Privacy Policy
External Privacy Notice.
1. Introduction:
In this document, references to “Protek A Division of PE BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd“, “we”, “us”, or “the Group” are to Protek A Division of PE BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd and its subsidiary companies.
Protek A Division of PE BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd recognises its accountability in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act (hereinafter referred to as POPIA), other privacy protection legislation, together with its regulations to all its clients, suppliers, service providers and other third parties. Protek A Division of PE BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd needs to collect personal information from its clients, suppliers, service providers and other third parties to carry out its business.
To maintain a trust relationship with our Stakeholders, we are committed to complying with both the spirit and the letter of POPIA, other privacy protection legislation, and to always act with due skill, care, and diligence when dealing with personal information.
2. What is personal information:
Personal Information according to POPIA, means information relating to an identifiable, living, natural person, and where it is applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic person, including, but not limited to –
- Information relating to the race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, national, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental health, well-being, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language, and birth of the person;
- Information relating to the education or the medical, financial, criminal, or employment history of the person;
- Any identifying number, symbol, e-mail address, telephone number, location information, online identifier, or other particular assignment to the person;
- The biometric information of the person;
- The personal opinions, views, or preferences of the person;
- Correspondence sent by the person that would reveal the contents of the original correspondence;
- The views or opinions of another individual about the person; and
- The name of the person if it appears with other personal information relating to the person or if the disclosure of the name itself would reveal information about the person.
3. Where and when do we collect personal information:
Information you provide to us:
| Clients, Customers, Retailers, Wholesalers and Distributors | • Directly when opening a customer or trade account. • When requesting quotations for products. • When placing product orders. • During online enquiries submitted through our website. • When contacting our sales representatives. • During telephonic enquiries. • During email correspondence. • Through WhatsApp or other electronic communications. • When requesting technical advice regarding pest control or plant nutrition products. • When requesting product recommendations. • During product demonstrations. • When requesting safety information, product labels or Safety Data Sheets (SDS). • When registering warranties or product guarantees (where applicable). • During customer satisfaction surveys. • When submitting complaints regarding products or services. • During after-sales support. • When participating in promotional campaigns or competitions. • During loyalty or incentive programmes (where applicable). • When requesting training relating to product use or application. • During visits to our premises. • During meetings with sales representatives or account managers. • During attendance at agricultural exhibitions, trade shows, hardware expos or industry events. |
| Suppliers | • Supplier application forms. • Supplier onboarding documentation. • Quotations and tenders. • Requests for Quotations (RFQs). • Purchase orders. • Contracts and service level agreements. • Credit applications. • Banking information supplied for payment purposes. • Tax invoices. • Statements of account. • BBBEE documentation. • VAT registration documentation. • Company registration documents. • Tax clearance certificates. • FICA verification documents where required. • Insurance certificates. • Health and Safety compliance documentation. • Product specifications and technical documentation. • Product certifications. • Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS/SDS). • Product registration documentation. • Import and export documentation (where applicable). • Email and telephone correspondence. |
| Service Providers and Contractors | • During procurement processes. • Contractor registration forms. • Vendor onboarding documentation. • Service agreements. • Maintenance agreements. • Confidentiality agreements. • Non-disclosure agreements. • Project documentation. • Site access requests. • Health and Safety files. • Occupational Health and Safety compliance documentation. • Risk assessments. • Invoices. • Timesheets (where applicable). • Banking details for payment processing. • Insurance documentation. • Professional registrations, licences and accreditations. • Communications regarding service delivery. |
| Sales Representatives, Agents and Business Partners | • Appointment documentation. • Agency agreements. • Distribution agreements. • Sales reporting. • Performance reviews. • Marketing initiatives. • Business development meetings. • Customer referrals. • Product launches. • Joint promotional activities. • Commission payment administration. • Account management communications. |
Information collected automatically:
| Website Visitors | • IP address. • Browser type and version. • Device information. • Operating system. • Date and time of website access. • Pages viewed. • Search terms used on the website. • Referring websites. • Website usage statistics. • Cookie identifiers. • Session information. • Geographic location derived from IP address (where enabled). • Website preferences. • Analytics information used to improve website functionality and user experience. |
| Email Communications | • Email address. • Date and time sent or received. • Subject line. • Attachments provided. • Communication history. • Read receipts (where enabled). • Email signatures and business contact details. |
| Telephone Calls | • Caller identification information. • Date and time of the call. • Duration of the call. • Call recordings where lawful and disclosed. • Notes recorded by customer service personnel. • Customer reference numbers. |
| Physical Premises | • Visitor registers. • Name and surname. • Company represented. • Identification or driver’s licence details where required. • Vehicle registration details. • Date and time of entry and exit. • CCTV footage. • Access control records. • Reception logs. • Health and safety screening records where applicable. |
Information obtained from third parties:
| Clients and Customers | • Credit bureaux (where trade accounts are requested). • Credit insurers. • Debt collection agencies. • Public company registers. • Government databases where permitted by law. • Trade references. • Distributors and authorised resellers. • Business partners. • Customer referrals. • Industry associations. • Publicly available business directories. |
| Suppliers and Service Providers | • Company registration authorities. • CIPC records. • SARS verification. • Credit bureaux. • Professional regulatory bodies. • Industry accreditation bodies. • References supplied by the supplier. • Insurance providers. • Public procurement databases where applicable. • Publicly available sources used to verify business information. |
| Regulatory and Legal Sources | • Courts and legal representatives. • Regulatory authorities. • Government departments. • Law enforcement agencies. • Industry regulators. • Statutory registers. • Public records where authorised by law. |
| Information generated during the business relationship | • Sales history. • Purchase history. • Delivery records. • Product returns. • Product complaints. • Customer service records. • Technical support requests. • Pest or plant treatment recommendations requested by customers. • Product performance feedback. • Warranty claims. • Credit account history. • Payment history. • Outstanding balances. • Risk assessments. • Audit records. • Compliance records. • Training attendance records. • Marketing preferences. • Communication logs. • Contract management records. • Business correspondence maintained throughout the commercial relationship. |
4. When will we process your personal information:
We will only process your personal information for lawful purposes relating to our business if the following circumstances apply:
- You have consented thereto;
- a person legally authorised by you, or a court, has consented thereto;
- It is necessary to conclude or perform under a contract we have with you;
- The law requires or permits it;
- It is required to protect or pursue your, our, or a third party’s legitimate interest; and/or
- You are a child, and a competent person (such as a parent or guardian) has consented thereto on your behalf.
5. When will we process your special personal information:
Special personal information refers to the following categories of information:
- Religious and philosophical beliefs;
- Race;
- Ethnic origin;
- Trade union membership;
- Political beliefs;
- Health including physical or mental health, disability, and medical history;
- Biometric information;
- Criminal behaviour where it relates to the alleged commission of any offence or the proceedings relating to that offence.
We will process special personal information in the following instances:
- You have consented to the processing (in circumstances where we are legally obliged to obtain your consent); or
- It is necessary to exercise or defend a right or obligation in law; or
- It is necessary to comply with an international legal obligation of public interest; or
- It is for certain historical, research, or statistical purposes that would not adversely affect your privacy; or
- You have deliberately made your personal information public.
6. What information do we collect, and how do we use your information:
Kindly note that the following list is not comprehensive. It sets out the primary purposes for which Protek – A Division of PE BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd collects personal information and the categories of personal information that may be processed.
