1. Who we are
This Privacy Policy explains how Yebowork (Pty) Ltd, trading as YeboWork (registration number 2023/636663/07), of 9 McAdam Street, Newton Park, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape ("we", "us"), collects, uses, shares and protects your personal information when you use https://yebowork.co.za and our services (the "Platform"). We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"). This Policy forms part of our Terms & Conditions.
2. Information we collect
- Account & identity: name, display name, email, mobile number, role (buyer/seller), and — where identity verification applies — your ID/passport number and verification documents.
- Identity & business verification: when you choose to verify, we capture a selfie (a biometric facial image) and your ID/passport details via our verification provider, Smile ID; for business verification we also process your company registration details. Your verification selfie is used as identification and may be shown to a counterparty (see "Who we share information with").
- Location: your base location and service areas; for a posted job, a job location. Exact street addresses are shared with a counterparty only after an engagement is accepted, and are never shown publicly.
- Listings & profile: services, specialties, business hours, photos, bio, links and reviews.
- Transactions & wallet: bookings, quotes, jobs, orders, credit purchases and ledger, packages, premium features and advertising bookings. We receive payment references from our gateway but do NOT store your card or bank-account numbers.
- Communications: in-app messages, notifications, and support correspondence.
- Technical & usage: device, browser, IP address, pages viewed and similar analytics data, and cookies (see clause 6).
3. How we use your information
To create and manage your account; operate the marketplace (discovery, bookings, quotes, jobs, messaging); process credit purchases and payments; verify identity where required; detect and prevent fraud and abuse; provide support; send transactional messages and — with your consent — marketing; improve the Platform; and comply with legal obligations.
4. Legal basis and consent
We process personal information where it is necessary to provide the Platform and perform our agreement with you, to comply with the law, to pursue our legitimate interests (such as security and improving our services), or with your consent (for example marketing and non-essential cookies). You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
5. Who we share information with
We share personal information with operators and partners that help us run the Platform, under appropriate agreements, only as needed:
- Hosting, database, authentication and storage (Supabase);
- Email delivery (Resend);
- Maps and location search (Mapbox);
- SMS one-time-PIN delivery (SMS provider);
- Identity verification (SmileID, when enabled);
- Payment gateway(s) (PayFast and Paystack);
- Advertising (Google AdSense — see clause 6);
- Authorities or third parties where required by law, or to protect rights, property or safety.
Some of these operators may process information outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps (including contractual safeguards) to ensure a level of protection comparable to POPIA.
Verification selfie shown for safety
Once a job is accepted between a buyer and a service provider, your verification selfie is shown to that counterparty (and theirs to you) so both parties can confirm each other's identity in person. It is shown only to the accepted counterparty — never publicly, and never before an engagement is accepted.
6. Cookies and advertising
We use cookies and similar technologies for essential functionality (keeping you signed in), analytics, and advertising. You can control non-essential cookies through our cookie banner and your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect functionality.
Google AdSense: we may display third-party advertising through Google AdSense. Google and its partners use cookies (including the Google advertising cookie) to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. This enables Google and its partners to serve personalised ads. You can opt out of personalised advertising via Google Ads Settings (https://adssettings.google.com) and learn more at https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalised advertising by visiting https://www.aboutads.info. Third-party vendors' use of advertising cookies is subject to their own privacy policies.
7. Your rights under POPIA
You have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you; ask us to correct or delete it; object to processing (including direct marketing); and lodge a complaint. To exercise these rights, contact our Information Officer (clause 11). You may also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa): JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2001; https://inforegulator.org.za.
8. Security
We apply technical and organisational safeguards including database Row-Level Security, role-based access controls, encryption in transit (HTTPS) and for sensitive data, restricted access to verification documents, access logging, and server-side controls for sensitive operations. We do not store banking details. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information.
9. Retention
We keep personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes above or as required by law (for example, tax and company-law records). Verification documents are purged within 12 months after an account is closed, unless the law requires otherwise.
10. Children
The Platform is intended for persons 18 years or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
11. Changes and contact
We may update this Policy from time to time; the latest version is posted on the Platform. Questions or requests: our Information Officer, Ettienne Gerwel, at admin@yebowork.com. General support: support@yebowork.com.