Privacy Policy
Purpose and overview
Your privacy is important to the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and we are committed to respecting it.
This privacy policy applies to the main UWC website, which includes the UWC homepage at http://www.uwc.ac.za as well as the following top-level pages: Learning and Teaching, Community Engagement, Research and Innovation, About, Admission & Financial Aid, Study, Campus Life, News & Announcements, Contact, Apply Now, Student Portal, iKamva, iEnabler, Online Applications, UWC Careers, Support UWC and Alumni.
In addition to the main UWC website, UWC departments, centres, units and individuals publish many other websites and pages outside the scope of this privacy statement, which may post and adhere to their own privacy statements. Visitors are encouraged to review posted privacy statements for each website they visit.
Collection of information
You can visit the main UWC website without telling us who you are and without revealing any personal information about yourself.
In using specific features, such as web forms, on the main UWC website, you may be asked to provide additional information, such as your name or email address, that may be needed to contact you or to subscribe you to updates. In such cases, it is our intent that your provided information will be used only to fulfill the request(s) you make of us, and to allow us to contact you if there are any problems with your request. We will not share, exchange, or sell your email address and other provided personal information to third parties.
The main UWC website will automatically collect information for visitor and traffic analytics using:- Cookies – A cookie is a short identifier, stored on your computer, that may contain site-specific settings or identify you to a site when you make a return visit. The main UWC website does not use cookies, with the exception of those used by Google Analytics, described below. All features of the main UWC website are designed to work without cookies. If you turn off cookies in your browser, you will still be able to fully experience the main UWC website.
- Google Analytics – The main UWC website uses Google Analytics to gather anonymous statistics. The information gathered is used to improve web services for visitors. Google Analytics uses a browser cookie for statistical analysis related to your browsing behaviour on these websites. If you choose, you can opt out by turning off cookies in the preferences settings in your browser, or download and install Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-On.
Use of information
We process your personal information collected on the main UWC website to facilitate our online interactions with you. We only collect and process your personal information to further UWC’s legitimate interests and/or to fulfill any contractual obligations with you.
UWC will always respect a request by you to stop processing your personal information (subject to our legal obligations).Security of information
UWC uses risk-assessed administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information. There are reasonable security measures in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We will let you know of any breaches which affect your personal information unless we are obligated in law not to do so.
We consider our relationship with the UWC community to be lifelong. This means that we will maintain a record for you until such time as you tell us that you no longer wish us to keep in touch. After such time, we will retain a core set of information for UWC’s legitimate purposes, such as archival, scientific, and historical research and for the defense of potential legal claims.
Changes to Privacy Policy
The status of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)
The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) was signed into law on 19 November 2013. The effective date was announced on 1 July 2020, giving UWC one year from the effective date to become compliant (1 July 2021).
The purpose of the POPIA is to:
- give effect to the constitutional right to privacy by safeguarding personal information;
- balance the right to privacy against other rights, like the right of access to information;
- regulate the way in which personal information must be processed; and
- provide persons with the right and remedies if the POPIA is contravened.
POPIA FAQs POPI Policy
Universities South Africa (USAf) Implementation and Guidelines
- USAf Guidelines
- Implementation
- POPIA Fact Sheet
Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) (No. 2, 2000)
The stated objective of the Act is to promote a culture of transparency and accountability in public and private bodies by giving effect to the right of access to information, as well as to actively promote a society in which the people of South Africa have effective access to information to enable them fully and thoroughly exercise and protect their rights. The Act determines that a requester must be given access to the record of a public body if the requester complies with all the procedural requirements of the Act relating to a request for that record, and if access to that record is not denied on any grounds of refusal as stated in the Act.
In compliance with the Legal Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2, 2000), PAIA, the requestor of such information can now complete an online form by clicking here.
The Act requires all public and private bodies to compile manuals that would give effect to the constitutional right of access to any information held by these bodies and required for the exercise or protection of any rights, or other connected matters.