Clients / Customers / Retailers / Distributors
| Purpose: | Data elements: |
| • Customer account creation and administration. • Processing credit applications and trade accounts. • Processing quotations. • Processing sales orders. • Product supply and delivery. • Manufacturing and order fulfilment. • Delivery scheduling and logistics. • Product collection verification. • Invoicing. • Credit control. • Debt collection. • Processing debit orders and electronic payments. • Processing refunds and credit notes. • Customer relationship management. • Providing technical advice regarding pest control, crop protection, plant nutrition and home and garden products. • Responding to product enquiries. • Providing after-sales support. • Handling product complaints and product quality investigations. • Processing warranty or guarantee claims where applicable. • Providing Safety Data Sheets (SDS), product labels and technical documentation. • Product recalls where required. • Compliance with product stewardship obligations. • Regulatory compliance. • Risk management. • Internal reporting. • Financial management. • Audit and record keeping. • Fraud prevention. • Identity verification. • Business continuity. • Marketing (where consent has been obtained or another lawful basis exists). • Customer satisfaction surveys. • Statistical reporting. • Compliance with legal obligations. • B-BBEE reporting where applicable. |
• Customer account number. • Business name. • Trading name (t/a). • Company registration number. • VAT registration number. • Tax reference number where required. • B-BBEE status and certificate details where applicable. • Title. • Name and surname. • Identity number (sole proprietors, directors, members, authorised representatives or credit account holders where required). • Passport number where applicable. • Position or job title. • Physical address. • Delivery address(es). • Postal address. • Province. • Municipality. • Contact numbers. • Mobile number. • Email address. • Preferred communication method. • Banking details for debit orders or refunds. • Credit application information. • Credit bureau reports where applicable. • Payment history. • Purchase history. • Product order history. • Delivery instructions. • Customer references. • Industry sector (e.g. agriculture, retail, hardware, pest control, landscaping, horticulture, wholesale, municipal, commercial). • Farm, nursery or business location where applicable. • Correspondence records. • Customer queries. • Complaint records. • Technical support requests. • Product usage enquiries. • Photographs submitted in support of complaints or technical investigations. • CCTV footage collected during visits to Protek premises. • Visitor register information. • Marketing preferences. • Website enquiry information. • Electronic communication records. • Signed quotations, agreements and contracts. • Delivery notes. • Proof of delivery. • Proof of payment. • Account statements. • Credit limit information. • Risk assessment information where applicable. |
Suppliers / Service Providers / Contractors
| Purpose: | Data elements: |
| • Supplier onboarding. • Vendor due diligence. • Procurement. • Request for Quotations (RFQs). • Tender evaluations. • Supplier selection. • Purchase order administration. • Contract management. • Service level management. • Product sourcing. • Inventory procurement. • Logistics coordination. • Delivery scheduling. • Goods receiving. • Quality assurance. • Product traceability. • Regulatory compliance. • Product registration support. • Occupational Health and Safety compliance. • Site access management. • Processing invoices. • Processing payments. • Financial management. • Supplier performance management. • Internal audits. • External audits. • Record keeping. • Fraud prevention. • Risk management. • Legal compliance. • Litigation management where applicable. • Insurance administration. • Business continuity. • B-BBEE verification and reporting. • Compliance with statutory obligations. |
• Business name. • Trading name. • Company registration number. • VAT registration number. • Income tax reference number. • B-BBEE certificate or affidavit. • Supplier code. • Contact person’s title. • Name and surname. • Identity number where required. • Passport number where applicable. • Position held. • Physical address. • Postal address. • Delivery address. • Contact numbers. • Mobile number. • Email addresses. • Banking details. • Bank confirmation letter. • Proof of bank account. • Invoice details. • Purchase order information. • Payment history. • Tax invoices. • Statements. • Product catalogues. • Product specifications. • Technical documentation. • Safety Data Sheets (SDS). • Product certifications. • Certificates of analysis where applicable. • Quality assurance documentation. • Import/export documentation where applicable. • Insurance certificates. • Public liability insurance details. • Health and Safety compliance documentation. • COID documentation where applicable. • Contractor induction records. • Site access records. • Visitor register details. • CCTV footage during visits to Protek premises. • Professional registrations and licences. • Vehicle registration details for deliveries. • Driver details where deliveries are made. • Correspondence records. • Contracts. • Service Level Agreements. • Non-Disclosure Agreements. • Performance evaluations. • Audit findings. • Risk assessments. • Compliance records. • Records required by applicable legislation. |
7. Collection of Information by “Cookies” (Website Purposes)
When you visit the Protek website, certain information is collected automatically through the normal operation of our web servers and the use of cookies and similar technologies.
Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. They enable our website to recognise your browser or device during future visits, improve website functionality and performance, remember your preferences where applicable, and help us understand how visitors interact with our website.
The information collected automatically may include your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, operating system, device information, referring website, pages visited, date and time of access, time spent on pages, clickstream data and other website usage statistics. This information is generally used in an aggregated or de-identified form to monitor website performance, improve user experience, enhance the functionality and security of our website, analyse visitor trends and assist us in providing relevant information regarding our products and services.
Protek may also use cookies and similar technologies to improve website navigation, remember user preferences, measure the effectiveness of website content, and support our marketing and communication activities where permitted by applicable law.
Most internet browsers automatically accept cookies; however, you may configure your browser settings to refuse, block or delete cookies if you prefer. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website and may prevent certain features, services or content from operating as intended.
For more information regarding our use of cookies and the processing of personal information through our website, please refer to our Cookie Notice (where applicable) and this Privacy Noti
8. How we share your information:
Protek – A Division of PE BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd only shares personal information where there is a lawful basis to do so, where it is necessary for our legitimate business operations, to fulfil our contractual obligations, to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, or where you have provided your consent where required.
Third-Party Service Providers
We may share personal information with the following categories of third parties, where necessary:
| Recipient / Category of Recipient | Purpose of Disclosure |
| PE BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd (Holding Company/Related Entities) | Administrative support, financial reporting, group governance, compliance, internal audits and shared business services. |
| Transport, Courier and Logistics Service Providers | Delivery of products, collection of goods, shipment tracking, proof of delivery and logistics management. |
| Warehousing and Distribution Service Providers | Inventory management, storage, order fulfilment and distribution of products. |
| Suppliers and Manufacturers | Procurement, sourcing of raw materials, product manufacturing, quality assurance, product traceability and warranty support. |
| Financial Institutions and Banks | Processing electronic payments, debit orders, refunds and other banking transactions. |
| Payment Service Providers | Processing electronic payments and payment verification. |
| Accounting Firms, Auditors and Bookkeepers | Financial reporting, statutory audits, tax compliance and accounting services. |
| Legal Advisors and Attorneys | Legal advice, litigation, debt recovery, dispute resolution, contractual matters and regulatory compliance. |
| Debt Collection Agencies | Recovery of outstanding accounts and collection of overdue payments. |
| Credit Bureaux and Credit Insurers | Credit assessments, credit risk management and trade account administration. |
| Information Technology Service Providers | Hosting, cloud storage, software support, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, system maintenance and technical support. |
| ERP, CRM and Business Software Providers | Customer relationship management, order processing, inventory management, procurement and financial administration. |
| Website Hosting Providers | Website hosting, website security, analytics and maintenance. |
| Email and Communication Service Providers | Business communications, newsletters, customer notifications and electronic correspondence. |
| Marketing, Advertising and Design Agencies | Marketing campaigns, promotional material, customer communications, exhibitions and product promotions where permitted by law. |
| Printing Companies | Printing of invoices, statements, catalogues, labels, technical documentation and other business material. |
| Product Testing Laboratories | Product quality testing, product registration support and regulatory compliance where applicable. |
| Professional Consultants | Business consulting, risk management, compliance, environmental, health and safety, and technical consulting services. |
| Occupational Health and Safety Consultants | Compliance with health and safety legislation and contractor management. |
| Insurance Companies and Brokers | Claims administration, liability management and insurance-related matters. |
| Regulatory Authorities | Compliance with legislation governing pesticides, agricultural chemicals, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, taxation and corporate governance. |
| Government Departments and Public Authorities | Compliance with statutory reporting obligations, licensing requirements and lawful requests. |
| Law Enforcement Agencies | Prevention, investigation or prosecution of fraud, criminal offences or other unlawful activities. |
| Courts, Tribunals and Alternative Dispute Resolution Bodies | Legal proceedings, subpoenas, court orders and dispute resolution processes. |
| External Auditors and Certification Bodies | Certification audits, quality management audits and compliance assessments. |
| Business Partners, Distributors and Authorised Dealers | Order fulfilment, customer support, product distribution and after-sales services where applicable. |
| Professional Registration Bodies | Verification of professional qualifications or registrations where applicable. |
Legal Disclosures:
Protek may disclose personal information where we believe, in good faith, that such disclosure is necessary or appropriate to:
- comply with applicable legislation, regulations or industry standards;
- comply with a subpoena, court order, warrant or other lawful legal process;
- respond to requests from regulatory authorities, government departments or law enforcement agencies;
- establish, exercise or defend legal rights or legal claims;
- investigate suspected fraud, theft, cybercrime, misconduct or other unlawful activities;
- protect the rights, property, safety or security of Protek, its employees, customers, suppliers, service providers or members of the public;
- enforce our contractual rights, policies and terms and conditions;
- support product recalls, product safety investigations or regulatory inspections where required by law; and
- comply with our statutory reporting and record-keeping obligations.
