Privacy Policy

Introduction

The Centre for Sustainable Tourism and Innovation (CSTI) at Tshwane University of Technology is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services.

This policy is compliant with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa and other applicable data protection regulations.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

Contact us through our website forms
Subscribe to our newsletters or publications
Register for events, workshops, or training programmes
Apply for membership or collaboration opportunities
Participate in research studies or surveys

This information may include:

Name and surname
Email address
Phone number
Organization/Institution name
Professional title or position
Any other information you choose to provide

Information Automatically Collected

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

IP address and browser type
Device information and operating system
Pages visited and time spent on pages
Referring website addresses
Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see our Cookie Policy)

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
To send you information about our research, events, and programmes
To process registrations and membership applications
To conduct and improve our research activities
To analyze website usage and improve our services
To comply with legal obligations
To protect our rights and prevent fraud

POPIA Compliance

In accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), we ensure that:

Accountability: We take responsibility for the personal information we process
Processing Limitation: We only collect information for specific, lawful purposes
Purpose Specification: We clearly state why we collect your information
Further Processing Limitation: We do not use your information for unrelated purposes
Information Quality: We take steps to ensure information accuracy
Openness: We are transparent about our data practices
Security Safeguards: We implement appropriate security measures
Data Subject Participation: You have the right to access and correct your information

Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Right to Access: Request confirmation of whether we hold your personal information and access to it
Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances
Right to Object: Object to the processing of your personal information
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
Right to Lodge a Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Secure access controls and authentication
Regular security assessments and updates
Staff training on data protection

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. When your information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

Sharing Your Information

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

Tshwane University of Technology (our parent institution)
Research partners and collaborators (with your consent)
Service providers who assist in our operations
Legal authorities when required by law

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

Centre for Sustainable Tourism and Innovation

Department of Tourism Management

Tshwane University of Technology

Email: csti@tut.ac.za

You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

Website: inforegulator.org.za