Privacy notice →
Section 51 · Promotion of Access to Information Act

The records we keep, and how to access them.

This manual is published free of charge in compliance with PAIA and POPIA. It describes the information Univio holds and how to request access to it.

PAIA & POPIA Section 51 manual Free of charge

On this page

Want your own records, or want them deleted? That's covered by our privacy notice — not a formal PAIA request. Privacy notice →
Univio and the Information Officer
OrganisationUnivio
Principal place of businessSouth Africa
Nature of businessAI-assisted university admissions guidance delivered over WhatsApp — APS calculation, programme and bursary matching, and application support
Information OfficerThando Mzimela, Co-Founder — registered at inforegulator.bizportal.gov.za
Emailprivacy@univio.co.za

In terms of PAIA and POPIA, the head of a private body is the Information Officer by default — responsible for Univio's compliance, handling data subject and access requests, and liaising with the Information Regulator.

If you have any concern about how your information is handled, contact the Information Officer first. If you remain unsatisfied, you can complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforeg@justice.gov.za or inforegulator.org.za.

The records we hold

The following are available automatically, without a formal request: our Privacy Notice, this PAIA Manual, general information about Univio's service, and the Information Officer's contact details.

Beyond that, we hold these categories of records:

CategoryFormatRetention
Learner identity records (name, WhatsApp number)Internal systemDeleted within 30 days of a deletion request or account closure
Academic records (subjects, marks, calculated APS)Internal systemAs above
Profile records (grade, province, fields of interest, funding plan)Internal systemAs above
Career quiz responses and resultsInternal systemAs above
Match records (programmes and bursaries matched, reports generated)Internal systemAs above
Chat & engagement records (questions asked, options tapped, links clicked)Internal systemIndividual-linked records deleted with profile; aggregated data retained
Consent records (given, declined, withdrawn, with timestamps)Internal systemMinimum 1 year
Correspondence (email / WhatsApp to privacy@univio.co.za)Email / WhatsAppUp to 3 years
Information you can get without a request

These are published and free to anyone, with no formal request needed:

  • This PAIA Manual — univio.co.za/paia
  • Our Privacy Notice — univio.co.za/privacy
  • General information about Univio's service, available on our website
  • The Information Officer's contact details (above)
What we do not hold
  • Banking or financial account information
  • Identity document or passport numbers
  • Home or street address (we hold province only)
  • Special personal information — race, health, religion, political opinions or biometric data
Requesting access to records

Any person — including learners, parents or guardians, institutions, or third parties — may request access to records held by Univio under Section 18 of PAIA.

  1. Email privacy@univio.co.za with the subject line "PAIA Access Request", including your full name and contact details, a description of the record(s) you want, and the form you'd like to receive them in.
  2. We acknowledge receipt within 3 business days and assign a reference number.
  3. We decide whether to grant or refuse access within 30 days (extendable by up to 30 more days for voluminous or complex requests).
  4. If refused, you may submit an internal appeal within 30 days, addressed to the Information Officer with the subject line "PAIA Internal Appeal."
Where the request concerns a learner under 18, a parent or legal guardian (as the competent person) may make the request on the learner's behalf.
Timelines and fees
TimeframeAction
Within 3 business daysAcknowledgement + reference number
Within 30 daysDecision to grant or refuse, notified to you
Up to 30 more daysPossible extension for voluminous or complex requests

Requests by data subjects for their own personal information are free of charge. A fee may apply to other requests, and you'll be told about it before we process the request — you can raise financial hardship for a fee waiver.

When a request can be refused

A request may be refused where:

  • the record contains a third party's personal information without their consent;
  • disclosure would unreasonably invade a third party's privacy;
  • the record is subject to legal privilege;
  • the record doesn't exist or can't be found after a reasonable search; or
  • the request is manifestly frivolous or vexatious.
Version and review

This manual is available free of charge to anyone who requests it, and is published online at univio.co.za/paia. It will be reviewed at least annually, and whenever Univio's information holdings materially change, there's a change in applicable law, or the Information Officer changes.

Version1.0
Effective date2 August 2026
Next scheduled reviewWithin 12 months, or sooner on material change
Anything unclear? This manual is written in plain language on purpose. If any part doesn't make sense, or you need more detail, email privacy@univio.co.za and we'll answer directly.