Privacy Policy

Last updated: 25 July 2026

1. Introduction

The Wellness Circle ("we", "us", "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and safeguard the information you provide when using our website (coachv.co.za) and our subscription-based apps.

This policy complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa.

2. Information We Collect

When you sign up, subscribe, or use our services, we may collect:

• Account information: Full name, email address, password (encrypted)
• Payment information: We do not store card details. All payments are processed securely by PayFast. We only retain payment reference IDs and transaction amounts for record-keeping.
• Usage data: App interactions, tools completed, reflections saved, bookmarks — used to provide the service and track your personal progress.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, and device information collected automatically for security and analytics purposes.
• Communication data: If you contact us via email or phone, we retain that correspondence to respond to your enquiry.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Create and manage your account
• Provide access to our subscription apps (Anchored, Growth Health Care, Faith Growth Spirit, Leadership)
• Process payments and manage subscriptions via PayFast
• Send transactional emails (payment confirmations, subscription updates, password resets)
• Respond to your support requests
• Improve our services and user experience
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA)

Under POPIA, we process your personal information based on:

• Consent — You have agreed to our processing (e.g. when signing up)
• Contract — Processing is necessary to provide the services you subscribed to
• Legal obligation — Compliance with South African law
• Legitimate interest — For security, fraud prevention, and improving our service

5. Third-Party Service Providers

We share limited information with the following trusted service providers, strictly for operational purposes:

• Supabase — Secure database and authentication (data stored in ISO 27001 certified data centres)
• PayFast — Payment processing (PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant; card data never touches our servers)
• xneelo — Website hosting (South African provider)

These providers are bound by their own privacy policies and data protection standards.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission
• Encrypted password storage (bcrypt)
• Row-level security policies on our database
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Access controls limiting who can view your data

However, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Confidentiality of Counselling Information

Personal reflections, journal entries, and tool responses within our apps are treated as confidential. Only you can view your own entries. Our team does not access individual user content except when required to resolve a specific technical support request, and only with your consent.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active. If you cancel your subscription, we retain your account data for 12 months in case you wish to reactivate. After this period, or upon your written request, we permanently delete your personal information (except records we are legally required to keep, such as financial transaction records).

9. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate or outdated information
• Delete your personal information ("right to be forgotten")
• Object to certain types of processing
• Withdraw consent at any time
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

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

10. Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies to keep you signed in and remember your preferences. We do not use tracking cookies for advertising purposes. By using our site, you consent to essential cookies.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a minor, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will be revised accordingly. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your POPIA rights, please contact:

You may also contact the Information Regulator of South Africa at:
Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za
Website: inforegulator.org.za