Privacy Policy

Fundamentals Firm   ·   www.fundamentalsfirm.co.za   ·   Effective 27 April 2026

1.  About this Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Fundamentals Firm collects, uses, shares and protects personal information through its website at www.fundamentalsfirm.co.za (the “Website”) and in the course of providing its advisory services. It is published in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”).

By using the Website or engaging with Fundamentals Firm in any capacity, you confirm that you have read and understood this Policy.

In this Policy, “Fundamentals Firm”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Fundamentals Firm, an AI and digital transformation strategy and business advisory firm operating in South Africa. “You” and “your” refer to any person whose personal information is collected by Fundamentals Firm. “Personal information” has the meaning given to it in POPIA.

2.  Information We Collect

We collect two categories of information:

2.1  Information you give us directly

When you complete a contact form, request a consultation, send an email or otherwise engage with us, we may collect: your name, email address, telephone number, organisation, role, and any other information you choose to share in your message.

2.2  Information collected automatically

The Website is hosted on Squarespace. When you visit the Website, certain technical information is collected automatically, including your IP address and approximate location, browser and device type, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring source.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18.

3.  How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To respond to your enquiries and requests for consultation

  • To provide, manage and improve our advisory services

  • To send you information that you have requested or that is relevant to an active engagement

  • To maintain proper records of our business activities

  • To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations

  • To understand how the Website is used and improve its content and performance

We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases under POPIA: your consent; the performance of a contract or a step taken at your request prior to entering into a contract; compliance with our legal obligations; and the legitimate interests of Fundamentals Firm, balanced against your rights.

4.  Cookies and Website Analytics

The Website uses cookies — small data files placed on your device — for two purposes:

4.1  Functional cookies

These are necessary for the Website to operate. They include a Squarespace session cookie that maintains your browsing session and remembers basic preferences during your visit.

4.2  Analytics cookies

These help us understand how visitors interact with the Website. The Website uses Squarespace’s built-in analytics, which place a persistent cookie on your browser to identify unique visitors over time.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Refusing analytics cookies will not prevent you from using the Website.

For full details of Squarespace’s cookies, see: www.squarespace.com/cookie-policy.

5.  Sharing With Third Parties

We do not sell your personal information.

We share information with third parties only where necessary to operate our business or comply with the law. Our principal third parties are:

  • Squarespace Ireland Ltd — our website hosting and analytics platform. Squarespace acts as a data processor on our behalf and may also process certain data as an independent controller for the security and integrity of its platform. Cross-border processing may occur, as Squarespace stores data in the European Union and the United States. Squarespace’s privacy practices are governed by its own Privacy Policy at www.squarespace.com/privacy and its Data Processing Addendum.

  • Email and productivity tools — we use standard business email and productivity tools to manage correspondence and engagement records.

  • Professional advisors and authorities — we may share information with our professional advisors (such as legal or accounting advisors) where strictly necessary, or with regulatory authorities where required by law.

All third parties with access to personal information are required to handle it in a manner consistent with this Policy and applicable law.

6.  Data Retention and Security

We retain personal information only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy, or for as long as required by law. As a general rule:

  • Enquiry information is retained for up to 24 months after the last contact, unless an engagement begins.

  • Engagement records (proposals, invoices, deliverables, correspondence) are retained for a minimum of 5 years from the end of the engagement, in line with South African tax and commercial record-keeping requirements.

We apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. No method of storage or transmission over the internet is fully secure, but we work to maintain appropriate safeguards.

7.  Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject, you have the right to:

  • Be informed of the personal information we hold about you

  • Request access to your personal information

  • Request correction or deletion of your personal information

  • Object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances

  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer using the details below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable time, in line with POPIA.

Information Regulator (South Africa) — www.inforegulator.org.za   ·   enquiries@inforegulator.org.za

8.  Information Officer and Contact

The designated Information Officer for Fundamentals Firm is:

Mhlengi Kunene, Founder and Principal Lead

Email: mhlengi.kunene@fundamentalsfirm.co.za   ·   Phone: 074 940 0539

For any privacy-related questions, requests or concerns, please contact the Information Officer directly.

9.  Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services or legal obligations. The current version will always be available on the Website, with the effective date shown above. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.