Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Fixstead (“Fixstead,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information when you use the Fixstead website, currently at fixstead.co.za (the “Site”), and related services, including browsing renovation-property listings, creating a buyer or seller account, listing a property, using the renovation and transfer-cost calculators, and requesting a viewing (together, the “Services”).

Fixstead is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”). By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

Fixstead is a trading name of Fixer Upper Properties (Pty) Ltd, registration number 2021/560822/07, a company registered in South Africa, of PO Box 3351, Tyger Valley, 7536, and is the “responsible party” for the personal information described in this Policy.

1. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

1.1 Account information. When you create a buyer or seller account (including choosing “Private homeowner” or “Estate agent” at signup), we collect your full name, email address, mobile number, and password. Estate agents may also provide agency name and details.

1.2 Property listing information. If you list a property, we collect the property address and location, asking price, property type, size, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, renovation category, photographs, and any description you provide. Some of this information (e.g. approximate location, price, and photos) is published publicly on the Site as part of the listing.

1.3 Verification information. Before a listing goes live, our team reviews it to confirm it is a genuine fixer-upper. This may involve requesting supporting documents or identity/proof-of-ownership information from the seller or agent. We treat identity documents and proof-of-ownership records as sensitive and limit access to our verification team.

1.4 Payment information. Listing on Fixstead currently costs R299, payable by card or Apple Pay. Payments are processed by our third-party payment processor, Paystack. Fixstead does not itself collect or store your full card number, card expiry date, or CVV: these are entered directly with, and held by, our payment processor. We receive confirmation of payment, a transaction reference, and limited billing details (such as the last four digits of your card) from the processor.

1.5 Buyer enquiries and communications. When you use “Request viewing,” save a listing, or otherwise contact a seller, agent, or Fixstead, we collect the content of that request or message, together with your contact details, so it can be forwarded to the relevant seller/agent and so we can respond to you.

1.6 Calculator inputs. The renovation-budget and transfer-cost calculators use figures you enter (e.g. floor area, renovation level, purchase price) to produce estimates. These inputs are used to generate the calculation and are not linked to your identity unless you are logged in and choose to save the result.

1.7 Usage and device information. Like most websites, we automatically collect certain technical information when you visit the Site, including your IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, search terms (e.g. suburb, city, or province searched), referring URL, and timestamps.

1.8 Cookies and similar technologies. See Section 6 below.

We do not intentionally collect special personal information (such as health information, religious or political beliefs, or biometric information) as defined by POPIA. Please do not submit special personal information to us through free-text fields (such as listing descriptions or messages).

2. How we use your information

We process personal information for the following purposes:

• to create and administer your buyer or seller account, and to authenticate you when you log in;
• to publish, display, and let users search and filter property listings;
• to verify that listings are genuine renovation opportunities before they go live, and to process refunds of the R299 listing fee where a listing does not qualify;
• to process listing-fee payments through our payment processor, and to maintain records of those transactions;
• to connect buyers and sellers/agents (for example, forwarding a “Request viewing” enquiry, including your name and contact details, to the relevant seller or agent);
• to generate the renovation-budget and transfer-cost estimates you request;
• to let you save/bookmark listings to your account;
• to respond to support queries and other communications you send us;
• to send you service communications (e.g. account, listing-status, or payment/refund notifications) and, where you have opted in, marketing communications about Fixstead;
• to detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, misuse of the Site, and fake or misrepresented listings;
• to analyse and improve the Site’s performance, content, and user experience; and
• to comply with our legal obligations, including tax, financial, and regulatory record-keeping requirements, and to respond to lawful requests from courts or regulators.

We process your personal information on one or more of the following bases: because it is necessary to perform our contract with you (e.g. to operate your account or publish your listing); because you have given consent (e.g. for marketing communications or non-essential cookies); because it is necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g. fraud prevention, Site security, and improving our Services), balanced against your rights; or because we are required to by law.

3. Who we share your information with

We share personal information only as needed for the purposes above, including with:

• Other users, where relevant to a transaction. For example, if you request a viewing or save a listing you’ve enquired about, the seller or listing agent receives your name and contact details so they can respond to you. Sellers’/agents’ publicly listed information (property details, agency name where applicable) is visible to all Site visitors.
• Our payment processor, Paystack, to process the R299 listing fee and any refunds.
• Service providers who host and operate the Site, including our hosting/infrastructure provider (Vercel Inc.), who process data on our behalf under contract, and may store or process data outside South Africa (see Section 5).
• Analytics partners, where you have consented to non-essential cookies, including Google LLC (Google Analytics), to help us understand Site usage so we can improve the Services. Google may process this data outside South Africa (see Section 5). See Section 6.
• Professional advisers and auditors, such as lawyers, accountants, and conveyancing/legal partners referenced in our Services, only as needed for the purpose for which they are engaged.
• Regulators, law enforcement, or courts, where we are legally required to disclose information, or to establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim.
• A successor entity, if Fixstead is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, subject to the terms of this Policy continuing to apply to your personal information.

