This Privacy Policy outlines how Diaspora Meds collects, uses, discloses, retains, and protects your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other applicable laws.

Scope of the Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to any website, application, form, document, product, or service that references this Privacy Policy. It supplements any other privacy policies that may apply to Diaspora Meds’ processing of personal information.

Definition of Personal Information

Under POPIA, personal information is defined as “information which relates to an identifiable, living, natural person, and where applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic person.” This includes, but is not limited to:

• Name
• Sex and gender
• Address
• Contact details
• Identity number
• Medical or health information

Terminology Clarification

Please note that this Privacy Policy may have been previously referred to on this website as a “privacy notice” or “privacy statement.” Consequently, some documents or forms may still reference this Privacy Policy under those terms.

Who We Are

In this Privacy Policy, any reference to “Diaspora Meds,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refers to Diaspora Meds, a company duly registered within the Republic of South Africa in accordance with the Companies Act 71 of 2008. This includes our affiliates and subsidiaries as may be applicable.

How We Collect Information

Diaspora Meds collects personal information about you and any other individuals whose details you provide to us. This collection is done in accordance with relevant laws, including POPIA. We collect information in the following ways:

• Direct Collection: We collect personal information directly from you when you complete an application form for our products or services. This can occur electronically, telephonically, or via a hard copy form.
• Indirect Collection: We collect information indirectly when you interact with us electronically through our website, applications, or social media channels. This may include the collection of metadata (data about data) associated with your interactions.
• From Third Parties: We may collect information from third-party sources, including:
  • Retirement funds, employers, and other contracted entities related to medical schemes and group insurance policies.
  • Other entities within the Diaspora Meds partner network or associated financial intermediaries.
  • Public databases, data aggregators, financial institutions, credit bureaus, and fraud prevention agencies.
• Incomplete or Abandoned Information: We may also collect information if you have partially completed or abandoned an application on our website or other online forms. If you are already considered a customer, we may use this information to remind you to complete your application.

If personal information is required to provide you with our products and services, failure to provide the necessary information may result in our inability to offer those products and services. For services that include financial advice, incomplete or inaccurate information may compromise the quality of the advice provided. You are responsible for informing us of any changes to your information.

Collection of Information by Third Parties

Diaspora Meds may provide links to third-party websites on our site. Owners or administrators of these third-party websites may collect personal information about you when you use these links. Diaspora Meds does not control the collection or use of personal information by these third parties, and this Privacy Policy does not apply to their practices. We are not responsible for and accept no liability for the privacy policies or practices of third-party websites or services.

In addition, Diaspora Meds uses certain social networking services such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter to engage with the public and our clients. When you interact with Diaspora Meds through these social networking services, those services may collect your personal information for their own purposes. These services may track your use of our digital channels on pages where their links are displayed. If you are logged into these services (including any Google service) while using our digital channels, their tracking may be associated with your profile with those service providers.

These social networking services have their own privacy policies, which are separate from Diaspora Meds’ Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services to understand how your personal information may be collected and used.

What Information We Collect

The personal information we collect and process depends on your relationship with Diaspora Meds and the specific purposes for which we need to use your information. Generally, if we are processing your personal information in the context of our services, it may include the following:

• Information About You: This includes your name, identity number, age, gender, date of birth, nationality, occupation, lifestyle, current health status, medical history, and any existing conditions of each person insured. If you make a claim, we may also collect additional personal information related to the claim and any relevant third parties. Note that health information is considered special personal information, and we will handle it in strict compliance with applicable laws and for insurance-related purposes, including assessing policy terms, managing changes, and processing claims.
• Contact Information: This may include your email address, phone number, and postal address.
• Online Information: This includes data collected through cookies and your IP address (your computer’s internet address) when you use our websites, apps, or social media channels.
• Financial Information: We may process information related to payments you make or receive in connection with an insurance policy or claim. This includes information about your income, expenses, assets, liabilities, investments, retirement plans, and other financial provisions, especially in the context of providing financial advice and intermediary services.
• Contractual Information: Details about the policies you hold and the entities with which you have these policies.
• Health Information: This may include smoker status or other medical-related issues relevant to a policy or claim you have made.

In certain situations, we may require your consent to process your personal information. If you provide consent for a specific purpose, you can withdraw it at any time. However, please be aware that withdrawing consent will not affect any processing that occurred before the withdrawal, and it will not impact the processing of your personal information where consent is not required.

If you choose not to provide us with certain personal information, we may be unable to provide the relevant services or may need to terminate our business relationship. Providing specific items of personal information may be legally mandatory to comply with regulations.

Sharing Your Personal Information

Your personal information may be shared with third-party suppliers occasionally to facilitate and provide benefits to you, such as through a loyalty or rewards program, or to fulfill our contractual obligations to you.

Diaspora Meds will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. However, we may share your information with:

• Financial/Policy Consultants and Advisers: Financial/Policy consultants and advisers who are representatives of Diaspora Meds or have intermediary agreements with us.
• Within the Diaspora Meds Network or Partners and Service Providers: For legitimate business interests and purposes.

Diaspora Meds will disclose your personal information when required to do so by law:

• To Comply with Relevant Legislation: In accordance with applicable laws.
• To Comply with Legal Processes: Such as court orders or legal proceedings.
• By Regulatory Authorities: For example, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority or Prudential Authority.

Occasionally, Diaspora Meds may share aggregated, non-identifiable information with stakeholders and business partners for legitimate purposes (e.g., demographic data). This information will not identify individuals to whom it applies. We will only disclose your personal information to third parties when there is a valid processing ground as specified in section 11 of POPIA.

Transfer Across Borders

Some of the persons to whom we disclose your personal information may be located outside of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) in jurisdictions that may not have data protection laws comparable to those in the RSA. When we transfer your personal information to service providers outside of the RSA for storage or processing on our behalf, we ensure that:

• Adequate Protection: We only send your information to countries that have information protection legislation similar to that of the RSA, or
• Adherence to POPIA Principles: We ensure that the recipient agrees to adhere to the principles for processing information in accordance with POPIA.

Security and Storage of Information

Diaspora Meds is committed to protecting the integrity and confidentiality of your personal information. We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures to safeguard your information, including encryption for the transmission of sensitive data such as credit card numbers. Despite these measures, we cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted online, and you do so at your own risk.

When third parties are involved in processing your personal information for the purposes outlined in this notice and for other lawful requirements, we ensure that they are contractually obligated to apply appropriate security practices.

Your personal information will be retained for as long as necessary to fulfill legal, regulatory, fraud prevention, and legitimate business purposes.

Marketing

Where you provide your personal information to Diaspora Meds in the context of a sale of one of our products or services, you agree to Diaspora Meds sending you information on news, trends, services, events, and promotions for our own similar products and services.

This is always subject to your right to opt out of receiving such marketing at the time your information is collected and on each subsequent marketing communication thereafter. You may object to receiving direct marketing from Diaspora Meds at any time by contacting [email protected] or [email protected] or contacting +27 68 194 7205 | +44 7455 451551 | +44 3301 330675.

Where you choose to exercise your right to opt out of direct marketing, please allow up to 14 days for Diaspora Meds to effect that change.

Cookies

A cookie is a small text file that is downloaded onto your device (e.g., computer or smartphone) when you access a website. It allows the website to recognize your device and store some information about your preferences or past actions.

What cookies do we use?

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the basic functioning of our website.
• Performance Cookies: Help us measure website performance and user interactions, including how many times a page is visited and how users arrive at our site.
• Functionality Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings, such as language and display options, to enhance your browsing experience.
• Advertising Cookies: Assist us in providing tailored content and relevant advertising based on your interests. These cookies may also be used by third-party data suppliers to understand your digital behavior and target relevant ads.

How do I disable cookies?

You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, allowing you to decide whether to accept it. However, disabling cookies may impact your ability to fully utilize some features of the website, such as automatic log-in and personalization options.

Children

Diaspora Meds’ websites are not primarily directed at children. We are committed to complying with laws aimed at protecting children and their personal information.

Updates

This Privacy Policy was last updated on 31 August 2024. Any material changes will be posted on the Diaspora Meds website’s home page. Please check the website regularly to stay informed about the latest version of this Privacy Policy.

Questions Regarding This Policy

Questions, comments, and requests regarding this policy may be directed to [email protected].