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Privacy Policy

Effective date: 3 May 2026

This policy explains how AYVA handles personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). It covers both the studios that use AYVA and the clients who book with those studios.

1. Who is responsible for your information

AYVA is operated by AYVA Software (Pty) Ltd, registration number 2022/856769/07, with its registered address at 30 The Greens, 1 Ballito Drive, Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, 4420 ("AYVA", "we", "us" or "our").

Our role under POPIA depends on whose information it is:

  • For studios. AYVA is the responsible party for the personal information of studio owners and their staff that relates to their AYVA account and our direct relationship with them.
  • For studio clients. Where you book with a studio, that studio is the responsible party for your personal information and decides how it is used. AYVA acts as the studio's operator, processing that information on the studio's behalf and on its instructions. AYVA is also a responsible party for the limited information needed to run your booking account and our direct relationship with you.

2. Information we collect

We collect the following personal information:

  • Account details: name, email address, phone number and, if you add one, a profile photo;
  • Booking activity: the sessions, classes, packages, credits and subscriptions you create, take or buy, and your credit balance;
  • Payment information: a customer reference held with our payment partner Paystack, and records of payments. We do not store your full card details;
  • Acceptance records: confirmation that you accepted applicable terms or a studio indemnity, with the date and version;
  • Technical information: information your device and browser send when you use AYVA, such as log data, and information collected through cookies (see below).

We collect this information directly from you when you register and use AYVA, and, for studio clients, sometimes from the studio you book with.

3. How and why we use it

We use personal information to:

  • Create and manage accounts and authenticate users;
  • Provide the booking and payment features, including processing bookings, credits, subscriptions and payments;
  • Send transactional messages such as booking confirmations, billing notices and account updates;
  • Provide support and respond to queries;
  • Keep AYVA secure, prevent fraud and abuse, and meet our legal obligations;
  • Improve and maintain the platform.

We process personal information on the lawful bases allowed by POPIA, including where it is necessary to perform a contract with you, to pursue our or a studio's legitimate interests, to comply with the law, or with your consent. We send marketing only where permitted, and you can opt out at any time.

4. Who we share it with

We do not sell personal information. We share it only as needed to run AYVA, including with:

  • Studios. A studio you book with receives the information needed to manage your bookings and its relationship with you.
  • Paystack, our payment partner, to process payments and settle funds to studios.
  • Google (Firebase), which provides our authentication and hosting infrastructure.
  • Postmark, which delivers our transactional emails.
  • Authorities or advisors where we are required to share information by law or to protect our legal rights.

These providers act as our operators and may only process the information for the purposes we set.

5. Information sent outside South Africa

Some of our service providers process information outside South Africa. Where personal information is transferred across borders, we do so in line with POPIA, including where the recipient is subject to laws or agreements that provide an adequate level of protection, or where the transfer is necessary to perform our contract with you.

6. How long we keep it

We keep personal information for as long as needed to provide the Service and our accounts remain active, and after that only as long as required to meet legal, accounting or reporting obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we delete or de-identify it. Where AYVA acts as a studio's operator, the studio determines how long its client information is kept.

7. Your rights

Under POPIA you have the right to:

  • Ask what personal information we hold about you and request access to it;
  • Ask us to correct or update information that is inaccurate or incomplete;
  • Ask us to delete information where we are no longer entitled to keep it;
  • Object to certain processing, and to opt out of direct marketing;
  • Complain to the Information Regulator (see below).

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@ayva.co.za. If your request relates to information held by a studio as responsible party, we may direct you to, or work with, that studio.

8. How we protect your information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access and misuse, including access controls, authentication and separation of sensitive data. No system is completely secure, but we work to keep our safeguards appropriate to the risk. If a security compromise affects your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.

9. Cookies

AYVA and this website use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences and understand how the site is used. You can control cookies through your browser settings, although some features may not work properly without them.

10. Children

AYVA is intended for use by adults. Where a studio offers sessions for children, the relevant booking and personal information should be provided and managed by a parent or guardian, who is responsible for any consent required.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available here, and we will give notice of material changes where appropriate.

12. Contact and complaints

For any privacy question or request, or to reach our Information Officer, contact:

  • AYVA Software (Pty) Ltd, 30 The Greens, 1 Ballito Drive, Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, 4420
  • Email: support@ayva.co.za

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your information, you have the right to complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa):