POPIA Compliance

Cherry Lemon respects your right to privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information entrusted to us.

We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, commonly known as POPIA, and other applicable South African laws.

1. Our commitment to your privacy

Cherry Lemon aims to process personal information responsibly, transparently and only where there is a legitimate reason to do so. We aim to:

• Collect only the information we need.
• Tell you why we are collecting your information.
• Use your information for the purpose for which we collected it.
• Keep personal information reasonably accurate and up to date.
• Protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.
• Keep personal information only for as long as required.
• Respect your rights regarding your personal information.

2. Who is responsible for your information

For purposes of POPIA, Cherry Lemon is responsible for the personal information processed through the Cherry Lemon website and in connection with Cherry Lemon services.

Cherry Lemon
Website: cherrylemon.co.za
Email: customercare@cherrylemon.co.za
South Africa

3. What personal information we may collect

Depending on how you interact with Cherry Lemon, we may collect information including:

• Your name.
• Business name.
• Email address.
• Telephone number.
• Website address.
• Business location.
• Information submitted through contact or enquiry forms.
• Information supplied during the Cherry Lemon Digital Checkup.
• Your Digital Checkup answers and results.
• Information about your website, hosting, domain, email setup and digital systems that you provide to us.
• Services you are interested in.
• Information needed to provide website, hosting, website care, business email, lead-generation or customer-email services.
• Billing and transaction information.
• Communications between you and Cherry Lemon.
• Email subscription preferences.
• Technical information relating to your use of our website.
• Cookie and analytics information where applicable.

4. The Cherry Lemon Digital Checkup

The Cherry Lemon Digital Checkup is a free diagnostic tool designed to help small-business owners understand their digital setup.

When you use the Checkup, we may collect information about your business, website, website content and design, domain and hosting, website care and security, business email, online visibility, lead generation, email-list activity and business priorities.

Where available, the Checkup may perform automated checks against publicly accessible information associated with your website or domain.

Results may include your Cherry Lemon Digital Score, category scores, areas working well, areas needing attention, recommended priorities, a suggested Cherry Lemon Stack and a recommended action plan.

The Digital Checkup is intended as a practical diagnostic. Automated findings should be distinguished from information supplied by you, and Cherry Lemon should not represent an item as verified when the system has not verified it.

5. Why we process personal information

Cherry Lemon may process personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries.
• Provide quotes or proposals.
• Provide services you have requested.
• Build, rebuild or maintain websites.
• Provide hosting and Website Care.
• Set up and support business email.
• Create lead magnets and landing pages.
• Set up email lists and email systems.
• Write and manage follow-up emails or customer emails.
• Deliver your Digital Checkup results.
• Generate your Digital Report or action plan.
• Recommend services relevant to your Digital Checkup.
• Provide customer support.
• Manage billing and administration.
• Maintain business records.
• Improve our website and services.
• Understand how visitors use our website.
• Protect our systems and customers.
• Meet legal, accounting, regulatory or contractual obligations.
• Send marketing emails where permitted.

6. Our basis for processing information

Depending on the circumstances, Cherry Lemon may process information because:

• You have given consent.
• The information is required to provide a service or fulfil a contract with you.
• Processing is necessary before entering into a contract at your request.
• We have a legitimate business reason permitted under applicable law.
• Processing is required to comply with a legal obligation.
• Another lawful basis under POPIA applies.

7. Email marketing and your email list

Cherry Lemon believes your email list should be treated with respect.

Where required, we ask for appropriate permission before adding someone to marketing communications.

Every marketing email should provide a simple way to unsubscribe.

You may ask Cherry Lemon to stop sending marketing messages at any time.

Cherry Lemon should maintain appropriate records of people who have opted out so their preference is respected.

8. When Cherry Lemon manages email for a client

Cherry Lemon provides email-list, email-system and customer-email services to clients.

Clients generally determine whose information is collected, why it is collected, which subscribers receive communications, what information is stored and what communications are sent.

Cherry Lemon may process information on behalf of the client when providing the agreed service.

Cherry Lemon will use client information only for the agreed service and will apply reasonable safeguards.

Clients remain responsible for ensuring personal information provided to Cherry Lemon has been collected and is being used lawfully.

9. Lead magnets and signup forms

Cherry Lemon may create lead magnets, landing pages, signup forms and automated email systems for clients.

Information entered by a visitor may be transferred to the client's chosen email or CRM platform.

