Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Lake International ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information. We are committed to complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and respecting your privacy rights.

2. Information we collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Contact information: Name, email address, phone number, postal address
• Identification information: ID number, passport details (where required)
• Professional information: Company name, job title, business details
• Communication data: Records of correspondence, enquiries, and feedback
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, cookies
• Usage data: How you interact with our website and services

3. How we collect information

We collect personal information through:

• Direct interactions when you contact us, request information, or use our services
• Automated technologies such as cookies when you visit our website
• Third parties such as business partners or service providers (where lawful)
• Public sources where information is publicly available

4. Purpose of processing

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide and deliver our services
• To respond to enquiries and communicate with you
• To manage our business relationship with you
• To improve our website, products, and services
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
• To send marketing communications (where you have consented)
• To protect our legitimate business interests and legal rights

5. Legal basis for processing

We process your personal information based on:

• Consent: Where you have given clear consent for specific purposes
• Contractual necessity: To fulfill our contractual obligations to you
• Legal obligation: To comply with South African laws and regulations
• Legitimate interests: To pursue our legitimate business interests while respecting your rights

6. Sharing your information

We may share your personal information with:

• Service providers: Third parties who provide services on our behalf (e.g., IT support, hosting)
• Professional advisors: Lawyers, auditors, and other professional advisors
• Regulatory authorities: Government bodies and regulators where required by law
• Business partners: Where necessary to provide our services (with your consent)

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. All third parties are required to keep your information secure and confidential.

7. International transfers

If we transfer your personal information outside of South Africa, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA, such as standard data protection clauses or ensuring the recipient country has adequate data protection laws.

8. Data security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or damage. These measures include secure servers, encryption, access controls, and regular security assessments. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and purpose of processing, but typically range from 3 to 7 years in accordance with South African legal requirements.

10. Your rights under POPIA

Under POPIA, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: Request access to your personal information we hold
• Right to correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
• Right to object: Object to processing of your personal information for certain purposes
• Right to restrict processing: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)
• Right to lodge a complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 13.

11. Marketing communications

We will only send you marketing communications if you have consented to receive them. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly.

12. Children's privacy

Our services are not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

13. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have a privacy concern, please contact us:

14. Information Regulator

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your personal information has been processed unlawfully:

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.