Our Privacy Policy
Elien Education Privacy Policy - September 2026
Elien Education (Pty) Ltd (“Elien”, “we”, “us”) is responsible for the personal information we collect when you use our website, education services and WhatsApp support.
Website: https://www.elieneducation.com
Privacy enquiries: [email protected]
Business address: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Information we collect
Depending on how you use our services, we may collect:
Your name, email address, telephone number and account details.
Parent or guardian contact details and records of permission.
Learner information you provide, such as grade, subjects and educational support needs.
Enquiries, WhatsApp messages, attachments and support records.
Technical information needed to operate and protect our services, such as IP addresses, browser information and security logs.
We receive information directly from you, from a parent or guardian acting for a learner, and from service providers involved in delivering our services.
Please provide only information relevant to your enquiry. Do not send passwords, payment-card details or unnecessary identity or medical documents through WhatsApp.
How we use information
We use personal information to provide educational services, manage accounts, respond to enquiries, support learners and guardians, communicate about services, prevent misuse and meet applicable legal obligations.
Depending on the purpose, processing may be based on consent, steps needed to enter into or perform an agreement, legal obligations, or legitimate interests recognised by South African law.
Where information is necessary to provide a service, we will explain this when collecting it. If you choose not to provide it, we may be unable to provide that service.
Children and parent or guardian permission
Learners under 18 require permission from a parent, guardian or another person legally authorised to consent on their behalf.
We will obtain appropriate consent before processing children’s information where required by law. We may request proportionate information to verify that permission.
If you believe a child has provided information without appropriate permission, contact [email protected] so we can investigate and take appropriate action.
This policy does not itself obtain parental consent.
WhatsApp and automated support
When you contact us through WhatsApp, we receive your telephone number, available profile information, message content and relevant message-status information.
Our support system may automatically organise enquiries and prepare or send responses. You may request assistance from a person through our support channel or by email.
WhatsApp is provided by Meta and is also subject to WhatsApp’s own privacy terms. Messages received by Elien may be processed and stored in our support systems.
Service providers and sharing
We share relevant information with authorised personnel and service providers when necessary to deliver our services.
Our website and WhatsApp support infrastructure uses providers including Meta/WhatsApp, n8n, Railway and Supabase for messaging, automation, hosting and database services.
We may also disclose information where required by law or where lawfully necessary to protect rights, investigate misuse or address security incidents.
Processing outside South Africa
Some service providers may process information outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we must ensure that the transfer meets applicable POPIA requirements, including appropriate protections or another lawful basis for the transfer.
Security and retention
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information. No internet service can guarantee complete security.
We retain information only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, applicable legal requirements, or legitimate recordkeeping needs. Information that is no longer required will be deleted, de-identified or otherwise handled as required by law.
Your privacy rights
Subject to applicable law, you may request access to your information, correction of inaccurate information, or deletion of information that we are no longer entitled to retain. You may also object to certain processing or withdraw consent where processing depends on consent.
To make a request, email [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity and, when acting for a learner, your authority to do so.
Withdrawing consent does not invalidate earlier lawful processing, and some records may need to be retained for legal reasons.
Complaints
You may contact us at [email protected] with a privacy concern.
You also have the right to complain to South Africa’s Information Regulator:
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 010 023 5200
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our services or legal obligations change. We will publish the current version on our website and provide additional notice of significant changes where appropriate.