Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

We collect information you provide directly to us, including:

• Business enquiries: company name, website, industry, company size, country, your name, email, phone, job title, and the details of your brief.
• Freelancer applications: your name, email, phone, location, LinkedIn profile, portfolio URL, skills, experience, availability, preferred industries, rate expectations, languages, professional summary, and any documents you upload, your CV/resume, portfolio, and supporting documents.
• Communications: records of correspondence if you contact us directly by email or through LinkedIn.
• Website usage data: only if you grant Analytics consent (see Section 9), aggregated information about how you interact with this website, pages visited and interactions with key actions such as submitting a brief or application, via Google Analytics 4. No Analytics cookies are set and no usage data is collected until you grant this consent.

We do not knowingly collect special categories of personal information (such as health or biometric data) through this website, and ask that you avoid including such information in any submission.

2. How we use information

• To respond to enquiries and scope client briefs.
• To evaluate and process freelancer applications, including vetting.
• To match freelancers to client engagements and manage those engagements.
• To send confirmations, updates, and other service-related communications.
• To maintain records required for our business, accounting, and legal obligations.
• To improve this website and our services.

3. Legal basis for processing

Where applicable data protection law requires a legal basis (including the EU/UK GDPR and South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act, POPIA), we rely on: your consent when you submit a form; the steps necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you (e.g. a client engagement or a freelancer placement); and our legitimate interests in operating and improving our business, balanced against your rights.

4. Sharing of information

We do not sell personal information. We may share it with:

• Vetted freelancers, to the extent necessary to scope and deliver a client engagement.
• Service providers who support our operations (for example, hosting, email delivery, and document storage), under appropriate confidentiality and data protection terms.
• Google, as our Analytics service provider, but only if you grant Analytics consent (see Section 9). We do not use this data for advertising.
• Professional advisers, regulators, or authorities where required by law.
• A successor entity in connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset sale.

5. International data transfers

Dhira Software Solutions is based in South Africa and works with clients and freelancers internationally. As a result, personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your own. Where required, we take steps intended to ensure such transfers are subject to appropriate safeguards.

6. Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including to maintain business records, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Freelancer application records may be retained to support future vetting or re-application, unless you ask us to delete them.

7. Data security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, update, or request deletion of your personal information; to object to or restrict certain processing; and to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. For Analytics cookies specifically, use "Cookie Preferences" in the footer to change or withdraw your consent at any time, see Section 9. For anything else, contact us using the details below.

9. Cookies and consent

This website uses cookies and similar browser storage to function and, where you allow it, to understand how the site is used. Cookies are grouped into categories that match the choices in the "Cookie Preferences" control, available at any time via the link in the site footer:

• Essential: required for the site to work, for example, remembering your cookie preferences themselves. These cannot be switched off and are not used to track you across other websites.
• Analytics: off by default, and enabled only if you allow it. We use Google Analytics 4 to understand aggregate visitor behaviour, pages viewed and interactions with key actions such as submitting a brief, applying to join the network, and using primary navigation and contact links, so we can improve the site. No Analytics cookies are set and no data is sent to Google Analytics until you grant this consent. If you reject it, or later withdraw consent you previously gave, Analytics scripts stop running and no further Analytics events are recorded.

Additional categories (for example, Marketing or Personalisation) may be introduced if we add further tools in future. This policy will be updated to describe any new category, and the Cookie Preferences control will let you manage it individually, alongside the choices you've already made.

Your choice is stored in your browser and remembered on future visits, so you are not asked again unless you clear your browser storage or our cookie categories change materially. You can review or change your decision at any time, including withdrawing consent you previously gave, via "Cookie Preferences" in the footer.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings, including blocking or deleting them; doing so may affect how parts of this website function.

10. Children's privacy

This website and our services are intended for business use and are not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be reflected on this page.

12. Contact us

For questions about this policy or to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at info@dhirasolutions.online.