Last updated: [insert date before publishing]

Secret Match ("we", "us", "the platform") is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

• Registration information: your WhatsApp number (stored encrypted), and a hashed version of your number used only to check for duplicate accounts.
• Profile information: name, nickname, year of birth, sex, photos, and any biographical or preference information you choose to provide (relationship status, lifestyle habits, what you're looking for, and similar fields).
• Usage information: match history, contact requests you've sent or received, and your account activity (last seen, notification preferences).
• Payment information: the amount and reference of credit purchases, and confirmation of payment status. We do not store your card or bank login details — EFT and Capitec PayMe payments are made directly through your own banking app or website, not through us.

• To create and maintain your profile
• To run the matching process and identify potential matches based on your stated preferences
• To send you WhatsApp notifications about matches and contact requests
• To process credit purchases and manage your account balance
• To respond to support requests and enforce our Terms of Service
• To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or violations of our Terms of Service

Your phone number is stored using AES-256 encryption, one of the strongest encryption standards available. Access to the underlying database is restricted to platform administration only. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

• WhatsApp/Meta: to deliver notification messages, your phone number and message content pass through WhatsApp's infrastructure, which operates under Meta's own privacy policy.
• Other members: your profile information (photo, bio, and the specific details you've set) is shown to a match only when both a match has been identified and, for full profile details and their own stated preferences, when a contact request between you has been accepted or is within its active viewing window. We never reveal a member's private preference settings to anyone except through the limited, aggregated "match percentage" shown to the relevant match.
• Payment/banking providers: payment references are shared with our bank for reconciliation purposes when you make an EFT or Capitec PayMe payment.

We retain your information for as long as your account remains active. If you delete your account, your profile information and photos are removed. Some records (such as payment history) may be retained for a limited period as required for financial record-keeping.

You have the right to:

• Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information (most of this you can already edit directly from your Dashboard)
• Request deletion of your account and associated personal information at any time via the Delete Account option in your Dashboard
• Object to certain processing of your information
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights under POPIA have been violated

Secret Match is not intended for use by anyone under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that a minor has registered, the account will be removed.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected with an updated "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your rights under POPIA, please reach out via our Contact page.