Legal
Privacy Policy
Last updated: 3 August 2026
This policy explains what personal information ZerNess Lab collects, why we collect it, what we do with it, and what you can require us to do about it. It is written to meet the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
1. Who is responsible for your information
ZerNess Lab is the trading name of Surika Elizabeth Ozoh, who is the responsible party for the information described here.
Legal status: Sole proprietor (not registered as a company)Based in: Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa (full physical address on request)Information Officer: Surika Elizabeth OzohEmail: elizabethsozoh@gmail.comPhone: +27 76 520 68002. What we collect
We only collect what we need to answer you and do the work.
Information you give us
Your name and business nameYour phone or WhatsApp number and email addressWhat you asked us about, and anything else you choose to tell usMaterial you send us for a project — copy, images, and logins where you supply themInformation collected automatically
Pages you visited, how long you stayed, and the site you arrived fromDevice type, browser, and approximate location derived from your IP addressWe do not ask for and do not want your identity number, banking details or passwords through this website. Please do not send them to us by email or WhatsApp.
3. Why we may lawfully process it
Under POPIA we rely on:
Your consent — when you submit an enquiry or ask for a quote.Performance of a contract — to carry out work you have engaged us for.Our legitimate interests — running and securing this website, and keeping ordinary business records.Legal obligation — where tax or other law requires us to keep records.4. How we use it
To reply to you, quote, and deliver work you have asked forTo send invoices and keep accounting recordsTo understand which pages are useful so we can improve the siteWe do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for anyone else's marketing.
5. Who else may handle it
Some of the tools we use process information on our behalf. They act as operators under POPIA and may use it only for the service they provide us:
Google Analytics — anonymised, aggregated usage statisticsGoogle Firebase — website hosting and deliveryWhatsApp (Meta) — where you choose to contact us that wayVoice and AI assistant providers — where you use a voice or chat feature on this site, your message is processed to generate a replyHubSpot — where we record an enquiry so we can follow it up6. Information sent outside South Africa
The providers above host data outside South Africa, largely in the European Union and the United States. POPIA permits this where the recipient is subject to comparable protection or is contractually bound to it, which is the basis we rely on. By sending us an enquiry you accept that it may be processed outside South Africa.
7. How long we keep it
Enquiries that do not become work: up to 12 months, then deleted.Client records: for the life of the engagement and 5 years afterwards, which is the retention period South African tax law requires.Analytics: retained in aggregate, not linked to you by name.8. How we protect it
This site is served over HTTPS. Access to enquiry records is limited to people who need it, and accounts we control use multi-factor authentication where the provider offers it. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affects your personal information we will notify you and the Information Regulator, as POPIA requires.
9. Your rights
At any time, and free of charge, you may:
Ask what personal information we hold about youAsk us to correct or complete anything inaccurateAsk us to delete information we no longer have grounds to keepObject to processing based on our legitimate interestsWithdraw consent — which does not affect anything done before you withdrew itComplain to the Information RegulatorTo exercise any of these, email elizabethsozoh@gmail.com. We will respond within a reasonable period, and may need to confirm who you are first.
10. Cookies and analytics
This site uses Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages are read. It sets cookies in your browser. You can block cookies in your browser settings, or opt out of Google Analytics entirely using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. The site works normally either way.
11. Children
This site is aimed at businesses and is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
12. Changes
We update this policy when our practices change. The date at the top always reflects the current version.
13. Complaints to the Regulator
If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your information, you may complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za, or email complaints.IR@justice.gov.za.
Questions about this document? Email elizabethsozoh@gmail.com or call +27 76 520 6800.