LEGAL

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 17 August 2026

siteMargin ("we", "us", "our") is a cost-variance tracking tool for South African construction contractors. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why, and the rights you have over it under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

What we collect

Account information. When you request access or sign in, we collect your email address and, optionally, your company name. Sign-in uses a one-time link sent to your email — we never see or store a password.

Project data you enter. Budgets, line items, categories, subcontractor names and contact details, notes, dates, and quality ratings you add while using the tool. This data belongs to you; we process it only to provide the service.

Files you upload. Invoices, delivery notes, or other documents attached to line items are stored so you can retrieve them later.

Payment information. If you subscribe to a paid plan, payment is processed directly by PayFast, our payment gateway. We do not see or store your card number, banking details, or other payment credentials — PayFast handles that under their own security and privacy terms.

Why we collect it

To provide and operate the siteMargin service, verify your identity when you sign in, process subscription payments, communicate with you about your account (such as sign-in links or service updates), and improve the product based on how it's actually used.

Who we share it with

We use a small number of service providers to run siteMargin, each processing data only for the specific purpose below:

  • Supabase — hosts our database, authentication, and file storage.
  • Resend — delivers sign-in and account emails on our behalf.
  • PayFast — processes subscription payments; we never receive your card or banking details directly.
  • Netlify — hosts the website and application you're using.

We do not sell your personal information to anyone, for any purpose.

How long we keep it

We retain your account and project data for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account yourself at any time — from Plan and Storage inside the app, or without the app at sitemargin.co.za/delete-account. Deletion removes every project, figure, photo and file immediately and cannot be undone. Payment records are kept for five years in anonymised form, as the Tax Administration Act requires; they no longer carry your name or email address.

Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to:

  • Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • Ask us to correct inaccurate information
  • Ask us to delete your information, subject to any legal retention requirements
  • Object to certain uses of your information
  • Lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been infringed

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below.

Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections and database-level access controls that restrict each account to its own data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we can't guarantee absolute security.

Cookies and tracking

siteMargin does not use advertising cookies and does not sell or share your data with advertisers. We use Google Analytics to understand which pages people find useful and where they get stuck, so we can improve the site. It is configured with advertising, ad personalisation and ad-data sharing switched off, and with IP anonymisation on, so it measures site usage rather than building an advertising profile of you. Your project and cost data is never sent to it. You can block it with any standard browser privacy setting or ad blocker without affecting how siteMargin works.

Children

siteMargin is a business tool intended for use by adults in a professional capacity. It is not directed at, and we do not knowingly collect information from, anyone under 18.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the product evolves. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date above.

Contact us

For any questions about this policy or to exercise your rights under POPIA, contact us at privacy@sitemargin.co.za.