PAIA Manual

The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) gives effect to the constitutional right of access to information held by the state and by private bodies, where that information is required for the exercise or protection of any right. This Manual is compiled in compliance with Section 51 of PAIA.

PAIA must be read together with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), which governs the processing of personal information by Responsible Parties.

In terms of PAIA s. 51(1)(a), we disclose the details of our Information Officer, who is responsible for access to information requests:

All PAIA access requests must be directed to the Information Officer using the procedure set out in Section 7 of this Manual.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has published a guide on how to use PAIA. This guide is available from:

• The Information Regulator: inforegulator.org.za
• Department of Justice: justice.gov.za/inforeg

The following records are publicly available without submitting a formal PAIA request:

• POPIA Privacy Policy — available at mathscibuddy.co.za/legal/popia-privacy
• Terms of Service — available at mathscibuddy.co.za/legal/terms
• Cookie Policy — available at mathscibuddy.co.za/legal/cookie-policy
• This PAIA Manual — publicly available at mathscibuddy.co.za/legal/paia

In terms of PAIA s. 51(1)(e), we disclose the categories of records we hold:

6.1 Personal Information Records

• User registration and profile data (name, email, grade).
• Subscription and payment transaction records.
• Platform usage logs and session data.
• Customer support communications.

6.2 Corporate Records

• Memorandum of Incorporation (MoI).
• Share register.
• Financial statements and tax returns.
• Employment contracts and HR records.
• Commercial contracts and vendor agreements.

6.3 Operational Records

• CAPS curriculum content and question databases.
• Past paper archive metadata.
• Platform source code (subject to intellectual property protections).
• Security incident logs.

6.4 Third-Party Records

• DBE past exam papers (reproduced under educational fair use — Crown copyright).
• Payment records held by PayFast (Pty) Ltd.

To request access to records held by Maths and Science Buddy, you must submit a completed PAIA Form 1 (request for access to records of a private body), which can be obtained from the Information Regulator at inforegulator.org.za.

Your completed Form 1 must be submitted to our Information Officer:

Your request must include: your name and contact details; the records you require and the right you wish to exercise or protect; your preferred form of access (electronic copy, inspection, etc.); and, if you are requesting access to personal information about another person, proof of authority to do so.

In terms of PAIA and the Regulations, the following applies:

• Request fee: R140.00 (as prescribed by the Regulations), payable on submission of the request.
• Reproduction fee: May apply depending on the volume and format of records.
• Indigent waiver: Fees are waived where the requester demonstrates they cannot afford the fee.
• Response time: We will respond within 30 days of receiving a valid request, or within 14 days in urgent circumstances.

We reserve the right to refuse access on the grounds set out in PAIA, including where disclosure would harm the privacy rights of a third party, involve trade secrets, or prejudice the commercial interests of the company.

Access may be refused on grounds including but not limited to:

• Mandatory protection of the privacy of third parties (PAIA s. 63).
• Protection of commercial information and trade secrets (PAIA s. 64).
• Protection of confidential information of a third party (PAIA s. 65).
• Safety of individuals (PAIA s. 66).
• Records privileged from production in legal proceedings (PAIA s. 67).
• Records not in our possession and which we are not entitled to access.

Where we refuse access, we will provide written reasons and advise you of your right to appeal the decision to the Information Regulator or to approach a court.

If we refuse your request, you may:

• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator at inforegulator.org.za.
• Apply to the High Court of South Africa for an order compelling access to the record.

This Manual will be updated as required by law or changes in our operations. The current version is always available at mathscibuddy.co.za/legal/paia.