TheSupportiveMinds

POPIA Privacy Notice

Last updated: September 2026 | TheSupportiveMinds

Information Officer

In accordance with Section 55 of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), TheSupportiveMinds has designated the following Information Officers to handle requests relating to the processing of personal information:

Designated Information Officer

Liam Bester

Deputy Information Officer

Rihaas Rossouw

Contact Email

thesupportiveminds@gmail.com

Physical / Administrative Address

Drommedaris, Milnerton, 7405

1. Introduction

TheSupportiveMinds ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our mental health marketplace platform, teletherapy services, and educational courses.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

  • Identification data: Full name, email address, phone number, and profile photo.
  • Health data (special personal information): Symptoms, concerns, mental health preferences, session notes, and questionnaire responses.
  • Payment data: Transaction records processed securely via Yoco and Stripe (we do not store card numbers).
  • Communication data: Messages between clients and therapists, community posts, and support emails.
  • Technical data: IP address, browser type, and usage analytics.

Processing of Health Data & International Transfer

TheSupportiveMinds processes special personal information, including mental health data, as defined under Section 26 of POPIA. Your health data is processed securely via encrypted international servers with your explicit consent.

In accordance with Section 72 of POPIA, we transfer and process your personal information on international servers only with your explicit, informed consent. By using our services and completing the questionnaire or booking a session, you provide consent for your health data to be stored and processed on encrypted international infrastructure operated by our cloud service providers.

All data in transit and at rest is encrypted using industry-standard TLS 1.2+ and AES-256 encryption. We do not sell, rent, or share your health data with third parties for marketing purposes. Access to your health data is restricted to your assigned HPCSA-registered therapist and authorised administrative staff on a strict need-to-know basis.

3. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

  • To match you with a suitable HPCSA-registered therapist based on your needs.
  • To facilitate teletherapy sessions and secure messaging between you and your therapist.
  • To provide access to purchased educational courses and toolkits.
  • To process payments and issue receipts.
  • To send appointment reminders and platform notifications.
  • To comply with legal and regulatory obligations under POPIA and HPCSA guidelines.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal information under the lawful bases set out in POPIA, including: your consent (Section 11), the performance of a contract (provision of therapy services), compliance with a legal obligation (HPCSA record-keeping), and your legitimate interests in receiving mental health support. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting our Information Officer.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Health records are retained in accordance with HPCSA guidelines. You may request deletion of your data at any time, subject to our legal obligation to retain certain records.

6. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you.
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements).
  • Object to the processing of your personal information.
  • Withdraw consent for processing at any time.
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer at thesupportiveminds@gmail.com. For formal access requests, please refer to our PAIA Manual.

7. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard your personal information, including encryption, access controls, regular security assessments, and staff training on POPIA compliance. Despite these measures, no system can guarantee absolute security, and we cannot ensure the security of information you transmit to us over the internet.

8. Cookies & Analytics

We use cookies and analytics tools (including TikTok Pixel and Meta Pixel) to understand how visitors use our platform and improve our services. You can control cookies through your browser settings. These tools do not access your health data.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for individuals aged 18 and older, or minors with parental/guardian consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without verifiable parental consent. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact our Information Officer.

10. Changes to This Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated notice on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or wish to exercise your rights under POPIA, please contact our Information Officer:

Liam Bester — Information Officer

Rihaas Rossouw — Deputy Information Officer

Email: thesupportiveminds@gmail.com

Address: Drommedaris, Milnerton, 7405

You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:
Email: complaints@inforegulator.org.za | Phone: 012 406 7940 | Website: inforegulator.org.za