Privacy Policy
Effective: 12 October 2026 • UNIRIDE (Pty) Ltd (Reg. 2026/184920/07)UniRide Privacy Policy
Responsible party: UNIRIDE (Pty) Ltd Autus Manor House, The Vineyards Office Estate, 99 Jip de Jager Road, Bellville, Western Cape, 7530, South Africa Privacy contact: support@uniride.co.za
Version: 1.0 Effective date: 12 October 2026
Contents
- Introduction
- Who This Policy Applies To
- Information We Collect
- How We Collect Information
- Why We Use Your Information
- Special Personal Information
- Location and Trip Recording
- Who We Share Information With
- Payments and Paystack
- Storing and Transferring Information Outside South Africa
- Automated Decisions
- How Long We Keep Information
- Security and Data Breaches
- Your Rights
- Children
- Marketing and Notifications
- Cookies and Website Technologies
- Third-Party Services
- Changes to This Policy
- Contact Us and Complaints
1. Introduction
1.1 UNIRIDE (Pty) Ltd ("UniRide", "we", "us" or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store and protect your personal information when you use the Uniride app, the UniRide Driver app, our websites, dashboards and kiosks, and our related services (together, the "Platform").
1.2 We process personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and other applicable South African laws. For POPIA purposes, UniRide is the "responsible party" for the personal information described in this Policy.
1.3 This Policy forms part of our Terms of Service. By using the Platform you confirm that you have read and understood it. Where the law requires your consent for particular processing, we ask for it separately (for example, when you grant location or microphone permissions in your device settings).
1.4 We launch with e-hailing services. Food delivery and Shop and Deliver services will be added later, and the parts of this Policy that relate to those services apply once they go live.
2. Who This Policy Applies To
This Policy applies to:
- Customers (including passengers) who use Uniride to request rides, package delivery, food orders or shop-and-deliver orders;
- Drivers and Shoppers who use UniRide Driver to provide transport, delivery or shopping services;
- Restaurants that receive orders through UniRide kiosks, dashboards or apps; and
- Visitors to our websites.
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Customers
| Category | What we collect |
|---|---|
| Information you give us | The details you enter when you sign up and use the app, such as your name, phone number, email address and any profile details you choose to add |
| Location data | Your pickup point, destination, and live location while you use the app and during Trips, as allowed by your device permissions |
| Microphone / audio data | Audio recordings made during Trips through your device's microphone for trip recording (see Section 7) |
| Payment information | Card details, which are collected and stored securely by our payment provider, Paystack. We receive limited information such as the card type, last four digits, and transaction status. We also hold your Wallet balance and transaction history |
| Trip and order information | Pickup and drop-off locations, route, times, Fare, ratings, cancellations, no-shows, and the Driver or Restaurant involved |
| Communications | Messages and calls through the Platform, and complaints and support requests you send us, including any photos, video or other media you attach |
| Device and technical data | Device type, operating system, app version, IP address, and crash or diagnostic data needed to keep the Platform running securely |
3.2 Drivers and Shoppers
In addition to the technical and communications information listed above, we collect:
| Category | What we collect |
|---|---|
| KYC and compliance information | Identity document, driver's licence, vehicle documents (registration and any permits), police clearance or criminal record check results, and bank statements |
| Account and payout information | Your bank account details used for payouts, your earnings history, and tax-related information |
| Location data | Your location while you are online or on a Trip or Order, so that we can match you with Customers and keep Trips safe |
| Microphone / audio data | Audio recordings made during Trips for trip recording |
| Performance information | Ratings, cancellation rates, unboarded starts, complaints, safety reports, and document expiry dates |
3.3 Restaurants
We collect only the information you provide during KYC and onboarding, such as business and contact details, your food health and safety certificates, bank statements, and menu and order information entered through the kiosk or dashboard.
3.4 Website visitors
We may collect technical information such as your IP address, browser type and pages visited, using cookies and similar technologies (see Section 17).
