Privacy Policy
Welcome to The Stratum Media (Pty) Ltd. We respect your personal privacy and are committed to processing your personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently, in complete harmony with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), Act 4 of 2013 of South Africa, and other relevant worldwide standards.
1. Who we are
The Stratum Media (Pty) Ltd regulates the processing of data collected on this digital platform. You may find our corporate contact details below:
- Company Name: The Stratum Media (Pty) Ltd
- Registration Number: 2024/987654/07
- Physical Address: 42 Strand Street, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
- Email Address: [email protected]
- Contact Phone: 021 465 1289
2. What information we collect
We collect personal information that you intentionally provide when you fill out contact/newsletter forms or customize subscriptions, including:
- Your Full Name
- Your Email address
- Your Contact phone number
- Personal notes or messages you submit to our editorial team
We may also automatically log basic analytical metadata such as your IP address, device specifications, browser type, cookies activity profile, and traffic signals.
3. Purpose and Legal Basis of Processing
| Purpose for Processing | Data Involved | Legal Grounds (POPIA) |
|---|---|---|
| Providing news and subscription access | Name, Email | Performance of service contract |
| Answering reader inquiries & whistleblower briefs | Name, Phone, Email, Text | Legitimate interest and consent |
| Securing network traffic and preventing fraudulent acts | IP patterns, Cookies logs | Legitimate interest and security compliance |
4. Cookies, Analytics & Google Consent Mode v2
Our website utilizes Google Consent Mode v2 to respect your privacy preferences. Until you grant explicit consent for advertising and analytical cookies via our cookie banner, these functions are blocked ('denied' setting remains in force). If consent is given, Google services track usage trends to improve page delivery speed and service recommendations.
5. Third-Party Sharing
We do not lease, trade, or sell our database to third-party marketing services. We only share essential information with chosen vendors (e.g. secure transaction gatekeepers, web analytics systems) who operate under strict NDAs and POPIA-compliant policies. We may reveal information to judicial systems only if mandated by South African court decrees.
6. Transborder Data Transfer
To safely archive files, personal data we acquire may be stored in secure systems residing outside South Africa. In all cases, we verify that the destination zone provides data protections matching or exceeding the values mandated in POPIA.
7. How long we store your data
We archive personal details only as long as necessary to fulfill service agreements or regulatory compliance. Data is permanently erased or anonymized once the retention trigger ceases.
8. Your Rights
In accordance with POPIA regulations, you hold the following rights over your records:
- Right to access personal details recorded by us
- Right to modify faulty archives
- Right to request destruction of redundant files
- Right to Object to direct marketing efforts
- Right to lodge formal grievances with the South African Information Regulator (JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001 or email: [email protected])
9. Child Protections
Our platforms are curated for an adult reader base. In strict accordance with regional South African laws, we do not knowingly archive records of minors (under the age of 18) without explicit guardian authorization.
10. Safety precautions
We maintain high levels of digital and physical security protocols including end-to-end SSL encryption for active transactions, security firewalls, and strict user authentication steps.
Last Updated: May 15, 2026