Privacy Policy

Last updated: [2026]

Model Tech Hobbies (“Model Tech”, “we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (“POPIA”).

This policy applies to our website at modeltech.co.za and to our physical store in Pretoria East.

1. Who we are

Model Tech Hobbies is a hobby shop and slot car race venue based in Pretoria East, South Africa. We sell slot cars, die-cast models, model building kits, paints, tools and related accessories, both online and in store.

Responsible party (as defined in POPIA): Model Tech Hobbies
Physical address: 350 Schoongezicht Street, Erasmusrand, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Email: shop@modeltech.co.za
Telephone: 084 580 2450

2. Information Officer

Our Information Officer is responsible for ensuring we comply with POPIA and for dealing with any queries or complaints about how we handle your personal information.

Information Officer: Ruaan Verryn
Email: shop@modeltech.co.za
Telephone: 084 580 2450

3. What personal information we collect

We collect only the information we need to run our shop and serve you. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

• Contact details — name, email address, telephone number.
• Delivery and billing details — physical delivery address, billing address.
• Order information — the products you buy, order history, order value, and correspondence about your orders.
• Account information — if you create an account, your username and an encrypted password. We never see or store your password in readable form.
• Payment information — payments are processed by our payment gateway. We do not receive, see, or store your full card details. We receive only confirmation that a payment succeeded or failed, and a reference.
• Communications — messages you send us through our contact form, by email, or via WhatsApp.
• Technical information — IP address, browser type, device type, and pages visited, collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies (see section 8).

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian. We do not collect special personal information (such as health, religious or biometric data).

4. Why we collect it, and our lawful basis

POPIA requires us to have a lawful basis for processing your personal information. We process your information for the following purposes:

We will not use your personal information for any purpose that is incompatible with the purpose for which it was collected, unless you consent or the law permits it.

5. Marketing communications

We will only send you marketing messages if you have opted in to receive them, or where the law otherwise permits it. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. You can also opt out at any time by contacting us at shop@modeltech.co.za.

Opting out of marketing does not stop us sending you messages that relate directly to an order you have placed (for example, order confirmations or delivery updates).

6. Who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only where necessary, and only with parties who are required to protect it. These include:

• Our payment gateway — Payfast processes your payment. Your card details go directly to them and are governed by their own privacy policy.
• Courier and delivery partners — Model Tech Hobbies receive your name, delivery address and contact number so they can deliver your order.
• Our website hosting provider — Xneelo stores our website and its data on secure servers.
• Service providers who help us operate the business (for example email or accounting software). Great Creative Media
• Law enforcement or regulators, where we are legally compelled to disclose information.

Where an operator processes personal information on our behalf, we require them to do so only on our instructions and to keep it secure and confidential, as POPIA requires.

7. Cross-border transfers

Some of our service providers may store or process data outside South Africa. Where that happens, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient is subject to laws, binding rules or agreements that provide an adequate level of protection, as required by section 72 of POPIA.

8. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to make the site work and to improve your experience. We use:

• Essential cookies — needed for the site to function, for example to remember what is in your shopping cart and to keep you logged in. The site cannot work properly without these.
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it. Google & Facebook Analytics.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the site, including checkout, from working.

9. How long we keep your information

We keep your personal information only for as long as we need it for the purpose it was collected, or for as long as the law requires.

• Order and transaction records — retained for at least five years, as required by South African tax and company law.
• Account information — retained while your account is active. If you ask us to delete your account, we will do so, except where we are legally required to keep transaction records.
• Enquiries and correspondence — retained for 5 years and then deleted.
• Marketing consent records — retained for as long as you remain subscribed, plus a record of your opt-out if you unsubscribe.

10. How we protect your information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to safeguard your personal information against loss, unauthorised access, and misuse. These include encrypted connections (HTTPS) across the site, restricted access to customer data, secure hosting, and using a reputable payment gateway so that card details never reach our systems.

No system is completely secure. If a security compromise occurs that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as soon as reasonably possible, as POPIA requires.

11. Your rights

Under POPIA you have the right to:

• Be told what personal information we hold about you.
• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct or update information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, out of date, or incomplete.
• Delete information we are no longer entitled to keep.
• Object to us processing your personal information, on reasonable grounds.
• Withdraw consent at any time, where our processing is based on your consent.
• Complain to the Information Regulator (details in section 13).

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer using the details in section 2. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Requests for access to information may be made in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA).

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on this page, with the date it was last updated shown at the top. Where changes are significant, we will take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention.

13. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, please contact our Information Officer first — we would like the chance to put it right.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the Information Regulator:

The Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za
Website: inforegulator.org.za

14. Contact us

If you have any questions about this policy or about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Email: shop@modeltech.co.za
Telephone: 084 580 2450
Address: 350 Schoongezicht Street, Erasmusrand, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa