Pest Control Near You (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what your rights are as a data subject.

By using our website at pestcontrolnearyou.co.za, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

Pest Control Near You is a South African online directory that connects homeowners and businesses with verified pest control companies across all nine provinces. We operate as both a Responsible Party (we determine the purpose and means of processing your personal information) and, in some instances, as an Operator (we process information on behalf of pest control companies listed on our platform).

Email: info@pestcontrolnearyou.co.za

Website: pestcontrolnearyou.co.za

2. What Personal Information We Collect

We collect personal information only when it is necessary to provide our services. The types of personal information we may collect include:

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

• Name and surname
• Phone number
• Email address
• Physical address or area (when requesting a quote)
• Property type and size
• Nature of your pest problem
• Any additional information you voluntarily include in your enquiry

2.2 Information Provided by Pest Control Businesses

• Business name and trading name
• Business contact details (phone, email, address)
• Operating hours
• Service areas and pest control specialisations
• Customer reviews (sourced from Google Places API)

2.3 Information Collected Automatically

• IP address and browser type
• Pages visited and time spent on site
• Referring website or search engine
• Device type and operating system

This information is collected through cookies and analytics tools and is used solely to improve the performance and usability of our website.

3. Why We Collect Your Personal Information

We collect and process personal information for the following purposes:

• To connect you with pest control companies in your area
• To facilitate quote requests between you and service providers
• To allow pest control companies to register and manage their listings on our platform
• To improve our website, services, and user experience
• To comply with our legal obligations under South African law
• To send service-related communications, where you have consented

We will not process your personal information for any purpose other than those listed above without your prior consent.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on the following lawful grounds under POPIA:

• Consent: Where you have given us explicit consent to process your information (e.g. when submitting a quote request form).
• Contractual necessity: Where processing is necessary to fulfil a service you have requested.
• Legitimate interest: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
• Legal obligation: Where we are required to process your information to comply with applicable South African law.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

5.1 With Pest Control Companies

When you submit a quote request, your contact details and property information will be shared with the relevant pest control company or companies you have selected. By submitting a request, you consent to this sharing.

5.2 With Service Providers

We use third-party service providers to operate our website and deliver our services. These may include:

• Google (Google Places API, Google Analytics) — for business data and website analytics
• WordPress (Automatic) — for website hosting and content management
• Gravity Forms — for form submissions and enquiry handling
• Yoast SEO — for search engine optimisation

All third-party service providers are contractually obligated to handle your personal information securely and in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law, or in response to a valid request from a government authority or law enforcement agency.

6. How Long We Retain Your Information

We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Specifically:

• Quote request information is retained for a maximum of 12 months from the date of submission.
• Business listing information is retained for as long as the listing remains active on our platform.
• Analytics data is retained in accordance with the retention policies of the relevant service provider (e.g. Google Analytics).

When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

7. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA, you have the following rights in relation to your personal information:

• Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to deletion: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information, subject to our legal obligations.
• Right to object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
• Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights under POPIA have been violated.

To exercise any of the above rights, please contact our Information Officer at info@pestcontrolnearyou.co.za. We will respond to your request within a reasonable time, and no later than 30 days from receipt.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and collect usage data. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Necessary for the website to function correctly. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Used to understand how visitors interact with our website (e.g. Google Analytics). These help us improve our content and user experience.
• Functional cookies: Used to remember your preferences and settings.

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

9. Security of Your Personal Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, disclosure, or alteration. These measures include secure server infrastructure, access controls, and encrypted data transmission (HTTPS).

While we take all reasonable precautions, no method of data transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your personal information.

In the event of a data breach that is likely to affect your rights and freedoms, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected data subjects in accordance with POPIA requirements.

10. Cross-Border Transfers of Personal Information

Some of our third-party service providers (such as Google and Automattic) may process personal information outside the borders of South Africa. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient country or organisation provides an adequate level of protection for personal information, consistent with POPIA.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without appropriate parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including pest control company websites and external resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

13. The Information Regulator

If you believe that we have not handled your personal information in accordance with POPIA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

Information Regulator (South Africa)

• Website: www.inforegulator.org.za
• Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
• Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or amend this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal information.

Continued use of our website after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Pest Control Near You

• Email: info@pestcontrolnearyou.co.za
• Website: pestcontrolnearyou.co.za

 

We are committed to resolving any privacy concerns promptly and in good faith.