correction or deletion of your personal information.
Access to Information Manual: Please click here to view this manual. It outlines the type of information held by Vodacom and how you can request access to this information.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): The rights under this section also covers the rights guaranteed under the GDPR. You can exercise the rights that are conferred to you under GDPR by sending a request to our customer service team who will gladly be able to assist you.
Write to us: Although we are committed to going digital, you can always reach us by post at:
Legal Affairs - Privacy Office
Vodacom Group Ltd
082 Vodacom Boulevard
Vodavalley
Midrand
1685.
Find out what information we collect when you use your mobile phone or tablet.
Find out what information is collected by our mobile apps, including the VodaPay app.
Find out what types of information we collect when you use your Business internet.
Find out what types of information we collect when you use Digital Lifestyle.
See what information is collected when you use our V by Vodacom devices and apps.
Find out what types of information we collect when you fill in Bursary Online Application
This section is about what cookies are, how we use them and how you can manage them.
What are Cookies?
A cookie is a small text file that can be stored on and accessed from your device when you visit one of our websites. Cookies are used to collect information that makes the website remember you and tells us how you use our website, web-related products and services. This, in turn, helps us make our website relevant to your interests and needs. They also help us find information once you have logged in or help us link your browsing information to you and your personal information, for example, when you choose to register for a service. We may use a persistent cookie (a cookie that stays linked to your browser) to record your details so we can recognise you if you visit our website again. If you choose not to accept cookies from our website this may limit its functionalities or performance.
You can set your browser to block different types of cookies. Some of the more popular browsers are:
If you choose not to accept certain cookies from our website this may limit its functionalities or performance. You can find more information about cookies at www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaobutcookies.org (please note that these links open a new window or browser tab).
How we use cookies
We use cookies for a number of reasons, for example, remembering your preferences, recording what you have put in your shopping basket, or counting the number of people visiting our website. We might also use cookies to keep track of what you have bought from us, what you have done on the website and to make online offers and promotions more relevant to you.
Cookies themselves do not hold Personal Information nor do they pose danger to your device. They only have a unique alphanumerical identifier that is stored on your device. However, the information can be considered Personal Information as defined under PoPIA, when used as part of certain activities. For example, cookies can help us to find information once you're logged in or help us link your browsing information to you and your personal information, for example, when you choose to register for a service, white paper or newsletter.
Cookies have a unique alphanumeric identifier that sits on your browser. In many cases, we won’t be able to link the information we collect by using a cookie back to you. They can, however, enable us to link that information back to you and your personal information, for instance, when you log in, or choose to register for a service, white paper or newsletter. For example, we may use web analytics to determine which ISP your IP address uses for browsing which can then be used to personalise the communications you receive from us (if you are opted into receiving personalised communications). For further information on how we use your information please see our Privacy Poliy.
We have categorised our cookies into the following categories:
Sometimes, other companies will add a cookie on our website to show you adverts and pages which may be of interest to you. Details on these, and how to opt out if you prefer, can be found in the ‘Third-party cookies’ section of this cookies policy
In addition to the cookies we use on our website, we also use cookies and similar technologies in some emails and push notifications we send to mobile devices from our apps. These help us to understand whether you have opened the email and how you have interacted with it. If you have enabled images, cookies may be set on your computer or mobile device. Cookies will also be set if you click on any link within an email.
Cookies and you
We use cookies to enable certain online functionalities, for example so you can make a purchase online or sign up to services like My Vodacom or Vodacom Rewards.
If you choose not to enable cookies, you will still be able to browse our website, but it will restrict some of the functionality or performance of our website and what you can do.
First-Party Cookies
First-party cookies are cookies issued from the vodacom.co.za domain that are generally used to identify language and location preferences or render basic website functionality.
Third Party Cookies
Third-party cookies originate from a domain that’s different to the website being visited. For example, when you visit our website, we may link to another company's website - like our Facebook or Twitter account, or a video from our YouTube page. We don't control how they use their cookies, so we suggest you check their website to see how they're using them and how you can manage them.
Session Cookies
Session cookies are temporary cookies that are used to remember you during the course of your visit to the website, and they expire when you close the web browser.
Persistent Cookies
Persistent cookies are used to remember your preferences within the website and remain on your desktop or mobile device even after you close your browser or restart your device. We might use some of these cookies to analyse user behavior to establish visit patterns so that we can improve our website functionality for you and others who visit our website(s). These cookies also allow us to serve you with targeted offers and promotions and measure the effectiveness of our website functionality and offers and/or promotions.
You can opt in or out of cookies - except strictly necessary cookies (these are used to help make our website work efficiently) at any time by clicking the cookie settings button (below) to control your cookies. You can select by category or individual cookie.
Go to Cookie Settings
Alternatively, you can enable or disable cookies in your browser. If you wish to restrict or block the cookies set by any website - including a Vodacom website - you can do this through the web browser settings for each web browser you use, on each device you use to access the internet.
Information on controlling and deleting cookies, including on a wide variety of browsers, is also available at allaboutcookies.org
In this Policy under the heading 'What are Cookies', we have also provided a few links for some of the more popular browsers - but check your particular browser and device for correct and up-to-date information.
Some services - My Vodacom, for example - may not function or may have more limited functionality if your web browser blocks all cookies, including functional cookies. However, you can allow cookies from specific websites by making them “trusted websites” in your web browser.
If you don't wish to accept cookies from one of our emails, you can choose not to download any images or click on any links. You can also set your browser to restrict cookies or to reject them entirely. These settings will apply to all cookies, whether included on websites or in emails. Depending on your email or browser settings, cookies in an email may sometimes be automatically accepted (for example, when you've added an email address to your address book or safe senders list). For more information, refer to your email browser or device instructions.
Cookie Name |
What it is used for |
---|---|
utag_main
|
Code management platform that contains logic on what 3rd party code is required by the website. The cookie stores no customer data and doesn't directly change the customer experience. For more information see https://tealium.com/cookie-policy/ for more information |
JSESSIONID |
If you click back on your browser, our system knows what page you were looking at before. |
s_sess |
We use Adobe's analytics and on-site personalisation services to measure the use and performance of our website. This may include information such as how you reached one of our web pages, your IP address, and how you interact with our content. For more information please see https://www.adobe.com/gr_en/privacy/cookies .html
|
kampyle_userid |
Customer survey tool. For more information please see https://www.medallia.com/privacy-policy/ |
AMCVS_ |
Adobe Marketing Cloud provides the Visitor ID service, using JavaScript to store a unique visitor ID in an AMCV_###@AdobeOrg cookie on the domain of the current website, where ### represents a random string of characters. It is this ID that allows us to serve you more relevant content and experiences. For more information please see http://www.adobe.com/privacy/marketing-cloud.html |
RT |
Soasta provides an availability and performance system monitoring application. For more information please see https://www.soasta.com/privacy-policy/ |
Vodacom.co.za |
The Vodacom cookie is used to keep a user logged in when browsing the Vodacom website |
We are currently reviewing our lists and will update them from time to time.
Company |
Cookie Name |
What it is used for |
---|---|---|
Adform |
uid |
For more information please see https://site.adform.com/privacy-policy-opt-out/ For more information about opting out, please see https://site.adform.com/privacy-policy-opt-out/ |
|
fr |
For more information please see https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies / |
|
GAPS |
See this link for more information https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245 This is the link to the Google Opt-Out tool: |
|
BizoID |
For more information please see https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy For more information about opting out, please see https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out?trk= |
|
auth_token |
For more information please see https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-cookies |
Adobe Audience Manager |
DST |
For more information please see https://www.adobe.com/privacy/opt-out.html#5 For more information about opting out: https://www.adobe.com/uk/privacy/opt-out.html |
Medallia |
us_lang |
For more information please see https://www.medallia.com/privacy-policy/ For more information about opting out http://preferences-mgr.truste.com/ |
Adobe Target |
mbox. |
For more information, please see https://www.adobe.com/gr_en/privacy/cookies .html For more information about opting out, please see https://www.adobe.com/gr_en/privacy/opt-out.html |
Content Square |
_cs_id _cs_s _cs_vars _cs_ex _cs_c _cs_optout |
For more information please visit https://www.contentsquare.com/privacy-and-security/
|