Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Starting 5 is a brand, web and content studio based in Cape Town, South Africa. Under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), Starting 5 is the responsible party for the personal information described in this policy.

Information Officer: Athenkosi Zuzani, starting5.sa@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +27 69 638 0798

2. What we collect

• The details you give us in an enquiry or quote request: your name, business name, email address, phone or WhatsApp number, project details, the services you select, and an optional budget range and start date.
• Anything you send us directly by email, WhatsApp or social media.
• If you become a client: billing details, plus the content and access you give us to deliver the work.
• If you accept analytics: anonymised usage data, such as which pages were viewed and which buttons were clicked.

3. Why we use it

We use your information to reply to your enquiry, prepare quotes, deliver and invoice agreed work, and meet our legal and tax obligations. We do not sell your personal information. We only send you marketing if you have agreed to receive it, and you can opt out at any time.

4. Cookies and analytics

Analytics (Google Analytics 4) load only after you click “Accept analytics”. If you decline or ignore the notice, no analytics load. The quote builder saves your selections in your browser’s local storage, and they stay on your device. You can clear them at any time by clearing this site’s data in your browser.

5. Who we share it with

We share personal information only with service providers we need to run the site and the business: website hosting, email, messaging, analytics and accounting. If you contact us on WhatsApp or social media, that platform also processes your information. Some providers store data outside South Africa. When they do, we make sure your information gets comparable protection, as POPIA requires.

6. How long we keep it

• Enquiries that don’t become projects: 12 months.
• Client and tax records: 5 years after the project or service ends, as the law requires.
• Analytics data: 14 months.

After that, we delete the information or make it anonymous.

7. Your rights

You can ask us to see, correct or delete your personal information, object to how we use it, or withdraw your consent. Email starting5.sa@gmail.com and we will reply within 30 days. You can also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) at inforegulator.org.za.

8. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal information. No online transmission is completely secure, but we will tell you and the Information Regulator if a breach affects you.

9. Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. This page always shows the current version and the date it was last updated.