Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Sokoni ("we", "us") operates the Sokoni multi-vendor marketplace in South Africa at www.sokoni.co.za. Sokoni is a trading name of Sokoni Distribution Network (Pty) Ltd. We process personal information as a responsible party under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

Contact: privacy@sokoni.co.za

2. Information we collect

2.1 All account holders

• Name, email address, password (stored as a secure hash only)
• Email verification at registration; optional cell phone number with SMS OTP verification in Account settings
• Profile photo if you upload one at registration
• Session, device, browser, and IP address for security and fraud prevention
• Support chat and call records when you contact us

2.2 Shoppers (buyers)

• Delivery and billing addresses saved on your account
• Order history, return requests, and wishlist
• Payment references from Paystack (we do not store full card numbers)
• Savings Pocket: balance, top-up history, ledger entries, PIN usage events, terms acceptance version and date
• Terms acceptance on orders

2.3 Marketplace sellers (vendors)

In addition to account data, sellers provide business and KYC information for verification and payouts:

• Shop name, description, seller type (individual or registered business)
• Company registration (CIPC) number and VAT number where applicable
• Bank account holder, bank name, account number, branch code
• Uploaded documents: CIPC registration, ID or director ID, bank statement, proof of bank account, VAT registration where applicable
• Ship-from address and contact phone for vendor-direct fulfilment
• Product listings, order fulfilment data, earnings, and SLA metrics

Seller KYC is reviewed manually by Sokoni staff before a shop goes live. See Vendor Terms.

3. Why we use your information

• To create and manage your account and process orders
• To verify your phone number and reduce account takeover and fraud
• To communicate order updates and respond to support requests
• To operate the Savings Pocket, process refunds, and monitor for abuse
• To verify sellers, calculate commissions, and pay vendors
• To comply with legal, tax, and payment-partner obligations
• With your consent, to send marketing (you may opt out anytime)

4. Sharing with third parties

We share data only as needed to operate the marketplace:

• Paystack (and other payment partners): payment processing and fraud signals. We do not receive or store your full card details.
• Couriers (Bob Go and partners): delivery name, address, phone, and parcel details.
• Vendors: information required to fulfil your order (name, delivery address, line items). Vendors do not receive your full payment card data.
• Hosting and infrastructure: cloud providers that host our application and database under contract.
• SMS (Twilio or similar): phone number for OTP and transactional messages.

We do not sell your personal information.

5. Enhanced checks and fraud

We apply risk-based checks including phone OTP, payment webhook validation, audit logging, and manual seller KYC review. High-value wallet top-ups or suspicious activity may trigger additional review or account limits. We cooperate with payment partners on chargebacks and fraud investigations.

6. Your POPIA rights

You may request access, correction, or deletion of your personal information, object to processing, or lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator. Contact privacy@sokoni.co.za. Shoppers can also request deletion from Account Settings; personal data is purged after a 30-day retention window unless cancelled.

7. Security and retention

We use encryption in transit (HTTPS), access controls, and audit logging for admin actions. We retain order and tax records as required by law, then delete or anonymise data when no longer needed.

8. Cookies

Essential cookies and local storage keep you signed in and maintain your cart. You can control optional cookies in your browser settings.

9. Related policies

Terms of Service, Returns & Refunds Policy, Vendor Terms, Savings Pocket Terms.