PoPIA Compliancy Guide
What Is PoPIA Compliancy & why your Website must comply!
South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (PoPIA*) aims to protect the personal data of all individuals.
(You can read the full dedicated Page for PoPIA Compliancy here https://popia.co.za/)
⚠️ Disclaimer
This guide is provided for informational purposes only to help small business owners understand standard practices of PoPIA Compliancy. It should not be considered legal advice. For specific compliance or legal concerns, please consult a qualified professional.
Index
Key Dates & Penalties
Who must comply?
PoPIA Compliance Checklist
Requirements
How to start Quick Rundown
Non Compliance Risks
Frequently Asked Questions
Pro Tips
Useful Links
Here’s what every website owner needs to know:
Key Dates & Penalties
- Commencement: 1 July 2020.
- Enforcement Began: 1 July 2021.
- Fines: Up to R10 million or even 10 years in prison for non-compliance.
Who Must Comply?
PoPIA applies to all public and private entities that collect, process, or store personal information of South African residents — including websites that handle:
- Contact forms
- Newsletters
- User registrations
- Analytics and cookies
- Payment/checkout processes
PoPIA Website Compliance Checklist
Make sure your site meets these eight POPIA conditions:
- Accountability – Appoint a Data or Information Officer.
- Processing Limitation – Only collect necessary data.
- Purpose Specification – Declare data use clearly.
- Further Processing Limitation – No hidden secondary use.
- Information Quality – Keep info accurate.
- Openness – Publish Privacy & Cookie Policy.
- Security Safeguards – Use encryption, backups, secure storage.
- Data Subject Participation – Enable users to access, correct, or delete data.
Website PoPIA Compliancy Requirements
- Privacy & Cookie Policy – Clearly state what data you collect and why.
- Request Consent – Especially for cookies, subscriptions, contact forms.
- Breach Notification – Must notify users and the Information Regulator promptly.
How to start PoPIA Compliancy (Quick Rundown)
- Create or update your Privacy Policy
- Add a cookie-consent banner
- Get explicit opt-in consent for forms
- Enable encryption (SSL/TLS) on your site
- Appoint an Information or Data Officer
- Create procedures for data subject requests
- Set up monitoring and security controls
Non-Compliance Risks
Ignoring PoPIA can lead to serious consequences:
- Fines up to R10 million.
- Jail time (up to 10 years) for serious offenses.
- Damage to your reputation and possible legal actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have Questions of your own? Contact us
💡 Pro Tips
Appoint an Information Officer
Draft and Publish Privacy Policy
Draft and Publish Cookie Policy
Draft and Publish Terms & Conditions
Have a Cookie consent popup module
