Privacy Policy

Last updated: 8 September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how MetroPulseSA (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects information when you visit metropulsesa.co.za (the “Site”). We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), and, where applicable, other relevant data protection laws such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

If you have any questions about this policy, you can contact us at legal@metropulsesa.co.za.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

We may collect personal information you voluntarily provide, such as when you:

Submit a contact form or send us an email
Leave a comment on a post
Subscribe to a newsletter
Create an account (if applicable)

This may include your name, email address, phone number, and any other information you choose to submit.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, we (and third-party services we use) may automatically collect:

IP address
Browser type and version
Device information
Pages visited, time spent, and referring URLs
Cookies and similar tracking technologies

1.3 WordPress-Specific Data

Because this Site runs on WordPress, the following default behaviors may apply:

Comments: When visitors leave comments on the Site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Cookies: If you leave a comment on the Site, you may opt in to saving your name, email address, and website in cookies. If you have an account and log in, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies and a login-related cookie to remember your login information. When you log out, login cookies will be removed.
Embedded content: Articles on this Site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if the visitor has visited the other website, and those websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

Operate, maintain, and improve the Site
Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
Send newsletters or updates (only with your consent)
Analyze usage trends and Site performance
Detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or spam
Comply with legal obligations

3. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA)

Under POPIA, we process your personal information only where:

You have consented to the processing
Processing is necessary to fulfil a contract with you
Processing is required to comply with a legal obligation
Processing is necessary to protect a legitimate interest of yours or ours

4. Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use cookies to:

Remember your preferences
Understand how visitors use the Site (analytics)
Support essential Site functionality (e.g., login sessions)

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain features of the Site.

5. Third-Party Services

We may use third-party services that collect, monitor, and analyze data, including but not limited to:

Web hosting providers
Analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics)
Email marketing platforms
Social media plugins

These third parties have their own privacy policies addressing how they use such information.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

Service providers who help us operate the Site (hosting, analytics, email delivery)
Legal authorities, if required by law or to protect our rights
Business successors, in the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely so we can recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

9. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law (including POPIA), you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or outdated information
Request deletion of your personal information
Object to or restrict certain processing
Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) if you believe your rights have been violated

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at legal@metropulsesa.co.za.

10. Information Regulator Contact Details

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact South Africa’s Information Regulator:

Information Regulator (South Africa) Website: https://inforegulator.org.za Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za

11. Children’s Privacy

The Site is not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

12. International Visitors

If you access the Site from outside South Africa, your information may be processed in South Africa or other countries where our service providers operate. By using the Site, you consent to this transfer, storage, and processing.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact:

MetroPulseSA Website: https://metropolitanpulse.co.za/news/ Email: legal@metropulsesa.co.za

This Privacy Policy is a general template and does not constitute legal advice. We recommend having it reviewed by a qualified legal professional to ensure full compliance with POPIA, GDPR (if applicable), and any other laws relevant to your specific business operations.