POPIA

Privacy Policy of the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture (ECDOA)

Last Updated: [Date, e.g., 01 October 2025]

1. Introduction

The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture (ECDOA), accessible at ecagriculture.gov.za (formerly the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform – DRDAR), is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) No. 4 of 2013.

By engaging with our services, including our website, offices, and programs, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect and process personal information that is necessary for us to carry out our legal mandates and provide services to you. This may include, but is not limited to:

  • Personal Details: Name, surname, identity number, passport number, date of birth, gender, and nationality.
  • Contact Information: Physical address, postal address, email address, and telephone number(s).
  • Application and Registration Information: Information provided in applications for grants, subsidies, permits, licenses, training programs, and other departmental services. This may include employment status, income details, farm/ business details, and household composition.
  • Financial Information: Bank account details, tax numbers, and payment history (where necessary for financial transactions like grant disbursements or supplier payments).
  • Technical Information: When you visit our website, we may collect your IP address, browser type, operating system, and browsing behaviour through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 6 for more details).
  • Correspondence Records: Copies of your communications with us, including emails, letters, and records of telephone calls.

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect information directly from you, unless permitted by law to collect it from another source. The primary methods of collection are:

  • Digital Channels: Online forms, applications, and inquiries submitted via our official website (ecagriculture.gov.za) and related digital platforms.
  • Offline Channels: Paper-based forms submitted at our provincial, regional, or local offices.
  • Direct Interaction: Through meetings, farmer support sessions, workshops, training programs, and telephone conversations.
  • Third Parties: From other government departments or agencies (e.g., for verification purposes) where lawful, and from publicly available sources, where appropriate.

4. How We Use Your Information (Purpose of Processing)

We use your personal information for legitimate departmental purposes, including:

  • Service Delivery: To process your applications for services, grants, subsidies, and permits; to provide agricultural support and extension services; and to manage our programs effectively.
  • Communication: To send you important updates, notifications, and information regarding our services, policy changes, or agricultural alerts.
  • Improvement and Development: To analyse trends and data to improve our service quality, develop new programs, and inform policy development.
  • Legal and Regulatory Compliance: To comply with our obligations under various South African laws, including but not limited to POPIA, the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), and specific agricultural legislation.
  • Research and Planning: To conduct non-identifying statistical research for agricultural development and rural planning within the Eastern Cape.

5. How We Share and Disclose Your Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share it only under the following circumstances:

  • With Other Government Entities: We may share information with other national, provincial, or local government departments where it is necessary for integrated service delivery, law enforcement, or as required by law.
  • With Our Service Providers: We may disclose information to trusted third-party service providers who assist us in our operations (e.g., IT system hosts, payment processors). These partners are bound by contract to protect your information and may not use it for any other purpose.
  • For Legal Reasons: We will disclose information where required by a court order, subpoena, or other legal process.
  • With Your Consent: In any other circumstance, we will only share your information with your explicit consent.

6. Website Cookies and Tracking

Our website may use “cookies” to enhance your experience. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device. You can choose to set your browser to refuse cookies, but this may limit your ability to use some features of the site. We use cookies to understand site usage and traffic patterns to improve our website.

7. How We Protect Your Information

We implement a range of technical, physical, and administrative security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

  • Technical Security: Secure networks, firewalls, encryption, and access controls.
  • Physical Security: Access-controlled premises and secure storage for physical records.
  • Administrative Security: Confidentiality agreements, mandatory data protection training for staff, and policies that limit access to personal information on a need-to-know basis.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

  • Be Informed: Know what personal information we hold and how it is processed (as set out in this policy).
  • Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction: Request the correction or updating of any inaccurate, misleading, or outdated personal information.
  • Deletion (Erasure): Request the deletion of your personal information under certain conditions (e.g., if it is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected).
  • Objection: Object, on reasonable grounds, to the processing of your personal information.
  • Lodge a Complaint: Submit a complaint to the Information Regulator of South Africa.

9. How to Contact Us

For any queries related to this Privacy Policy, to exercise your rights, or to lodge a complaint regarding the processing of your personal information, please contact our Information Officer:

The Information Officer
Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture (ECDOA)
Private Bag X0040
Bhisho, 5605
Email: customercare@ecagriculture.gov.za
Tel: 0800 203 025

Complaints can also be directed to the Information Regulator:
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/
Email: complaints.IR@inforegulator.org.za

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or the law. The updated version will be posted on our website with a revised “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.