Privacy Policy

CodeFortress is a sole proprietor (registration number 2026/549922/07) operating as a digital marketing and software development agency, providing Lead Generation, SEO, Website Development and App Development services to businesses in South Africa. We are the "responsible party" under POPIA for the personal information described in this policy.

Information Officer: Dean Webster — dean@codefortress.co.za

We collect personal information in the following ways:

• Directly from you — when you submit our contact form (first name, last name, email address, phone number and any message you provide), email us, message us on WhatsApp, or use our onboarding form.
• Automatically, via cookies and analytics — when you use our website, including IP address, browser and device information, pages visited and time spent, via Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager. See our Cookie Policy for details. This category of information is only collected once you have consented via our cookie banner.
• Via our reCAPTCHA spam protection — Google reCAPTCHA processes limited technical data (such as IP address and browser interactions) to verify our contact form is not being submitted by automated bots.

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries and provide quotes for our services
• To onboard and deliver services to clients who engage us
• To send marketing communications, where you have consented to receive them
• To protect our contact form from spam and abuse
• To understand website usage and improve our content and services
• To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations

Providing your information via our contact form is voluntary, but necessary if you want us to respond to your enquiry. Analytics cookies are only used if you consent to them.

We do not sell your personal information. We share limited personal information with the following third-party service providers ("operators" under POPIA), who process it on our behalf and under their own privacy terms:

• Google (Analytics, Tag Manager, reCAPTCHA) — website analytics and spam protection.
• Zapier — powers our client onboarding form.
• Our email and hosting providers — to deliver contact form submissions to our inbox and host this website.
• Meta (WhatsApp) — if you choose to contact us via WhatsApp.

Some of these providers may process or store information outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we rely on those providers' own compliance with applicable data protection standards. We may also disclose information where required by law, or to protect our legal rights.

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose it was collected for, to provide ongoing services to clients, or as required by law — typically no longer than 5 years after our last contact with you, unless a longer retention period is required for legal, accounting or tax purposes.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure or alteration, including HTTPS encryption, access controls, and restricting who can view your information.

Subject to POPIA, you have the right to:

• Request confirmation of what personal information we hold about you
• Request access to, or a copy of, your personal information
• Request correction or deletion of inaccurate or outdated information
• Object to the processing of your personal information
• Object to your information being used for direct marketing at any time
• Withdraw consent, where processing is based on consent (e.g. analytics cookies)
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer at dean@codefortress.co.za. You may also lodge a complaint with The Information Regulator (South Africa):

• Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za (general) or complaints.IR@justice.gov.za (complaints)
• Website: https://inforegulator.org.za

Our website uses cookies for essential functionality and, with your consent, for analytics. You can accept, reject or change your cookie preferences at any time. See our Cookie Policy for full details.

Our website and services are directed at businesses, not children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a parent or guardian.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be reflected here.

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how CodeFortress handles your personal information, contact:

• Information Officer: Dean Webster
• Email: dean@codefortress.co.za or admin@codefortress.co.za
• Phone: +27 76 163 2398