The Developer Last updated: April 2025
The Developer Culture (referred to as "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and all applicable South African legislation.
By using our website (thedevculture.com) or enrolling in any of our programmes, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to this Privacy Policy.
1. Who We Are
The Developer Culture is a South African coding education provider offering personalised mentorship-based learning programmes. Our contact details are:
- Email: info@thedevculture.com
- Phone: +27 63 626 1963
- WhatsApp: +27 63 626 1963
- Location: South Africa (Remote & In-Person)
For all privacy-related queries, please contact us at the above details and mark your correspondence "Privacy Enquiry".
2. What Personal Information We Collect
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, as well as information collected automatically when you use our website. This includes:
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number / WhatsApp number
- Current experience level and learning goals
- Career interest and preferred learning path
- Payment and billing information (processed securely via third-party payment providers)
- Communications you send us via email, WhatsApp, or our contact form
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Browser type, version and operating system
- Pages visited on our website and time spent on each page
- Referring URLs (how you arrived at our website)
- Device identifiers and usage data
2.3 Special Personal Information
We do not intentionally collect special personal information (as defined by POPIA) such as race, health information, religious beliefs, or biometric data. Please do not send us such information unless specifically requested for a lawful purpose.
3. How We Use Your Personal Information
We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:
- To respond to your enquiries and schedule your free intro call
- To administer and deliver your learning programme
- To facilitate communication between you and your assigned mentor
- To process payments and send invoices or receipts
- To send you relevant programme updates, schedule changes, or support communications
- To improve our website, services and learning programmes based on user feedback
- To comply with legal obligations
- To send you marketing communications (only where you have given consent and with the option to opt out at any time)
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Under POPIA, we process your personal information on the following grounds:
- Contractual necessity: Processing required to fulfil our agreement with you (delivering your programme, mentor sessions and related services)
- Legitimate interests: Processing necessary to operate and improve our business, provided it does not override your rights
- Legal obligation: Processing required to comply with applicable laws and regulations
- Consent: Where you have freely given specific consent, such as for marketing communications
5. How We Share Your Personal Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with:
- Mentors and educators: Your assigned mentor will have access to your name, contact details, learning goals and progress information necessary to deliver your programme
- Payment processors: Third-party providers who process payments securely on our behalf (e.g., PayFast, PayGate, or similar)
- Communication platforms: Services such as Zoom, Google Meet and WhatsApp used to conduct sessions and communicate with you
- Administrative tools: Platforms used for scheduling, invoicing and programme management
- Legal authorities: Where required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights
All third parties with whom we share personal information are required to handle it in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.
6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience and understand how our website is used. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.
We use:
- Essential cookies: Necessary for the website to function correctly
- Analytics cookies: To understand how visitors use our website (e.g., Google Analytics)
- Marketing cookies: To measure the effectiveness of our advertising (only where consent has been given)
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.
7. How Long We Retain Your Information
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. Specifically:
- Enquiry and contact form data: Up to 12 months from last contact if you do not enrol
- Student records (active students): Duration of your programme plus 5 years
- Financial records: 5 years as required by South African tax legislation
- Marketing consent records: Until you withdraw consent, plus a reasonable period thereafter
When personal information is no longer required, we delete or anonymise it securely.
8. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights:
- Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Right to correction: You may request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected
- Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal obligations to retain certain records
- Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes at any time
- Right to restrict processing: In certain circumstances, you may request that we limit how we use your information
- Right to data portability: You may request your personal information in a structured, commonly used format
- Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforeg.org.za
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@thedevculture.com. We will respond within 30 days.
9. Security of Your Information
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include:
- HTTPS encryption on our website
- Secure, access-controlled storage of personal records
- Limited access to personal information, only those who need it to perform their duties
- Regular review of our security practices
While we take all reasonable precautions, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but commit to promptly notifying affected parties in the event of a data breach, as required by POPIA.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites (such as Google Meet, Zoom, LinkedIn, or payment providers). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
11. Children's Privacy
Our services are intended for individuals aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18 without parental or guardian consent. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at info@thedevculture.com and we will take steps to delete it.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on our website and, where appropriate, by email. The "Last updated" date at the top of this document will reflect the most recent revision.
Your continued use of our website or services after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us:
- Email: info@thedevculture.com
- Phone/WhatsApp: +27 63 626 1963
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:
- Website: inforeg.org.za
- Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za