Where legally permissible and appropriate, Protek may notify the affected individual before disclosing personal information in response to a legal request. However, we may not do so where notification is prohibited by law, a court order, regulatory direction, or where the circumstances require urgent action to protect legal rights, public safety or prevent unlawful conduct.
Where we consider a request for personal information to be unlawful, overly broad, lacking sufficient authority or inconsistent with applicable legislation, we reserve the right to challenge or limit such request through the appropriate legal channels. However, we cannot guarantee that every request will be challenged.
9. Your rights and obligations:
Data Retention:
We keep most of your personal information while we still have a purpose, we need to provide you with services or where we are legally obligated to do so.
We will also keep your information where you have agreed for us to do so, or have given your consent that we are allowed to do so.
We keep some of your information even after our business relationship has terminated, if it is reasonably necessary to comply with our legal obligations, meet regulatory requirements, resolve disputes, maintain security, prevent fraud and abuse, enforce our other user agreements, or fulfil your request to object to our processing of your information.
You have rights in connection with your personal information. You have many choices about how your information is collected, used, and shared.
In certain circumstances, by law, you have the right to:
- Request access to your information: You will be able to ask us what information we have about you as well as ask for a copy of this information. This should be done on request to natasha@proteksa.co.za. There are some exemptions, which means you may not always receive all the information we process. When we can give you a copy it might be done at a certain fee, which will also be communicated to you at the time of your query.
- Change or correct information: You have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
- Delete information: You can ask us to delete or remove personal information under certain circumstances.
- Object to processing: You can do this where we are relying on your legitimate interest, public interest, or our legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground. You also have the right to object where we are processing your data for direct marketing purposes or where you have given your consent for the specific processing and you want to retract your consent. Retracting your consent does not invalidate the information we lawfully processed while we had your consent to do so.
- Request the restriction of processing: You can ask us to suspend the processing of personal data about you, for example, if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it.
10. Changes to our privacy notice:
Changes to the privacy notice apply to your use of our services. We may modify this privacy notice from time to time, as required by changes in legislation. When material changes are made, we will provide notice through our services, or by other means, to provide you the opportunity to review the changes before they become effective.
You acknowledge that your continued use of our services after we publish our changes to this privacy notice means that the collection, use, and sharing of your personal information is subject to the updated privacy notice.
11. Other important information:
Security:
We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your data from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered, or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal information on a business need-to-know basis, and subject to a duty of confidentiality.
Transborder information transfers:
We do not share any of our clients, suppliers, service providers and other third parties’ information across borders.
12. Contact Information:
Should you have a query please send an email to: natasha@proteksa.co.za
Our Information Officer:
Name: Natasha
Surname: Theunissen
Email: natasha@proteksa.co.za
Our Deputy Information Officer:
Name: Amanda
Surname: Pienaar
Email: mandie@proteksa.co.za
The Information Regulator:
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the South African Information Regulator. See the Information Regulator contact details below.
Woodmead North Office Park
54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead,
Johannesburg
POPIA complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
PAIA complaints: PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
General Queries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za