Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Balance Pilates & Rehabilitation (“Balance”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) of the Republic of South Africa.

By registering for an account, booking classes, or using our website and services, you consent to the collection and processing of your personal information as described in this policy.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We collect the following personal information when you register for an account and use our services:

• Identity information: Name, surname, and date of birth
• Contact information: Email address and phone number
• Account information: Password (stored in encrypted form) and account preferences
• Usage information: Class bookings, attendance records, package purchases, and cancellation history
• Consent records: Whether you have consented to receive marketing communications

3. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect and process your personal information for the following purposes:

• Account management: To create and maintain your user account
• Class booking: To facilitate class reservations, waitlist management, and attendance tracking
• Communication: To send you booking confirmations, schedule changes, cancellation notices, and account-related notifications
• Package management: To track your session credits, package validity, and purchase history
• Marketing: If you have opted in, to send you promotional communications about our services, events, and special offers
• Safety and legal compliance: To ensure a safe environment and comply with applicable laws

4. Who Has Access to Your Information

Access to your personal information is strictly limited to:

• Authorised Balance Pilates & Rehabilitation staff members who require access to fulfil their duties (e.g., instructors, administrators)
• Trusted service providers who assist us in operating our platform (e.g., hosting providers), who are bound by confidentiality agreements

We do not sell, trade, or share your personal information with any third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

• Active accounts: Your information is retained for as long as your account remains active.
• Inactive accounts: If your account has been inactive for a period of 24 months, we will notify you and may close your account and delete your personal information unless there is a legal reason to retain it.
• Legal obligations: Certain records (such as financial transactions) may be retained for longer periods as required by South African law.

6. Your Rights

Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction: You may request that we correct or update any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal requirements for retention.
• Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes at any time.
• Right to withdraw consent: You may withdraw your consent for marketing communications at any time by updating your account preferences or contacting us.
• Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your personal information has been mishandled.

7. Marketing Communications

We will only send you marketing communications if you have explicitly opted in during registration or at a later stage. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

• Updating your preferences in your account settings
• Contacting us directly at the email address below
• Using the unsubscribe mechanism in any marketing email we send

Opting out of marketing communications will not affect essential service communications (e.g., booking confirmations, schedule changes).

8. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. These measures include:

• Encryption of passwords using industry-standard algorithms
• Secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS) for all data transmission
• Access controls limiting who can view your information
• Regular security assessments of our systems

9. Information Officer

To exercise any of your rights, make enquiries about this policy, or raise a concern regarding the handling of your personal information, please contact our Information Officer:

10. Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)

This policy is drafted in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA), of the Republic of South Africa. POPIA governs the processing of personal information and provides individuals with rights to control how their data is handled. For more information about POPIA, visit the Information Regulator of South Africa.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.