Last updated: 27 March 2026
Horizon Labs (Pty) Ltd ("Horizon Labs", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the personal information of our clients, website visitors, and all other individuals we interact with. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and any other applicable South African data protection legislation.
We take your privacy seriously. If you have questions about this policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact our Information Officer (see Section 13).
Horizon Labs (Pty) Ltd is a digital agency based in Johannesburg, South Africa, providing web development, digital marketing, SEO, social media management, and related services to South African businesses.
We act as the Responsible Party (as defined in POPIA) in respect of the personal information we collect and process.
This policy applies to:
We may collect the following categories of personal information:
We do not intentionally collect special personal information (as defined in POPIA — e.g., race, religion, health information, sexual orientation, criminal records) unless you voluntarily provide it or it is strictly necessary for a specific service.
We collect personal information:
We process personal information only where we have a lawful basis under POPIA:
| Purpose | Lawful Basis |
|---|---|
| Delivering contracted services | Contract |
| Invoicing and payments | Contract / Legal obligation |
| Responding to enquiries | Legitimate interest / Consent |
| Improving our website | Legitimate interest |
| Marketing communications | Consent |
| Tax and legal compliance | Legal obligation |
| Processing job applications | Consent / Legitimate interest |
| Website analytics | Legitimate interest / Consent |
Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time (see Section 10).
We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:
We engage trusted third-party service providers including website hosting providers, email platforms, analytics tools, accounting software, and payment processors. These providers act as Operators under POPIA and are contractually required to process personal information only on our instructions.
We may disclose personal information if required to do so by law, a court order, or a regulatory authority (e.g., SARS, the Information Regulator).
If Horizon Labs undergoes a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected individuals as required by law.
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and to analyse website traffic.
| Type | Purpose | Can Be Disabled? |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Required for the website to function | No |
| Analytics | Understanding how visitors use our site | Yes |
| Marketing | Tracking effectiveness of advertising | Yes |
| Preference | Remembering your preferences | Yes |
When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You may accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customise your preferences.
Under POPIA, you have the following rights:
| Right | Description |
|---|---|
| Right to be notified | You have the right to know that we are collecting your personal information and why. |
| Right of access | You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. |
| Right to correction | You may request that we correct inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal information. |
| Right to deletion | You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal exceptions. |
| Right to object | You may object to the processing of your personal information, particularly for direct marketing. |
| Right to withdraw consent | Where we process based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. |
| Right to complain | You may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa. |
Submit a written request to our Information Officer at hello@horizonlabs.co.za with the subject line "POPIA Data Subject Request". We will respond within 30 days.
| Category | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Client contract and project records | 5 years after end of relationship |
| Financial and accounting records | 5 years (Companies Act and SARS) |
| Marketing communications records | Until opt-out, plus 1 year |
| Website analytics data | 26 months |
| Job application records (unsuccessful) | 1 year after process concludes |
| General correspondence | 2 years from last contact |
After the applicable retention period, personal information is securely deleted or anonymised.
Horizon Labs operates primarily in South Africa. However, some of our service providers are located outside South Africa (e.g., United States — Google Workspace, Google Analytics, cloud hosting providers), which means your personal information may be transferred internationally.
Where we transfer personal information outside South Africa, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, as required by POPIA Section 72. These safeguards include ensuring the recipient country provides adequate protection, binding contractual arrangements, or obtaining your consent.
As required by POPIA, Horizon Labs has designated an Information Officer responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy and the Act.
Our Information Officer is registered with the Information Regulator of South Africa as required by POPIA.
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:
In the event of a data breach that could result in harm to you, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected individuals as required by POPIA Section 22.
Our services are directed at business owners and professionals and are not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
We may send you marketing communications about our services where you have given us consent, or you are an existing client and the communication relates to similar services. You can opt out at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email or emailing us at hello@horizonlabs.co.za with the subject line "Unsubscribe".
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date, post the updated policy on our website, and notify existing clients by email where the change significantly affects how we process their information.
If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about how we handle your personal information:
Information Regulator of South Africa
This privacy policy was prepared in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA).