Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Magaqa Funeral Parlour (“Magaqa”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and the dignity of the families we assist. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect personal information when you visit magaqafunerals.co.za, contact us, apply for a product or use our services.

It applies to relevant interactions through our website, branches, forms, telephone, email, WhatsApp and official social media channels. We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African legislation.

Please read this policy with our website terms and any product-specific privacy notice. This policy explains our practices; it does not create blanket consent. Browsing the website, submitting an enquiry or accepting our Terms does not automatically authorize public use of your information. Where consent is required, we obtain it separately.

2. Who is Magaqa Funeral Parlour

Magaqa Funeral Parlour is the trading name of Magaqa Funeral Parlour. We provide funeral arrangements and related services, including burial, cremation, funeral policies, flowers & décor, repatriation, and exhumation.

3. Overview of the Information We Collect

We collect information that is adequate, relevant and not excessive for a specific lawful purpose. What we need depends on your enquiry, arrangement or product. Required and optional information will be identified when collected. Without required information, we may be unable to verify authority, process an application or provide the requested service.

3.1 Specific information we may hold

Relevant information may include:

• names, contact details and addresses;
• identity or passport details, dates of birth and proof of authority where necessary;
• family relationships, authorised contacts and beneficiary information;
• funeral instructions, service selections, dates and locations;
• membership, policy, payment or claims records, where applicable;
• correspondence, complaints and approved photographs or funeral notices;
• IP addresses, device details and website usage information, where collected.

We usually obtain information directly from you. Where lawful and necessary, we may also receive it from authorised family representatives, insurers, service providers or public authorities. We will provide the required collection notice unless a lawful exception applies. If you provide another person’s information, you must have appropriate authority to do so.

3.2 Children and special personal information

We process children’s information only with the consent of a competent person or another authorisation permitted by POPIA. Religious beliefs, health details and other special personal information receive additional protection and are processed only where a relevant legal authorisation applies.

Although POPIA’s definition concerns living individuals and, where applicable, existing organisations, records about a deceased person may also reveal protected information about living relatives. We handle funeral records with confidentiality and dignity.

3.3 Information we may share

We may share necessary information with authorised staff, funeral service providers, cemeteries, crematoria, payment providers, professional advisers, public authorities and insurers or administrators where applicable. Family relationships alone do not create unrestricted access to another person’s records.

Technology providers may assist with hosting, messaging, customer administration and secure storage. Operators acting for us must be subject to written confidentiality, security and processing requirements. Independent organisations, such as insurers or banks, may also process information under their own notices and legal duties.

This policy does not authorise selling customer contact lists or sharing them for another business’s independent marketing.

3.4 How we use your information

We use relevant information to:

• respond to enquiries and prepare quotations;
• arrange and deliver agreed funeral services;
• administer memberships, applications and benefit requests within our role;
• process payments, refunds and transaction records;
• verify authority, prevent fraud and protect our systems;
• resolve complaints and meet legal obligations;
• improve services using proportionate information, preferably de-identified.

Processing must have a lawful ground, such as contractual necessity, a legal obligation, a legitimate interest recognised by POPIA or valid consent. We will not use information for an incompatible new purpose without the necessary lawful basis and notice.

Electronic marketing by email, SMS or WhatsApp requires valid consent or compliance with POPIA’s existing-customer exception for our own similar offerings. Where permitted, we may approach a person once to request consent if they have not previously withheld it. Each marketing message will identify us and provide an easy opt-out. Necessary service messages may continue.

Information supplied for funeral preparations is not automatically approved for public release. We obtain appropriate authority before publishing notices, photographs, tributes or recordings and confirm the intended channels. Public material may be copied by others; removal from our channels cannot guarantee removal of independent copies.

4. Cookies and Web Beacons

Cookies are small files stored on your device. Pixels, web beacons and similar technologies may record website visits, message interactions or device identifiers. Such information is not necessarily anonymous. Blocking essential cookies may affect certain functions. Browsing alone is not treated as consent where consent is required.

5. Security and Retention

We maintain appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect information against loss, unlawful processing and unauthorised access. No system is completely secure, but this does not remove our responsibilities under POPIA.

If we have reasonable grounds to believe personal information has been accessed or acquired without authorisation, we will investigate and notify the Information Regulator and affected people as required by law, as soon as reasonably possible and subject to lawful exceptions or delays.

We retain information only for as long as justified by its purpose, legal requirements, lawful contractual obligations or legal claims. Information no longer lawfully needed is securely destroyed, deleted or de-identified.

6. Access to Your Information

Subject to applicable legal limits, you may ask whether we hold information about you, request access, and ask us to correct inaccurate information or delete information we are no longer authorised to retain. You may also withdraw consent and object to processing on grounds recognised by POPIA, including direct marketing.

We may request reasonable identity or authority verification before releasing records. We will assist with the relevant forms and respond within the legally required period. Any permitted access or reproduction fee will be explained beforehand. A deletion request does not override a lawful retention obligation.

7. Transfers Outside South Africa

Some service providers may store information abroad or allow access from another country.

We make international transfers only where ground under section 72 of POPIA applies, such as adequate protection through law, binding corporate rules or a binding agreement, or another permitted ground. Additional authorisation will be obtained where required for children’s or special personal information. Acceptance of this policy is not blanket consent to transfer information to countries with weaker protection.

8. External Websites and Social Media

External websites, payment services and social media or messaging platforms have their own privacy notices. Please review those notices before providing information. Their involvement does not remove our responsibility for information we collect or control through them.

Please avoid sending sensitive documents through public comments or general enquiry channels. We will not add you to a group that exposes your contact details to others without appropriate notice and permission.

9. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in our services, systems or legal obligations. The current version will be available on our website or on request. We will provide additional notice of material changes where required and obtain any consent needed before introducing a new use. Updating this policy does not override your existing choices or retrospectively authorize unlawful processing.

Business name: Magaqa Funeral Parlour CC
Telephone: 039 727 5124
Email: info@magaqafunerals.co.za
Website: magaqafunerals.co.za