PRIVACY POLICY, WEBSITE DISCLAIMER & TERMS OF USE

Website: FemForward.co.za

FemForward.co.za (“FemForward”, “we”, “us”, “our” or “the Website”) respects the privacy of visitors and users of this Website.

This Privacy Policy explains how personal information may be collected, used, stored, disclosed and protected when you visit or interact with FemForward.co.za.

This document also contains important disclaimers and limitations of liability relating to your use of the Website, its content, services, resources, links and any information made available through it.

By accessing or using FemForward.co.za, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to the terms contained in this document, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

1. APPLICABLE SOUTH AFRICAN LAW

FemForward intends to operate in accordance with applicable South African legislation, including, where applicable:

  • The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA);
  • The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA);
  • The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECT Act);
  • The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA), where applicable;
  • The Copyright Act 98 of 1978, where applicable;
  • Other applicable South African legislation, regulations and common-law principles.

POPIA establishes requirements concerning the lawful processing and protection of personal information. The Information Regulator is responsible for monitoring and enforcing POPIA and PAIA compliance in South Africa.

The ECT Act also contains provisions relating to electronic communications, electronic transactions, consumer protection and privacy.

Nothing in this Policy is intended to exclude or limit any right or obligation that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under South African law.

2. INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT

Depending on how you interact with FemForward, we may collect certain information, including:

2.1 Information you voluntarily provide

This may include:

  • Full name;
  • Email address;
  • Telephone or mobile number;
  • Physical or postal address;
  • Company or organisation details;
  • Username or account information;
  • Information submitted through contact forms;
  • Newsletter or mailing-list information;
  • Information submitted through applications, registrations, surveys or enquiries;
  • Messages, comments, feedback or correspondence;
  • Any other information you voluntarily provide to us.

You should not submit sensitive, confidential or unnecessary personal information through the Website unless it is specifically requested and there is a lawful reason for collecting it.

2.2 Automatically collected information

When you access the Website, certain technical information may automatically be collected, including:

  • IP address;
  • Browser type;
  • Device type;
  • Operating system;
  • Referring website;
  • Pages visited;
  • Date and time of access;
  • Approximate geographic information;
  • Website usage information;
  • Technical and diagnostic information.

This information may be collected through server logs, cookies, analytics tools and similar technologies.

3. HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION

Personal information may be processed for legitimate and lawful purposes, including:

  • Responding to enquiries;
  • Providing requested services or information;
  • Managing registrations or subscriptions;
  • Communicating with users;
  • Sending newsletters or other communications where permitted;
  • Improving the Website;
  • Understanding Website usage;
  • Maintaining Website security;
  • Preventing fraud, abuse or unlawful activity;
  • Managing business operations;
  • Maintaining records;
  • Complying with legal and regulatory obligations;
  • Enforcing our agreements, policies and rights;
  • Protecting the rights, property and safety of FemForward, its users and third parties.

We will endeavour to process personal information only for purposes that are lawful, reasonable and compatible with the purpose for which the information was collected.

4. LAWFUL PROCESSING

Where POPIA applies, FemForward will endeavour to process personal information in accordance with the applicable conditions for lawful processing.

Depending on the circumstances, processing may be based on:

  • Consent;
  • Performance of a contract;
  • Compliance with a legal obligation;
  • Protection of a legitimate interest;
  • A legitimate interest pursued by FemForward or a third party, where permitted;
  • Another lawful basis recognised by applicable law.

Where consent is relied upon, you may withdraw your consent where legally permitted.

Withdrawal of consent does not necessarily affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before consent was withdrawn.

5. MINIMUM INFORMATION REQUIRED

FemForward will endeavour to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the particular purpose for which it is processed.

Where information is optional, users may choose not to provide it. However, refusing to provide certain information may prevent FemForward from providing particular services, responding to an enquiry or processing a request.

The Information Regulator’s guidance emphasises collecting only information that is necessary for a specific and defined purpose and securely deleting information that is no longer required.

6. ACCURACY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We endeavour to maintain accurate and reasonably up-to-date personal information.

You are responsible for providing accurate information and should notify us if information you have provided becomes incorrect or outdated.

You may request that inaccurate personal information be corrected or updated, subject to applicable law.

7. DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

FemForward will not intentionally sell or rent personal information to third parties.

Personal information may, however, be disclosed where reasonably necessary and lawful, including to:

  • Website hosting providers;
  • Website developers and technical service providers;
  • IT and cybersecurity providers;
  • Email and newsletter service providers;
  • Analytics providers;
  • Payment processors;
  • Professional advisers;
  • Legal advisers;
  • Auditors;
  • Business partners where appropriate;
  • Government authorities or regulatory bodies where legally required;
  • Law-enforcement authorities where required or permitted by law;
  • Third parties where you have provided appropriate consent;
  • Successors or acquiring entities in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, sale or transfer of all or part of the business.

Third-party service providers may only receive information reasonably required for the service they provide, subject to applicable contractual and legal requirements.

8. THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS

FemForward may use third-party platforms and technologies to operate the Website.

These may include, depending on the services implemented:

  • Website hosting providers;
  • Cloud storage providers;
  • Email providers;
  • Analytics services;
  • Social-media platforms;
  • Payment providers;
  • Anti-spam and security services;
  • Customer relationship management systems;
  • Marketing platforms;
  • Website plugins and software;
  • Embedded content providers.

Third-party providers operate under their own privacy policies and terms.

FemForward does not control the privacy practices, security systems or policies of third parties and cannot guarantee how those parties process information.

Users should review the privacy policies of relevant third-party services where appropriate.

9. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Some service providers used by FemForward may store or process information outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, FemForward will endeavour to comply with applicable requirements of POPIA and other applicable legislation.

By using the Website, you acknowledge that certain technical service providers may process information through infrastructure located outside South Africa, subject to applicable legal requirements.

10. COOKIES

FemForward may use cookies and similar technologies.

Cookies may be used to:

  • Operate the Website;
  • Remember preferences;
  • Improve functionality;
  • Understand Website traffic;
  • Analyse Website performance;
  • Improve user experience;
  • Assist with security;
  • Support marketing activities where applicable.

You may configure your browser to reject or restrict cookies.

However, disabling cookies may cause certain features of the Website to function incorrectly or become unavailable.

Where legally required, FemForward will seek appropriate consent for non-essential cookies or similar technologies.

11. ANALYTICS

FemForward may use analytics services to understand how visitors use the Website.

Analytics information may include:

  • Pages viewed;
  • Time spent on pages;
  • Referring websites;
  • Device information;
  • Browser information;
  • Approximate location;
  • Interaction information.

Analytics information may be collected in an aggregated or pseudonymised form where supported by the relevant service.

12. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Where permitted by law, FemForward may communicate with users regarding:

  • News;
  • Updates;
  • Events;
  • Services;
  • Campaigns;
  • Opportunities;
  • Educational material;
  • Other FemForward-related information.

Where required, appropriate consent will be obtained.

Users may unsubscribe from marketing communications by using the unsubscribe mechanism provided in the communication or by contacting FemForward.

The ECT Act contains requirements concerning unsolicited commercial communications, including the ability for consumers to unsubscribe from mailing lists.

13. DATA SECURITY

FemForward will take reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against:

  • Unauthorised access;
  • Unauthorised disclosure;
  • Loss;
  • Misuse;
  • Alteration;
  • Destruction;
  • Accidental disclosure;
  • Unlawful processing.

Security measures may include access controls, passwords, encryption where appropriate, secure hosting, software updates, monitoring and other reasonable safeguards.

However, no Internet transmission, website, server, database, email system or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Accordingly, FemForward does not warrant or guarantee that information transmitted to or through the Website will be completely secure.

The Information Regulator recommends appropriate security measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personal information.

14. DATA BREACHES

If FemForward becomes aware of a security compromise involving personal information, it will take reasonable steps to investigate, contain and address the incident.

Where required by applicable law, affected parties and/or the Information Regulator may be notified in accordance with the applicable legal requirements.

Users acknowledge that cybersecurity risks exist on the Internet and that no website operator can guarantee absolute protection against hacking, malware, phishing, ransomware, data interception, system failures or other malicious activity.

15. RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

FemForward will retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Information may be retained where necessary for:

  • Legal compliance;
  • Record-keeping;
  • Accounting purposes;
  • Dispute resolution;
  • Fraud prevention;
  • Enforcement of agreements;
  • Protection of legal rights;
  • Legitimate business purposes.

When information is no longer reasonably required, FemForward may delete, destroy, anonymise or otherwise securely dispose of it, subject to applicable legal requirements.

16. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA

Subject to applicable legal limitations, you may have rights relating to your personal information, including the right to:

  • Request confirmation as to whether personal information is being processed;
  • Request access to personal information;
  • Request correction or updating of inaccurate information;
  • Request deletion of information where legally permitted;
  • Object to certain processing;
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
  • Object to direct marketing in appropriate circumstances;
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

Requests may be submitted using the contact details provided below.

FemForward may require reasonable proof of identity before processing a request in order to protect personal information from unauthorised access.

17. CHILDREN’S INFORMATION

The Website is not intended to knowingly collect personal information from children where such collection would be prohibited by applicable law.

Where the Website is specifically directed towards children or may reasonably be accessed by children, FemForward will implement appropriate safeguards as required by applicable law.

Parents or legal guardians who believe that a child has provided personal information unlawfully or without appropriate consent may contact FemForward.

18. USER-GENERATED CONTENT

If you voluntarily submit content to FemForward, including comments, testimonials, photographs, videos, reviews, stories, applications or other material, you acknowledge that such content may be visible to other users or the public depending on where it is submitted.

You should therefore not submit confidential or highly sensitive information unless you are comfortable with the intended use and publication of that information.

You remain responsible for ensuring that any material you submit does not:

  • Infringe another person’s rights;
  • Infringe intellectual property rights;
  • Contain unlawful material;
  • Defame another person;
  • Contain malicious software;
  • Violate privacy rights;
  • Breach confidentiality obligations;
  • Violate applicable legislation.

FemForward reserves the right to remove, edit, refuse or restrict submitted content where reasonably necessary.

19. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Unless otherwise stated, the Website and its contents, including:

  • Logos;
  • Branding;
  • Graphics;
  • Designs;
  • Text;
  • Photographs;
  • Videos;
  • Illustrations;
  • Layouts;
  • Icons;
  • Original documents;
  • Downloadable resources;
  • Software;
  • Website design;
  • Compilation of content;

are owned by, licensed to, or used with permission by FemForward and may be protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.

You may not reproduce, modify, distribute, sell, publish, commercially exploit or otherwise use Website content without appropriate permission, except where permitted by law.

Third-party trademarks, names, logos and intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners.

20. WEBSITE CONTENT DISCLAIMER

The information published on FemForward is provided for general informational, educational and/or community purposes.

Although reasonable efforts may be made to ensure that information is accurate and current, FemForward does not warrant that:

  • The information is complete;
  • The information is accurate at all times;
  • The information is current;
  • The information is suitable for your particular circumstances;
  • The Website will always be available;
  • The Website will be free from errors;
  • The Website will be free from viruses or malicious code;
  • The information will produce a particular outcome.

Information may become outdated without notice.

You should independently verify important information before relying upon it.

21. NO PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Unless expressly stated otherwise, information published on FemForward does not constitute:

  • Legal advice;
  • Financial advice;
  • Investment advice;
  • Medical advice;
  • Psychological advice;
  • Professional counselling;
  • Business advice;
  • Employment advice;
  • Tax advice;
  • Accounting advice;
  • Professional advice of any kind.

Where appropriate, users should obtain advice from a suitably qualified professional before making decisions based on information obtained from the Website.

22. NO GUARANTEE OF RESULTS

FemForward does not guarantee any particular:

  • Financial result;
  • Career result;
  • Business result;
  • Personal result;
  • Educational result;
  • Employment result;
  • Funding result;
  • Partnership;
  • Opportunity;
  • Award;
  • Promotion;
  • Success;
  • Outcome.

Any examples, testimonials, case studies or success stories are illustrative only and do not constitute a guarantee that another user will achieve the same or similar results.

23. THIRD-PARTY LINKS

FemForward may provide links to external websites, organisations, services, social-media platforms or resources.

These links may be provided for convenience or informational purposes.

