Privacy policy
This explains what personal information Sonke Connect collects, why we collect it, who we give it to, and what you can ask us to do about it. It is written to meet the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
In effect from 4 September 2026
Who is responsible
Sonke Connect is the responsible party for the information described here. We are an independent reseller of internet services delivered over other companies' networks.
Information Officer: Ndamulelo Masindi. Write to support@sonkeconnect.co.za about anything on this page.
What we collect, and why
Your address
When you check coverage. We send it to the network operators to find out which services actually reach you, and keep the check so we can see which areas we are asked about most.
Name, email, phone, installation address
When you place an order. We need these to bill you, to have the line installed, and to contact you about the order.
Contact details you type into a checkout but never submit
Saved as you type, so we can follow up if something went wrong. Deleted after 30 days if you never order. If you would rather we did not keep this, email us and we will remove it.
Your message
When you use the contact form, or ask to be told when a network builds into your area.
Email address and password
If you create an account to track your order. Passwords are stored hashed by our authentication provider; we never see them.
Payment details
Handled entirely by PayFast on their own pages. We never see or store your card number. For a monthly service we store a PayFast token that lets us charge the agreed amount and nothing else.
How you use the site
Pages visited, and whether an order was completed, through the advertising tools described below.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not send you marketing you did not ask for.
Who we share it with
We give your information to these companies only so they can do a job for us:
- Axxess and Vox, and through them the network operator carrying your line (Openserve, Vumatel, Frogfoot, Telkom, MTN, Vodacom and others) — your name, contact details and installation address, so the service can be provisioned. There is no way to connect you without this.
- PayFast — to take payment.
- Supabase and Vercel — the database and the hosting the site runs on.
- Google — addresses typed into the coverage box go to Google Maps to suggest completions, and Google Ads is told when an order is placed, along with the order reference and the amount. We do not send Google your email address or phone number.
- TikTok — told when key steps happen on the site, so we can measure our advertising. Where this includes your email address or phone number, it is hashed first, meaning TikTok receives a scrambled value it can match against but cannot read.
- Our email provider — to send you order and billing emails.
We will also hand over information if the law requires it, or to establish or defend a legal claim.
Information leaving South Africa
Google, TikTok, Vercel and Supabase process information on servers outside South Africa. POPIA allows this where the receiving country or our contract with that company provides comparable protection, which is the basis we rely on. If you would rather your information were not handled this way, the practical answer is to order by email or phone instead of through the site, and to block the advertising cookies described below.
Cookies and advertising
The site sets a cookie to keep you signed in if you make an account. That one is necessary and cannot be turned off while you are logged in.
Google Ads and TikTok also set cookies, so they can tell whether an advert led to an order. You can block or delete these in your browser settings without breaking anything on the site — coverage checks, orders and payment all work without them. You can also turn off personalised advertising in your Google account settings and in the TikTok app under Settings, Privacy, Ads.
How long we keep it
- An order that is never paid leaves our working list after 3 days, and is deleted entirely — with your name, email, phone and address — after 30 days.
- Contact details typed into a checkout that was never submitted are deleted after 30 days.
- If you become a customer, we keep your details for as long as you have a service with us, and afterwards only where we must: records of what was paid have to be kept for five years under South African tax law.
Your rights
Under POPIA you can ask us to:
- tell you what personal information we hold about you, and give you a copy;
- correct anything that is wrong or out of date;
- delete information we no longer have a reason to keep — though we cannot delete records we are legally required to hold, or details needed to run a service you still have;
- stop using your information for a particular purpose, including advertising.
Email support@sonkeconnect.co.za and we will respond within 30 days. There is no charge, unless a request is repeated or excessive, in which case we will tell you the cost before doing anything.
Keeping it safe
The site runs over an encrypted connection, the database is not reachable from the public internet, and access is limited to the people who need it. No system is perfect: if information is lost or exposed in a way that could harm you, we will tell you and the Information Regulator, as POPIA requires.
Children
Our services are sold to adults. We do not knowingly collect information about anyone under 18. If you believe we have, tell us and we will delete it.
Complaints
Please raise it with us first — most things are quicker to fix directly. If you are not satisfied, you can complain to:
Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Changes
If we change how we handle your information, we will update this page and change the date at the top. Material changes affecting existing customers will also be emailed.
Questions? Get in touch.