Privacy Policy & POPIA Compliance

1. Introduction

Akili Africa Education (Pty) Ltd ("Akili", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of all users of our platform, including school learners, parents, postgraduate students, supervisors, and teachers. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African legislation.

2. Who We Are

Akili Africa Education operates an educational platform serving learners from Grade 1 through doctoral level across South Africa and the African continent. Our registered contact address is in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. For all privacy-related enquiries, contact us at info@akili-africa-education.co.za.

3. Personal Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information necessary to provide our services:

• Parents and guardians: Full name, email address, WhatsApp number, payment information (processed securely by PayFast — we do not store card details).
• School learners: First name, grade, WhatsApp number used to access Study Buddy. We do not collect South African ID numbers or school registration numbers.
• Postgraduate students: Full name, email address, university, programme, research topic, and academic documents submitted for assessment.
• Supervisors and teachers: Full name, email address, WhatsApp number, institutional affiliation.
• Usage data: Chat history with the Akili Research Companion and Study Buddy, document submissions, and milestone progress records.

4. Special Provisions for Minors

Akili takes the protection of children's personal information extremely seriously. In compliance with POPIA and the Children's Act:

• We do not collect personal information from children under 18 without verifiable parental or guardian consent.
• All school learner accounts are registered and managed by a parent or guardian.
• We do not share learner data with third parties for marketing purposes.
• Learner chat conversations with Study Buddy are used solely to provide educational support and improve service quality.
• Parents may request the deletion of their child's data at any time by contacting us at info@akili-africa-education.co.za.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information only for the following purposes:

• To provide and improve our educational services
• To process payments and manage subscriptions
• To send daily activity reports to supervisors and weekly progress reports to parents
• To communicate important service updates
• To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for commercial purposes.

6. Data Storage and Security

All personal information is stored securely on Supabase infrastructure hosted in the European Union (Frankfurt region) with enterprise-grade encryption at rest and in transit. Payment processing is handled by PayFast, a PCI-DSS compliant South African payment provider. We do not store credit card or banking details.

Access to personal data is restricted to authorised Akili personnel only. All staff are required to maintain confidentiality of user information.

7. WhatsApp Communications

Akili communicates with users via WhatsApp using Twilio's Business API. By registering on Akili, you consent to receive WhatsApp messages from Akili on the number you provided, including daily supervisor alerts, weekly learner progress reports, and service notifications. You may opt out at any time by contacting us.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Objection: Object to the processing of your personal information.
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@akili-africa-education.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Retention of Information

We retain personal information for as long as your account is active or as required by law. Academic documents and research records submitted by postgraduate students are retained for 5 years after the end of the subscription. Upon request, personal information will be deleted within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email or WhatsApp. Continued use of Akili after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

For all privacy-related enquiries, requests, or complaints: