Privacy Policy
Last updated: 30 April 2025
This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information processed by Labour Link Software (Pty) Ltd in connection with the Labour Link, Safe Link, and Scan Link platforms and our website. It is designed to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa.
1. Introduction
Labour Link Software (Pty) Ltd ("Labour Link", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of all individuals who interact with our platform, including farm owners, HR managers, security guards, packhouse supervisors, and farm workers registered through our system.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and other applicable South African legislation.
By using any of our platforms — including the Labour Link workforce management system, the Safe Link security operations platform, the Scan Link packhouse traceability system, the Farm Owners Portal, the HR Portal, or our mobile application — you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
2. Who We Are
Labour Link Software (Pty) Ltd is the Responsible Party as defined under POPIA. We are a South African agricultural technology company providing integrated workforce management, security operations, and packhouse traceability software to farms and agricultural businesses across South Africa.
Our Information Officer can be contacted at the details provided in the Contact section below.
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Farm Workers & Field Employees
- Full name, South African identity number or passport number
- Biometric data used for identity verification (fingerprints or facial recognition where applicable)
- Employment history submitted by participating farms
- Incident history, including safety, theft, or disciplinary records contributed by farms
- Physical presence records and attendance data
3.2 Farm Owners & HR Managers
- Full name and contact details (email address and phone number)
- Company name, farm name, and business registration information
- Login credentials (stored in hashed form; we never store plain-text passwords)
- Subscription and billing information processed through our secure payment provider
- Usage data related to your activity within our portals
3.3 Security Guards (Safe Link)
- Full name, contact number, and employee identification
- GPS location data captured during patrol routes and shift check-ins
- Incident reports including time, description, and photographs submitted via the mobile app
- Shift records and occurrence book entries
3.4 Packhouse Operators (Scan Link)
- Operator identification linked to scanning activity
- Batch and product traceability data including timestamps and scan events
- Packhouse throughput and quality control metrics
3.5 Website Visitors
- IP address and browser/device information collected automatically
- Pages visited, time spent, and referral source (via analytics cookies)
- Information you voluntarily submit through our Contact form, including your name, email address, farm name, and message
4. How We Use Your Information
We process personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected and with a valid legal basis under POPIA. Specifically, we use your information to:
- Provide, operate, and improve our Labour Link, Safe Link, and Scan Link platforms
- Verify worker identities using biometrics and identity document checks
- Maintain a shared worker history database accessible to participating farms within our network, enabling transparency and accountability across the agricultural community
- Allow farms to access shared incident histories to make informed hiring decisions and prevent re-employment of individuals with serious safety or theft records
- Track GPS patrol routes and generate automated shift reports and WhatsApp notifications for Safe Link clients
- Enable packhouse traceability and quality control through Scan Link barcode scanning
- Manage user accounts, subscriptions, and billing
- Communicate service updates, support responses, and product information
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations applicable to us
- Improve our products through aggregated, anonymised analytics
6. Legal Basis for Processing
Under POPIA, we rely on the following grounds to process personal information:
- Contractual necessity — to deliver the services you or your employer has subscribed to
- Legitimate interest — to maintain the shared worker history database for the safety and security of the broader farming community, balanced against worker rights
- Legal obligation — to comply with South African labour law and other applicable legislation
- Consent — where you have provided explicit consent, such as for biometric verification or marketing communications
Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
7. Who We Share Your Information With
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information with:
- Participating farms within the Labour Link network — limited to worker history and incident data as described in Section 5
- Trusted service providers — including cloud hosting providers, payment processors, and communication platforms (e.g. WhatsApp Business API) — who process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements
- Legal authorities — where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of Labour Link or others
All third-party service providers are contractually obligated to process personal information only as instructed by us, to maintain appropriate security standards, and to comply with applicable data protection legislation.
8. How Long We Keep Your Information
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our general retention periods are:
- Worker identity and history records: retained for the duration of our relationship with participating farms, plus 5 years thereafter
- Incident records: retained for 5 years from the date of the incident, unless a longer period is required by law
- GPS and patrol data: retained for 12 months from collection
- Account and billing records: retained for 5 years from the date of the last transaction
- Contact form enquiries: retained for 2 years
- Website analytics data: retained for 12 months
When retention periods expire, information is securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be linked to an identifiable individual.
9. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights with respect to your personal information:
- Right of access — to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Right to correction — to request that inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information be corrected
- Right to deletion — to request that your personal information be deleted, subject to legal retention obligations
- Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interest where your specific circumstances warrant it
- Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, to withdraw that consent at any time
- Right to lodge a complaint — to submit a complaint to the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights have been violated
To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer at the details in Section 12. We will respond to all valid requests within 30 days.
The Information Regulator of South Africa can be contacted at: inforeg@justice.gov.za or +27 (0)12 406 4818.
10. How We Protect Your Information
We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:
- Encryption of data in transit using TLS/HTTPS
- Encrypted storage of sensitive data including passwords (hashed) and biometric data
- Role-based access controls ensuring staff access only the data necessary for their role
- Regular security assessments and penetration testing
- Secure, audited cloud infrastructure hosted within or with appropriate safeguards for cross-border transfers
Despite our best efforts, no system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach that is likely to prejudice you, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or want to raise a concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact our Information Officer:
Labour Link Software (Pty) Ltd
Email: marketing@labourlinksoftware.co.za
Website: www.labourlinksoftware.co.za
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or a prominent notice on our website.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our platforms after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.