FemForward does not necessarily endorse, control, operate or verify third-party websites.

We are not responsible for:

  • Third-party website content;
  • Third-party privacy policies;
  • Third-party security;
  • Third-party products or services;
  • Third-party availability;
  • Transactions conducted with third parties;
  • Losses arising from third-party websites.

Users access external websites at their own risk.

South African government website disclaimers similarly distinguish the website operator from third-party resources over which the operator has no control.

24. WEBSITE AVAILABILITY

FemForward does not guarantee that the Website will be available continuously or without interruption.

The Website may occasionally be unavailable because of:

  • Maintenance;
  • Updates;
  • Hosting problems;
  • Software errors;
  • Cybersecurity incidents;
  • Network failures;
  • Internet outages;
  • Third-party service failures;
  • Hardware failures;
  • Force majeure events;
  • Circumstances outside our reasonable control.

FemForward reserves the right to modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the Website without prior notice where reasonably necessary.

25. MALICIOUS OR UNAUTHORISED ACTIVITY

Users may not:

  • Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Website;
  • Circumvent security measures;
  • Introduce malicious code;
  • Upload viruses, ransomware, malware or harmful software;
  • Attempt to disrupt the Website;
  • Scrape or harvest information unlawfully;
  • Conduct denial-of-service attacks;
  • Attempt to access another user’s account;
  • Use the Website for unlawful purposes;
  • Interfere with Website infrastructure.

FemForward reserves the right to block, suspend or report users who engage in unlawful or malicious activity.

South African government website terms similarly prohibit attempts to gain unauthorised access or introduce damaging or malicious code.

26. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, FemForward, its owner(s), directors, officers, employees, contractors, consultants, representatives, agents, service providers, website developers, designers, hosting providers and technical personnel shall not be liable for any loss, damage, cost, claim or expense arising directly or indirectly from:

  • Your use of the Website;
  • Your inability to use the Website;
  • Reliance on information published on the Website;
  • Errors or omissions in Website content;
  • Website downtime;
  • Technical failures;
  • Cybersecurity incidents;
  • Malware or viruses;
  • Loss or corruption of data;
  • Unauthorised access;
  • Third-party websites;
  • Third-party services;
  • User-generated content;
  • Communications sent through the Website;
  • Decisions made based on Website information;
  • Loss of income;
  • Loss of profits;
  • Loss of business;
  • Loss of opportunities;
  • Loss of reputation;
  • Indirect or consequential loss.

This limitation applies to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Nothing in this Policy excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable South African legislation.

27. INDEMNITY

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless FemForward, its owner(s), directors, employees, contractors, consultants, agents, representatives, developers and service providers against claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs and expenses arising from:

  • Your unlawful use of the Website;
  • Your breach of these terms;
  • Your violation of another person’s rights;
  • Your submitted content;
  • Your infringement of intellectual property;
  • Your violation of privacy rights;
  • Your violation of applicable legislation;
  • Your misuse of Website services;
  • Your negligent or intentional conduct.

This indemnity does not apply to the extent that such liability cannot lawfully be transferred or excluded.

28. PROTECTION OF WEBSITE OWNERS AND DEVELOPERS

The Website may be designed, developed, maintained or supported by independent developers, designers, agencies, contractors or technology providers.

Unless otherwise expressly agreed in a separate written contract, such developers and service providers are not responsible for:

  • User decisions;
  • User-generated content;
  • Third-party websites;
  • Third-party services;
  • Third-party plugins;
  • Third-party hosting failures;
  • Cyberattacks;
  • Internet outages;
  • Unauthorised user activity;
  • Data submitted unlawfully by users;
  • Legal consequences arising from a user’s conduct;
  • Business decisions made by users;
  • Content supplied by FemForward or third parties;
  • Changes in legislation or regulatory requirements;
  • Circumstances outside their reasonable control.

The developers and technical service providers act only within the scope of their agreed services and do not assume responsibility for matters outside that scope.

Nothing in this clause overrides obligations that cannot legally be excluded.

29. NO WARRANTY

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Website and its content are provided on an “as available” and “as is” basis.

