Effective date: 1 June 2025
Last updated: 23 May 2026
Featherwood Retirement Estate (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the personal information of our residents, trustees, staff, and website visitors in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have regarding your information.
1. Information Officer
The designated Information Officer for Featherwood Retirement Estate is the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. All privacy-related enquiries, access requests, and complaints should be directed to:
Email: info@featherwoodliving.co.za
Address: Featherwood Retirement Estate, Pretoriuspark, Pretoria, South Africa
2. What Personal Information We Collect
We collect and process the following categories of personal information, depending on your relationship with the estate:
2.1 Residents and Property Owners
- Full name, identity number or date of birth
- Unit number and physical address within the estate
- Contact details (telephone, email address)
- Emergency contact information
- Next-of-kin details
- Vehicle registration numbers (for access control)
- Banking details (for levy payments, where applicable)
2.2 Website Users and Registered Portal Users
- Name and email address (when creating a resident portal account)
- Username and encrypted password
- Login activity and document access history
- IP address, browser type, and device information (collected automatically)
- Cookie identifiers and session data
2.3 Contact Form Submissions
- Name, email address, telephone number
- Message content and any attachments
2.4 Trustees and Committee Members
- Full name and contact details
- Role and committee membership
- Profile information displayed on the website (with consent)
3. Purpose of Processing
We process your personal information for the following lawful purposes under POPIA:
- Estate administration and management — Legitimate interest; contractual obligation
- Providing secure access to the resident document portal — Contractual obligation; consent
- Communication of estate notices, newsletters, and AGM documentation — Legitimate interest
- Managing levy accounts and financial records — Legal obligation; contractual obligation
- Security and access control — Legitimate interest
- Responding to contact form enquiries — Consent
- Website analytics and performance improvement — Legitimate interest
- Compliance with the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act — Legal obligation
4. Resident Portal and User Accounts
The Featherwood website includes a secure resident portal where registered users can access estate documents, newsletters, AGM notices, forms, and community information. When you register for a portal account:
- Your account is created by an estate administrator or trustee, or you may self-register with approval
- Your password is stored in encrypted form and is never visible to administrators
- Your login activity may be logged for security purposes
- Access to certain document categories may be restricted based on your role (resident, trustee, owner)
- You may request deletion of your portal account at any time by contacting the Information Officer
5. Cookies and Website Tracking
Our website uses cookies to ensure proper functionality and to improve your experience:
- Essential cookies — Session management, login authentication, security (session / 14 days)
- Functional cookies — Language preferences, display settings (1 year)
- Analytics cookies — Anonymous usage statistics via Google Analytics, if enabled (2 years)
You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from logging into the resident portal.
6. Data Sharing and Third Parties
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We may share your information with the following third parties only as necessary:
- Managing agents or estate administrators appointed by the Body Corporate
- Legal and financial service providers engaged for estate administration
- Website hosting providers who store data on secure servers
- Email service providers used for estate communications
- Law enforcement or regulatory bodies when required by law
All third-party service providers are required to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information in accordance with POPIA.
7. Data Retention
- Resident records: Duration of ownership/tenancy plus 5 years
- Financial records: 7 years (as required by tax legislation)
- Portal account data: Until account deletion is requested or 2 years of inactivity
- Contact form submissions: 12 months
- Website analytics data: 26 months (anonymised)
- AGM and trustee minutes: Indefinitely (legal requirement under STSMA)
8. Data Security
- SSL/TLS encryption for all website traffic
- Encrypted password storage
- Role-based access control for the document portal
- Regular software updates and security patches
- Access restricted to authorised personnel only
9. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a data subject, you have the following rights under POPIA (sections 23 to 25):
- Right of access: Request confirmation of what personal information we hold about you
- Right to correction: Request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected
- Right to deletion: Request deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary
- Right to object: Object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds
- Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time
- Right to lodge a complaint: Submit a complaint to the Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been violated
To exercise any of these rights, contact the Information Officer at info@featherwoodliving.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.
10. Information Regulator
If you are not satisfied with how we handle your personal information, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator:
The Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The updated policy will be published on this page with a revised date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
12. Consent
By using this website, creating a resident portal account, or submitting information through our contact forms, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this privacy policy and consent to the processing of your personal information as described herein.