Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Groundwork Digital is a digital marketing studio based in Cape Town, South Africa, specialising in website development, search visibility, and lead generation for South African small businesses. We operate the website at groundworkdigital-za.co.za.

When this policy refers to "we", "us", or "our", it means Groundwork Digital. When it refers to "you", it means any person who visits our website or submits information through our contact form.

2. What information we collect

We only collect information you voluntarily provide through our contact form. This includes:

• Your name
• Your business name
• Your email address
• Your website URL (if provided)
• What service you are looking for
• A description of your business and what you are trying to achieve

We do not collect payment information, and we do not require you to create an account to contact us.

3. How we use your information

We use the information you submit solely to:

• Respond to your enquiry
• Understand your business needs so we can provide relevant advice
• Follow up on any proposal or engagement we have discussed

We do not use your information for automated marketing, and we do not add you to any mailing list without your explicit consent.

4. How we store your information

Enquiries submitted through our contact form are processed by Formspree (formspree.io), a third-party form handling service. Formspree stores form submissions on secure servers. You can review Formspree's privacy policy at formspree.io/legal/privacy-policy.

We may also retain a copy of your enquiry in our email inbox for the purpose of following up and managing our client relationships. We do not store your personal information in any additional databases or CRM systems.

5. Who we share your information with

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with any third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

Your information may be processed by the following service providers who help us operate our website and handle enquiries:

• Formspree - contact form processing
• Google Analytics - anonymous website usage statistics
• Vercel - website hosting

Each of these providers processes data in accordance with their own privacy policies and applicable data protection law.

6. Google Analytics

Our website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information about how visitors use our site. This includes pages visited, time spent on the site, and general location data (country or city level). We use this information to understand how our website is performing and to improve the content we provide.

Google Analytics does not identify individual users. No personal information you submit through our contact form is shared with Google Analytics.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

7. Your rights under POPIA

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Object to the processing of your personal information
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@groundworkdigital-za.co.za. We will respond to your request within a reasonable time and in accordance with our obligations under POPIA.

8. Cookies

Our website uses minimal cookies. Google Analytics sets cookies to track anonymous usage statistics. No personally identifiable information is stored in cookies.

We do not use cookies for advertising, retargeting, or tracking you across other websites.

9. Third-party links

Our website may contain links to external websites, including the SmartShip ZA app listing on the Shopify App Store and our proof of work references. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and recommend you review their privacy policies separately.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

11. Contact us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us at:

Email: info@groundworkdigital-za.co.za Location: Cape Town, South Africa