Privacy Policy

Last updated: 8 June 2026 · Aligned to the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA)

1 Who we are

Skool Cast (Pty) Ltd, trading as SkoolCast, operates an online supplementary-learning platform for Grade 7–12 students, their parents/guardians, teachers and sponsors, at skoolcast.co.za. For the purposes of POPIA, Skool Cast (Pty) Ltd is the "responsible party" for personal information processed through the Platform, and our Information Officer's details appear in section 13 below.

2 Information we collect

Depending on how you use the Platform, we may collect:

• Account information: name, surname, email address, phone number, date of birth/grade, role (student, parent, teacher, sponsor), password (stored encrypted/hashed), and profile details you choose to provide;
• Learner information: grade, subjects, lesson activity, quiz/exam results, progress and engagement data, and content unlocked or purchased;
• Parent/guardian information: details necessary to link a parent account to a learner's account and to obtain and record consent for minors;
• Teacher information: qualifications, subjects taught, SACE/professional registration details (where provided), uploaded lesson content, earnings and payout details;
• Payment and wallet information: voucher redemption records, wallet balances and transaction history (we do not store full payment-card numbers — payments are processed through accredited third-party payment service providers);
• Communications: messages sent through the Platform, support queries, and AI Homework Help interactions;
• Technical information: IP address, device/browser type, log-in timestamps, and similar data collected automatically to operate and secure the Platform.

3 Children's personal information

Because many of our users are minors, we apply the special protections required by POPIA (sections 34–35) and the Children's Act 38 of 2005:

• we only process a child's personal information with the consent of, and participation by, a parent or legal guardian, or where processing is otherwise permitted by law (for example, where it is necessary for educational purposes and is in the best interests of the child);
• parent/guardian accounts are used to grant, record and manage that consent and to allow oversight of a learner's account; and
• we limit the collection of children's personal information to what is reasonably necessary to provide the Platform's educational services.

If you believe we have collected a child's information without appropriate consent, please contact us immediately so we can investigate and, where appropriate, delete it.

4 Why we process your information

We process personal information to: create and manage accounts; deliver lessons, live classes, marketplace and AI features; process voucher redemptions, unlocks and teacher payouts; personalise and improve the Platform; communicate with you (including service notices, progress updates, and — where you have agreed — promotional messages); maintain the security and integrity of the Platform; detect and prevent fraud, abuse and unlawful conduct; and comply with our legal obligations (for example, tax, consumer-protection and law-enforcement requirements).

Our lawful grounds for processing include: your consent; the necessity of processing to perform our agreement with you (our Terms & Conditions); compliance with a legal obligation; and our legitimate interests in operating, securing and improving the Platform — balanced, in every case, against your rights and interests, with extra care taken where children's information is involved.

5 How we share information

We do not sell personal information. We only share it:

• with service providers who help us run the Platform under written agreements requiring them to protect your information and use it only for the agreed purpose — for example, cloud storage and streaming providers (such as Cloudflare, used to securely host and stream lesson audio, video and PDF content), payment and voucher processors, email/SMS providers, and analytics or security tools;
• with a teacher, where necessary, so that they can deliver the lessons or services a learner has unlocked;
• with a parent/guardian, where necessary, to allow oversight of a linked learner account;
• where required by law, regulation, court order, or a lawful request from the South African Police Service, the Information Regulator, or another competent authority; or
• where you have given specific consent for us to share your information for a stated purpose.

We require all service providers, wherever located, to apply security and confidentiality safeguards consistent with POPIA before we share any personal information with them.

6 Cross-border storage and transfers

Some of our service providers (including cloud storage and content-delivery providers) may process or store information outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we take the steps required by section 72 of POPIA to ensure that the recipient is subject to laws, binding agreements, or codes of conduct that provide an adequate, comparable level of protection before any personal information is transferred.

7 How we protect your information

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction — including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), access controls, hashed passwords, secure cloud storage, and server-side content delivery (so that paid lesson files are streamed to your device rather than exposed as downloadable links). No system can be guaranteed 100% secure; if we become aware of a security compromise that is likely to affect you, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by section 22 of POPIA.

8 How long we keep information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Policy, to comply with our legal, accounting, tax or regulatory obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete, destroy or de-identify it, in line with section 14 of POPIA.

9 Your rights under POPIA

Subject to applicable law, you (or, for a minor, your parent/guardian acting on your behalf) have the right to:

• be informed that we hold your personal information and request a copy of it;
• request correction, updating or deletion of personal information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading, or obtained unlawfully;
• object, on reasonable grounds, to the processing of your personal information;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent (this will not affect processing carried out before the withdrawal); and
• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your information has been processed unlawfully.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer using the details in section 13. We will respond within the timeframes required by POPIA.

10 Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences (such as light/dark theme), understand how the Platform is used, and keep it secure. You can control cookies through your browser settings; please note that disabling certain cookies may affect how the Platform works.

11 Marketing communications

Where you have agreed to receive marketing or promotional communications, you may opt out at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in the communication or by contacting us directly. We will not send direct marketing to a child without the consent of their parent/guardian.

12 Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or how we process personal information. Material changes will be communicated through the Platform or by email before they take effect.

13 Our Information Officer

14 Lodging a complaint with the Information Regulator

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal information, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa: