Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

AssistIT ("we", "us", "our") is operated by Johann Gouws. We build AI-powered automation systems for South African businesses. Our website is www.assistit.co.za and we can be contacted at johanngouws13@gmail.com.

2. What information we collect

When you use our AI Discovery Journey or contact us, we may collect:

• Your name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Business description and information you share during the discovery conversation
• Files you choose to upload
• Website and social media URLs you provide
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, and pages visited (via Vercel Analytics)

3. Why we collect it (purpose)

• To understand your business needs and provide a personalised discovery summary
• To send you a copy of your discovery document via email
• To follow up and schedule a consultation call
• To improve our services and website experience

4. Legal basis (POPIA)

We process your personal information in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), specifically on the basis of your consent (Section 11(1)(a)). You give consent by checking the consent box before submitting your information through the AI Discovery Journey. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us.

5. Who we share it with

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

• Google (Gemini AI) — to power the AI Discovery conversation. Messages are processed but not stored by Google for training.
• Firebase (Google Cloud) — to securely store your discovery data.
• Resend — to deliver emails to you and to us.
• ClickUp — to track your lead internally for follow-up.
• Vercel — our hosting provider, which may process technical data.

6. How we protect your data

• All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS encryption)
• API routes are protected with rate limiting and origin validation
• Firebase data is secured with access rules
• Sensitive credentials are stored as encrypted environment variables

7. How long we keep it

We retain your discovery data for up to 12 months from the date of submission, or until you request deletion — whichever comes first. Technical logs (IP addresses, page visits) are retained for up to 30 days.

8. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction — request that we correct inaccurate information
• Deletion — request that we delete your personal information
• Object — object to the processing of your information
• Withdraw consent — withdraw your consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, email us at johanngouws13@gmail.com or use the data deletion request below. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Data deletion

To request deletion of your data, send an email to johanngouws13@gmail.com with the subject line "Data Deletion Request" and include the email address you used during the discovery. We will delete your data within 30 days and confirm by email.

10. Cookies

We use essential cookies required for the website to function (e.g., theme preference). We use Vercel Analytics for anonymous visitor statistics — this does not use tracking cookies or collect personal data. No third-party advertising cookies are used.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance.

12. Contact & complaints

If you have questions or complaints about how we handle your personal information, contact us at johanngouws13@gmail.com. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator at inforeg.org.za.