FemForward makes no express or implied warranty that:

  • The Website will meet your requirements;
  • The Website will operate without interruption;
  • The Website will be error-free;
  • The Website will be secure;
  • Information will always be accurate;
  • Information will always be current;
  • The Website will be compatible with every device or browser;
  • Any particular result will be achieved.

30. FORCE MAJEURE

FemForward shall not be responsible for delays, interruptions or failures caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including:

  • Natural disasters;
  • Fire;
  • Flood;
  • Severe weather;
  • Power failures;
  • Internet outages;
  • Telecommunications failures;
  • Cyberattacks;
  • Government action;
  • Civil unrest;
  • War;
  • Strikes;
  • Pandemics;
  • Infrastructure failures;
  • Third-party service failures;
  • Other events beyond reasonable control.

31. PAIA

Where applicable, FemForward will maintain or make available the appropriate information required under the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA).

Requests for access to records should be made in accordance with the applicable PAIA procedure and requirements.

Where required, FemForward may maintain a PAIA Manual containing information concerning the organisation, records held, procedures for requesting access and relevant contact information.

The Information Regulator provides PAIA resources and guidance for persons seeking access to records.

32. INFORMATION OFFICER

Where applicable, FemForward will designate an Information Officer and/or Deputy Information Officer in accordance with POPIA and other applicable requirements.

Information Officer: [INSERT NAME]

Email: [INSERT PRIVACY EMAIL]

Telephone: [INSERT TELEPHONE NUMBER]

Physical Address: [INSERT BUSINESS ADDRESS]

Postal Address: [INSERT POSTAL ADDRESS]

33. PRIVACY REQUESTS AND COMPLAINTS

If you have a privacy-related question, request or complaint, please contact FemForward first using:

Email: [INSERT PRIVACY EMAIL]

Subject: Privacy Request / POPIA Enquiry

We will endeavour to respond within a reasonable period and in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

If you believe that your personal information has been processed unlawfully and your complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa, subject to the applicable procedures.

34. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

FemForward reserves the right to update, amend or replace this Privacy Policy and Website Disclaimer from time to time.

The latest version will be published on this Website.

Where appropriate, significant changes may be communicated through the Website or other reasonable means.

Your continued use of the Website following publication of an updated Policy constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy to the extent permitted by law.

35. SEVERABILITY

If any provision of this Policy is found to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be interpreted or amended to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable where legally possible.

If it cannot be made enforceable, it shall be severed from the remainder of this Policy.

The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

36. NO WAIVER

Failure by FemForward to enforce any provision of this Policy shall not constitute a waiver of that provision or of the right to enforce it at a later date.

37. GOVERNING LAW

This Policy shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa, subject to any mandatory provisions of applicable law.

Any dispute relating to the Website or this Policy shall be dealt with in accordance with applicable South African law and the jurisdiction of the appropriate South African courts.

38. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Privacy Policy, together with any applicable Website Terms and Conditions, Cookie Policy, disclaimers and other policies published by FemForward, constitutes the applicable framework governing use of the Website, subject to any separate written agreement between the parties.

Where there is a conflict between this Policy and a mandatory provision of South African law, the applicable law shall prevail.

39. CONTACT

For general enquiries:

FemForward
Website: FemForward.co.za
Email: [INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS]
Telephone: [INSERT NUMBER]
Address: [INSERT ADDRESS]

For privacy-related enquiries:

Privacy / Information Officer: [INSERT NAME]
Email: [INSERT PRIVACY EMAIL]

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO USERS

By using FemForward.co.za, you acknowledge that:

  1. You use the Website at your own risk.
  2. Website information is provided primarily for general informational and educational purposes.
  3. FemForward does not guarantee specific outcomes.
  4. You are responsible for verifying information before relying upon it.
  5. Third-party websites and services are outside FemForward’s control.
  6. Internet communications and electronic systems carry inherent security risks.
  7. You should not submit confidential information unless necessary and appropriate.
  8. You remain responsible for information and content that you voluntarily submit.
  9. Nothing on the Website constitutes professional advice unless expressly stated otherwise.
  10. FemForward, its owner(s), developers, contractors and service providers will have the protections and limitations of liability set out above to the maximum extent permitted by South African law.

Last Updated: 31 August 2026

Scroll to Top