This Policy explains how we obtain, use and disclose your personal information, in accordance with the requirements of the Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPIA”). The right to privacy is an integral human right recognised and protected in the South African Constitution and the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”).
POPIA aims to promote the protection of privacy by providing guiding principles that are intended to be applied to the processing of personal information in a context-sensitive manner. A person’s right to privacy entails having control over his or her personal information and being able to conduct his or her affairs relatively free from unwanted intrusions. The aim of this compliance and privacy notice is to demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding your personal information and to notify you how and why we collect information from you, the way we use your information and how we share or disclose your information, as required in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPI Act”).
The GDEIB co-authors and applicable team are committed to protecting your privacy and to ensure that your personal information is collected and used properly, lawfully and transparently. As such, in this policy, the GDEIB team will take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that all data subjects are made aware of:
Please read below for more information on what is personal information, how we collect, process, use and disclose personal information.
By using this website, downloading the GDEIB guidebook or communicating with the GDEIB by electronic means, the user consents and acknowledges that any and all agreements, notices, disclosures, or any other communication satisfies any legal requirement, including but not limited to the requirement that such communications should be in writing.
The GDEIB team and co-authors assumes no responsibility, and shall not be liable for, any damages to, or viruses that may infect, your computer equipment or other property on account of your access to or use of this website or your downloading of any materials, data, text, or images from the website.
We will not be held responsible or liable for any interruption or discontinuance of any or all functionality of this website, whether the result of actions or omission of GDEIB or a third party.
The GDEIB team accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever arising from or in any way connected with the use of this website or its content. The GDEIB team will not be liable for the accuracy, completeness, adequacy, timeliness or comprehensiveness of the information contained on the website.
The security of your information is important to us and we will use reasonable security measures to prevent the loss, misuse or unauthorized alteration of your information under our control. However, given the inherent risks, we cannot guarantee absolute security and consequently, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk
Small text files called ‘cookies’ are put on the user’s device when they visit the site. These files do contain a personal identifier allowing the GDEIB to associate personal data with a certain device. These files ensure the tailoring of the website’s functionality to the user’s personal preferences, e.g. allowing quick access links to most recently used areas of the site. For more information, please refer to our Cooki Policy in our website.
Certain information is required by governing bodies, e.g. various SETAs, CIPS and CILT. By rule of law, we trust that these organisations will abide by the POPI Act, and therefore cannot take any responsibility or liability for these bodies’ processing policies.
This website may offer links to third-party websites. You should be aware that operators of linked websites may also collect your personal information (including information generated using cookies) when you visit their websites. If you follow a link to any of these websites, it is important to note that these websites have their own terms of use and privacy policies and that the GDEIB team does not accept any responsibility or liability for them.
The GDEIB team is not responsible for any representations, information, warranties, or content on any website of any third-party. The GDEIB team does not exercise control over third-parties’ privacy policies. The GDEIB team is not responsible for how such parties collect, use, or disclose your information. It is important for you to familiarize yourself with their privacy policies before providing them with your personal information.
We may use Google Analytics or other similar analytical tools to obtain information collected to display, optimise, and personalise advertisements and customer experience on our Website(s) to determine which advertisements you may find useful, and to personalise your experience on the Website. Other information may be used for reporting to our clients and internal stakeholders.
We are legally obliged to provide adequate protection for the personal information we hold and to stop unauthorized access and use of personal information. We will, on an on-going basis, continue to review our security controls and related processes to ensure that your personal information remains secure.
The GDEIB data base has system security in place with only authorized users being able to access certain information based on their roles and responsibilities. Thus, only individuals who should have the capability to view certain information, has that capability.
When we contract or form partnerships with third parties, we impose appropriate security, privacy and confidentiality obligations on them to ensure that personal information that we remain responsible for, is kept secure.
We will ensure that anyone to whom we pass your personal information agrees to treat your information with the same level of protection as we are obliged to.
You have a right to access and rectify or erase your personal data or receive a copy of your personal data, restrict or object to the active processing of your data, ask us to share (port) your personal information to another entity, withdraw any consent you provided to us to process your data, a right to lodge a complaint with a statutory authority and such other rights as may be relevant under applicable laws. To exercise these rights, you can write to us at info@globaldeibenchmarks.org. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable law.
Do note that if you do not allow us to collect or process the required personal information or withdraw the consent to process the same for the required purposes, you may not be able to access or use the services for which your information was sought.
As a visitor to the GDEIB website and user of the GDEIB guidebook, you have the responsibility to read the privacy policy to understand why and how your data is collected. You also have the responsibility to ensure that GDEIB at all times has the correct information of the person to whom the personal information relates (the data subject), we require our data subjects to supply us with information that is complete, accurate, and not misleading and to inform us when their personal information changes.
If a data subject submits personal information, or a record thereof, through our website, social platforms, or by using email or telephonic communication you are responsible to read and herewith acknowledge that you understand the terms of this POPI Compliance and Privacy notice and gives GDEIB consent to process and further process personal information as explained in this notice.
We reserve the right, in our sole and absolute discretion, to update, modify or amend (including without limitation, by the addition of new terms and conditions) this policy from time to time with or without notice or justification. You therefore agree to review the policy whenever you visit the website for any such change. Save as expressly provided to the contrary in this policy, the amended version of the policy shall supersede and replace all previous versions thereof.
The GDEIB co-authors take all complaints very seriously. POPI and POPI-related complaints must be submitted to the organisation in writing. This includes requests for deleting your personal information from our newsletter data base, and/or other applicable databases.
If you want to update your information, find out what information we keep on you, or have your personal information deleted from any of our systems, please send an email to hq@globaldeibenchmarks.org
Access to information requests can be made by email, addressed to the GDEIB team by sending an email to hq@globaldeibenchmarks.org . The data subject will be provided with a prescribed form for them to complete. Once the completed form has been received, the GDEIB team will verify the data subject’s identity before handing over any personal information. All requests will be processed and considered against the PAIA Policy, recordkeeping policies and any other requirements in terms of the law.
If you would like to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator, visit: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/ for guidance.
All Rights Reserved © 2026