Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

VarsityHub is a student marketplace operating in South Africa, connecting verified university students to buy, sell, and offer services. We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), 2013.

2. Information We Collect

• Account data: Full name, student email address, university, campus, province
• Seller data: Business/shop name, WhatsApp number (optional)
• Listing data: Title, description, price, category, condition, images
• Usage data: Pages visited, listing views, search queries

We do not collect payment card details. All payments are processed securely by PayFast.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account
• To display your listings to other verified students
• To show your WhatsApp number to logged-in users so buyers can contact you
• To send transactional emails (account verification, password reset)
• To detect and prevent fraud, scams, and misuse
• To improve the platform based on usage patterns

4. Who Can See Your Data

• Your listings are visible to all visitors (logged in or not)
• Your name and university are visible to logged-in users
• Your WhatsApp number is only visible to logged-in, verified users
• Your email address is never shown publicly
• VarsityHub admin staff can access all data for moderation purposes

5. Data Storage

Your data is stored securely using Supabase (PostgreSQL database with row-level security). Data is hosted on servers with industry-standard encryption at rest and in transit (HTTPS/TLS).

6. Your Rights (POPIA)

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your account and all associated data
• Object to processing of your information
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@varsityhub.co.za or use the account deletion option in your settings.

7. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, all your personal information, listings, and saved items are permanently deleted within 30 days. Some data may be retained longer where required by law.

8. Cookies

We use only essential cookies required for authentication (login sessions). We do not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising cookies.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via email or a notice on the platform.

10. Contact

For any privacy-related queries: privacy@varsityhub.co.za