Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

SkillRise Careers ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African legislation. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your data when you use our platform.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information

When you register or use our platform, we may collect the following personal information:

• Full name, email address, and phone number
• Identity or passport number (for verification purposes)
• Physical and postal address
• Employment history, qualifications, and skills
• Curriculum vitae (CV) and supporting documents
• Profile photograph (optional)
• Company details (for employer accounts)

1.2 Voice Recordings

Our platform uses voice-powered profiles. When you record a voice profile, we collect and process your voice recording to extract skills, experience, and qualifications. Voice recordings are:

• Processed using OpenAI Whisper for transcription
• Stored securely on South African-based servers
• Used solely for the purpose of skills extraction and profile creation
• Deletable at your request at any time

1.3 Usage Data

We automatically collect certain technical data when you use our platform, including:

• IP address and browser type
• Device information and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on the platform
• Referral source and search terms
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 Skills Matching

Your personal information and voice profile data are used to create your SkillScore and match you with relevant job opportunities. Employer accounts use this data to find suitable candidates for their vacancies.

2.2 Analytics and Platform Improvement

We use aggregated, anonymised usage data to improve our platform, understand user behaviour, and enhance the skills matching algorithms. Individual users are never personally identifiable in our analytics data.

2.3 Communications

We may use your contact information to:

• Send job match notifications and platform updates
• Respond to your enquiries and support requests
• Send marketing communications (only with your explicit consent)
• Notify you of changes to our terms or policies

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or contacting us directly.

3. Data Storage & Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest (AES-256)
• Server Location: Your data is stored on South African-based servers
• Access Controls: Access to personal data is restricted to authorised personnel only
• Regular Audits: We conduct regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Incident Response: We have procedures in place to detect, report, and respond to data breaches as required by POPIA

4. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under the Protection of Personal Information Act, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected or updated
• Deletion: Request that your personal information be deleted, subject to any legal obligations we may have to retain it
• Objection: Object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing or other purposes
• Restriction: Request that we restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances
• Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been infringed

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@skillrisecareers.co.za. We will respond to your request within 30 days as required by POPIA.

5. Cookie Policy

Our platform uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the platform to function (session management, security tokens)
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with the platform
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the platform. We do not use cookies for third-party advertising.

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

6.1 OpenAI Whisper (Voice Processing)

Voice recordings are processed using OpenAI's Whisper API to transcribe audio into text for skills extraction. OpenAI processes the audio data in accordance with their data processing agreement. We do not permit OpenAI to use your voice data for training purposes. The transcribed text is stored on our South African servers.

6.2 PayFast (Payment Processing)

Employer subscription payments are processed through PayFast, a South African payment gateway. PayFast handles all payment card data directly and is PCI DSS compliant. We do not store your credit card or banking details on our servers. PayFast's privacy policy governs how they handle your payment information.

6.3 Other Services

We may use additional third-party services for email delivery, analytics, and infrastructure. All third-party providers are vetted for POPIA compliance and are bound by data processing agreements that protect your information.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary:

• Active Accounts: Data is retained for the duration of your account activity
• Inactive Accounts: Accounts inactive for more than 24 months may be flagged for deletion, with prior notice sent to your registered email
• Voice Recordings: Retained for the duration of your account unless you request earlier deletion
• Payment Records: Retained for 5 years in accordance with South African tax and financial legislation
• Analytics Data: Aggregated analytics data (not personally identifiable) may be retained indefinitely

Upon account deletion, your personal data will be permanently removed from our systems within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

8. Contact Information

For any privacy-related enquiries, requests, or complaints, please contact our Information Officer:

• Email: hello@skillrisecareers.co.za
• Organisation: SkillRise Careers
• Address: South Africa

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa):

• Website: inforegulator.org.za
• Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our platform and, where appropriate, by email. Your continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.