Privacy policy

1. Who this policy covers

This policy explains how SAPIP handles personal information when you browse the website, contact us, use public research features or create and use an account. SAPIP is an independent platform and is not the custodian of the official government procurement systems from which public records may originate.

2. Information we may collect

Depending on how you use SAPIP, we may process:

• contact details and messages that you choose to send us;
• account details such as your email address, password hash and account preferences;
• saved searches, followed tenders, buyers or suppliers, and alert preferences that you choose to create;
• technical information such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages viewed, timestamps and security events; and
• consent choices, including whether you accepted or declined analytics cookies.

We do not ask users to submit tender bids, banking details or sensitive personal information through the public catalogue.

3. Public procurement information

SAPIP displays and organises records that are published by public procurement sources. Those records may include names of organisations, supplier details, public contact information, award values, documents and other information already made available by the source.

We do not treat the public catalogue as a private user submission. If you believe a source record is incorrect or unlawfully published, contact SAPIP and the relevant official source or procuring entity.

4. Why we use information

We use personal information to provide and secure SAPIP, respond to enquiries, operate future accounts and alerts, improve search and research features, measure aggregate usage where consent is given, investigate abuse, maintain import and audit records, and comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell personal information or use account details to send unrelated marketing without an appropriate lawful basis and, where required, consent.

5. Analytics and cookies

SAPIP may use Google Analytics only after you accept analytics through the consent prompt. The consent choice is stored in a first-party cookie or local browser storage so that the prompt does not repeatedly appear. Declining analytics does not prevent access to the public catalogue.

Essential session, security and functionality technologies may still be used where necessary to operate the site. You can also manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect sign-in or future account features.

6. Accounts and alerts

Accounts let you save searches and records, follow entities and manage opportunity and alert preferences. We use the email address associated with an account to deliver requested service messages, security notices and any alerts you have enabled.

You can manage saved items and alert preferences from your account and request account closure. Closing an account may not immediately remove records that must be retained for security, legal or operational reasons.

7. Sharing and service providers

We may share information with service providers that help host, secure, analyse or operate SAPIP, only as reasonably necessary for those services and subject to appropriate safeguards. Google Analytics may process usage information when you consent. We may disclose information where required by law, to protect the platform and users, or in connection with a lawful business change.

We do not share private account information with buyers or suppliers merely because you follow or save one of their records.

8. Retention and security

We retain information only for as long as reasonably needed for the purpose collected, including account administration, security, legal compliance, dispute handling and operational audit trails. Imported public source releases may be retained to preserve data lineage and change history.

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards, but no internet service can guarantee absolute security. Do not reuse passwords or send sensitive information through ordinary contact forms.

9. Your rights and requests

Subject to applicable law, you may ask what personal information SAPIP holds about you, request correction of inaccurate information, ask us to delete or restrict information where appropriate, withdraw analytics consent, or object to certain processing. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.

Public procurement records may need to be corrected through the originating source or procuring entity. SAPIP may preserve an audit trail showing what was imported and when rather than rewriting historical source releases.

10. Contact and changes

For privacy questions or a personal-information request, contact sales@sapip.co.za. Please identify the email address or account concerned, the request you are making and any relevant SAPIP page.

We may update this policy as account, analytics or data features change. The current version will be published here.