We do not sell personal information to third parties for their own independent marketing purposes.

4. Estate agents and private sellers

If you sign up as an estate agent, information about you and your agency displayed on listings (agency name, contact details) is visible to buyers. If you sign up as a private homeowner, only the contact details you choose to provide for enquiries are shared with interested buyers: your account information is not otherwise made public. Verification-related information you submit (e.g. proof of ownership) is used solely for verifying the listing and is not published.

5. Cross-border storage and transfer of information

Some of our service providers (including our website hosting infrastructure) may store or process personal information on servers located outside South Africa. Where we transfer personal information across borders, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules, contractual terms, or other mechanism that provides an adequate level of protection substantially similar to POPIA’s conditions for lawful processing, in accordance with section 72 of POPIA.

6. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

• Strictly necessary cookies: required for core functionality such as keeping you logged in, remembering items in your session, and site security. These cannot be switched off without affecting how the Site works.
• Functional cookies: used to remember your preferences, such as saved/bookmarked listings and prior search filters.
• Analytics cookies: including Google Analytics (provided by Google LLC), used to understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it. These are only set after you consent via our cookie banner.

Where required by law, we will only set non-essential cookies (such as analytics cookies) after obtaining your consent via a cookie banner or settings tool on the Site (“Cookie settings” in the site footer), and you can withdraw that consent at any time through that tool or your browser settings. You can also control or delete cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect Site functionality.

7. Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Policy, including:

• Account information: for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period after closure to handle disputes, comply with legal obligations, and enforce our agreements.
• Listing information: for the duration a listing is live, and for a limited period afterward for record-keeping.
• Payment records: for the period required by applicable tax and financial record-keeping laws.
• Verification/identity documents: only for as long as necessary to verify a listing, after which they are securely deleted unless a longer retention period is required by law.

When personal information is no longer needed, we will delete, destroy, or de-identify it in a secure manner.

8. Security of your information

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction, as required by POPIA’s security safeguard condition. These include access controls, encrypted transmission of data (HTTPS), and restricting access to personal information (such as verification/identity documents and payment confirmations) to staff who need it to perform their role. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

If we become aware of a security compromise that has resulted, or may result, in unauthorised access to your personal information, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected data subjects as required by section 22 of POPIA.

9. Direct marketing

We will only send you direct marketing communications (such as newsletters or promotional emails about new listings) if you have consented to receive them, or as otherwise permitted under section 69 of POPIA. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by using the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email or by contacting us using the details in Section 12. We will still send you essential service communications (e.g. about your account, a listing, or a payment) even if you opt out of marketing.

10. Your rights

Subject to POPIA, you have the right to:

• be notified that we hold personal information about you, and what that information is;
• request access to the personal information we hold about you;
• request that we correct or update inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal information;
• request that we delete or destroy personal information that we are no longer authorised to retain, or that was collected unlawfully;
• object, on reasonable grounds, to the processing of your personal information;
• object to your personal information being processed for direct marketing purposes;
• withdraw any consent you previously gave, at any time (without affecting processing carried out before you withdrew it);
• not be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (such as automated profiling) that significantly affects you, without an opportunity to make representations; and
• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (see Section 13) if you believe we have interfered with your rights under POPIA.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 12. We may need to verify your identity before actioning a request, and we will respond within the timeframes required by POPIA.

11. Children’s privacy

The Site is intended for use by persons 18 years or older who are legally able to buy, sell, or enquire about property. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

12. Contact us / Information Officer

If you have questions about this Policy, want to exercise your rights, or wish to raise a concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact our Information Officer:

• Information Officer: Tayla Hanekom
• Email: tayla@fixstead.co.za
• Postal address: PO Box 3351, Tyger Valley, 7536, Cape Town

13. Complaints to the Information Regulator

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal information or responded to your request, you have the right to lodge a complaint with South Africa’s Information Regulator:

• Information Regulator (South Africa)
• General enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
• POPIA complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
• Toll-free: 0800 017 160 · Tel: 010 023 5200
• Website: www.inforegulator.org.za

14. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the Services, or legal requirements. We will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Policy when we do, and, for material changes, we will provide additional notice (such as a notice on the Site or by email).