The relevant client is responsible for the relationship with their subscriber and for determining how subscriber information will be used.

Cherry Lemon may act as a service provider in processing information on the client's behalf.

10. Third-party service providers

Cherry Lemon uses third-party systems where needed to operate the business and deliver services.

• Website hosting.
• Domain management.
• Business email.
• Email marketing.
• CRM systems.
• Analytics.
• Website forms.
• Backups.
• Security.
• Payment processing.
• Accounting.
• Cloud storage.
• Automation.
• Website monitoring.

Cherry Lemon aims to use reputable providers and limit information shared with them to what is reasonably required.

11. Information stored outside South Africa

Some technology providers used by Cherry Lemon or its clients may store or process information outside South Africa.

Where cross-border processing takes place, Cherry Lemon will seek to use services and arrangements consistent with applicable POPIA requirements.

This is particularly relevant to international cloud, email, CRM, analytics and software providers.

12. Security

Cherry Lemon takes reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information.

• Secure hosting.
• SSL encryption.
• Website security monitoring.
• Software updates.
• Access controls.
• Strong passwords.
• Backups.
• Email security measures.
• Restricted administrative access.
• Secure third-party platforms.

No digital system offers absolute protection. Cherry Lemon's responsibility is to apply reasonable safeguards appropriate to the information and services involved.

13. Information retention

Cherry Lemon keeps personal information only for as long as reasonably required for:

• The purpose for which it was collected.
• Providing the requested service.
• Maintaining the customer relationship.
• Business and accounting records.
• Legal or regulatory obligations.
• Resolving disputes.
• Protecting Cherry Lemon's legitimate interests.

When information is no longer required, it should be deleted, destroyed, anonymised or otherwise handled appropriately.

14. Your rights

Subject to POPIA and other applicable law, you have rights regarding your personal information.

• Ask whether Cherry Lemon holds personal information about you.
• Request access to your personal information.
• Ask for inaccurate or outdated information to be corrected.
• Request deletion where appropriate.
• Object to certain processing.
• Withdraw consent where processing depends on consent.
• Object to direct marketing.
• Ask Cherry Lemon to stop sending marketing communications.
• Raise concerns about how your information is being processed.
• Submit a complaint to the Information Regulator.

15. How to exercise your rights

To ask about personal information held by Cherry Lemon, request a correction or deletion, object to processing, withdraw consent where applicable, or raise a privacy concern, contact Cherry Lemon at: customercare@cherrylemon.co.za

Please provide enough information for us to identify you and understand your request.

We may need to verify your identity before releasing, correcting or deleting personal information.

16. Unsubscribing from email

Every Cherry Lemon marketing email should include an unsubscribe option.

You may also contact us directly and ask us to stop marketing communications.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not necessarily stop operational communications required to provide a service, process a transaction, manage an account or meet a legal obligation.

17. Cookies and website analytics

The Cherry Lemon website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep the website functioning.
• Understand website usage.
• Measure website performance.
• Remember preferences.
• Measure conversions.
• Improve the visitor experience.

Where required, visitors should be given appropriate information and choices regarding non-essential cookies.

More information should appear in the Cherry Lemon Cookie Policy.

18. Children's information

Cherry Lemon's website and services are intended primarily for businesses and adults.

Cherry Lemon does not intentionally seek to collect personal information from children through its general business services.

If information relating to a child needs to be processed, Cherry Lemon will address the applicable POPIA requirements before doing so.

19. Information breaches

If Cherry Lemon has reasonable grounds to believe personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, the matter will be investigated and handled in accordance with applicable POPIA requirements.

20. Complaints to the Information Regulator

If you believe your personal information has been processed contrary to POPIA, you have the right to approach the Information Regulator.

Information Regulator South Africa
Telephone: 010 023 5200
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Website: inforegulator.org.za

Cherry Lemon will take reasonable steps to address privacy concerns raised directly with us. You retain your right to approach the Information Regulator where you believe your rights have not been adequately addressed.

21. Changes to this page

Cherry Lemon may update this POPIA Compliance page when our services, systems, legal requirements or privacy practices change.

The latest version will be published on cherrylemon.co.za.

Last updated: September 2026

22. Related documents

The following related documents should be available on the Cherry Lemon website:

• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Terms and Conditions
• PAIA Manual
• Digital Checkup Privacy Information
• Email Marketing Consent Information