4. How We Collect Information
We collect personal information:
- directly from you, when you register, complete KYC, make a booking, use the support screen or contact us;
- automatically, through the app on your device (for example, location, microphone and technical data, with your permission); and
- from third parties, such as our payment provider, identity and background-check providers, and the relevant authorities, to verify the information you give us.
You are not required to give us your personal information, but if you do not, we may not be able to give you an account or provide the services.
5. Why We Use Your Information
We use personal information for the following purposes, each of which is permitted under POPIA, because we need it to carry out our agreement with you, to comply with the law, to protect legitimate interests, or because you have consented.
| Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|
| Providing the Platform | Creating and managing your account, matching Customers with Drivers, Restaurants and Shoppers, calculating Fares, navigation, and processing payments and payouts |
| Verification and compliance | Verifying identity, licences, vehicles, background checks and certificates, and monitoring document expiry (including sending reminders 1 month, 1 week, 3 days and 1 day before expiry) |
| Safety and security | SOS, trip sharing, ride tracking, trip recording, investigating incidents, preventing fraud and abuse, and enforcing our rules |
| Customer support and disputes | Handling complaints, Fare disputes, refund requests, appeals and lost property |
| Improving the Platform | Fixing errors, analysing demand and supply, improving pricing, routes, safety and features |
| Legal obligations | Complying with tax, transport, financial and other laws, and responding to lawful requests from authorities and courts |
| Communications | Sending service messages such as trip receipts, safety alerts, account notices and policy updates |
| Marketing | Sending promotions and campaigns where the law allows (see Section 16) |
| Business purposes | Reporting, audits, and managing mergers, acquisitions or restructuring |
6. Special Personal Information
6.1 Some information we collect is "special personal information" under POPIA. This includes information about criminal behaviour or alleged offences, such as police clearance and criminal record checks for Drivers and Shoppers.
6.2 We process this information only where it is necessary to establish whether a person is suitable to provide services to the public, to protect Customers, or to comply with the law, and where you have consented or the law permits it. We limit access to this information to people who need it for verification and safety purposes.
6.3 We do not intentionally collect other special personal information, such as health, religious beliefs, race or biometric data, unless it is voluntarily provided in the context of an incident report or support request, in which case we use it only to deal with that matter.
7. Location and Trip Recording
7.1 Location
(a) We collect location data to show nearby Drivers, set pickup points, track Trips and Orders, calculate Fares and distances, support SOS and trip sharing, and keep Customers and Drivers safe.
(b) Customers' location is collected while using the app and during Trips. Drivers' and Shoppers' location is collected while they are online and during Trips and Orders.
(c) You can control location permissions in your device settings. If you turn off location access, you may not be able to use key features of the Platform.
7.2 Trip recording (audio)
(a) The Platform can record audio during Trips using your device's microphone. We do this to promote safety, deter misconduct, investigate incidents and complaints, resolve disputes and meet legal requirements.
(b) Customers and Drivers are informed of trip recording in the app. By using the Platform and granting microphone permission, you consent to this recording.
(c) Recordings are stored securely and accessed only by authorised personnel (such as our safety and support teams) where needed for the purposes in paragraph (a). We may disclose recordings to the police, courts or regulators where the law permits or requires it.
(d) Please do not share recordings made in the Platform with anyone, and do not make your own recordings of other Users in a way that breaches their privacy or the law.
(e) You can withdraw microphone permission in your device settings, but this may limit your ability to use certain features, and we may be unable to offer you Trips where recording is a safety requirement.
7.3 Trip sharing and SOS
If you use trip sharing, we share your live Trip details (such as Driver name, vehicle details and live location) with the contacts you choose. If you use SOS, we may share your location and Trip details with our safety team, your emergency contacts and emergency services.
8. Who We Share Information With
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described below.
8.1 Other Users, to complete Trips and Orders
- Customers and Drivers: we share names between Customers and Drivers so you can identify each other for a Trip.
- Delivery Drivers and Restaurants: we share names between delivery Drivers and Restaurants, and phone numbers between Drivers and Restaurants, so that Orders can be completed.
- Delivery Drivers and Customers: we share names between delivery Drivers and Customers.
- Pickup and drop-off details: Drivers see the pickup and drop-off information they need to perform the Trip.
Users must use this information only to complete the Trip or Order and must not store, misuse, share or contact the other person afterwards for any other reason.
8.2 Service providers (operators)
We use trusted service providers to help us run the Platform. They may process personal information on our behalf and only under our instructions and written agreements that require them to protect it. They include:
- Payment processing: Paystack, for card payments and Wallet deposits;
- Identity and background verification: providers that verify identity documents, licences and police clearances;
- Hosting and infrastructure: cloud and database providers that host our servers and store our data, including Supabase (database), Fly.io (application hosting) and Upstash (caching);
- Maps and location: mapping and map-tile providers, which may receive technical information such as your IP address when map images are loaded;
- Communications: providers of SMS, email and push notifications; and
- Analytics and diagnostics: tools that help us measure performance and fix errors.
8.3 Organisations
If you use the Platform through an organisation that has signed you up and authorised you (for example, an employer or institution that we bill directly), we may share Trip information such as dates, Fares and routes with that organisation for billing and expense purposes.
8.4 Authorities and legal reasons
We may disclose personal information where the law requires it or permits it, such as to respond to a court order or lawful request, to the South African Police Service, to transport authorities or the South African Revenue Service, to investigate fraud or crime, or to protect the rights, property or safety of UniRide, Users or the public.
8.5 Business changes
If UniRide is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Policy or an equivalent level of protection.
8.6 With your consent
We may share information for other purposes if you ask us to or give your consent.
9. Payments and Paystack
9.1 Card payments and Wallet deposits are processed by Paystack. Your full card details are collected and stored by Paystack under its own security standards and privacy terms, not by UniRide. We receive only limited payment information, such as a payment token, card type, last four digits and transaction status.
9.2 Driver, Shopper and Restaurant payouts use the bank details you provide at KYC, which are used only to pay you and to meet verification, fraud-prevention and tax requirements.
9.3 Toll amounts included in a Fare are transferred to just-in-time (JIT) cards that we provide to Drivers for use at toll gates. Transaction data from these cards may be used to reconcile and verify toll payments.
10. Storing and Transferring Information Outside South Africa
10.1 Some of our service providers store or process information on servers outside South Africa. When we transfer personal information across borders, we do so only where POPIA allows it, for example where the recipient is subject to law, binding rules or an agreement that gives a similar level of protection, or where it is necessary to provide the services you asked for or you have consented.
10.2 We take steps to make sure that service providers outside South Africa protect your information to a standard comparable to POPIA.
11. Automated Decisions
11.1 Some parts of the Platform use automated processing. For example, surge pricing responds to real-time supply and demand, matching algorithms choose which Driver is offered a Trip, and systems may flag unusual activity such as suspected fraud, excessive cancellations or no-shows, or expired documents.
11.2 These systems can lead to consequences such as a Fare adjustment, a fee, a warning, a lower driver tier or a suspension. Where a decision significantly affects you, you may ask for a human review by using the appeals process described in our Terms of Service, or by contacting support@uniride.co.za. Appeals are not available for violent or extreme misconduct.
12. How Long We Keep Information
12.1 We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes described in this Policy, to meet legal, tax and regulatory requirements, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements.
12.2 Our current retention approach is as follows. Periods in square brackets are our intended defaults and may change.
| Information | Retention |
|---|---|
| Account information | While your account is active, and for [5 years] after closure where needed for legal, tax and dispute purposes |
| KYC documents and background-check results | For as long as the account is active, and for [5 years] after deactivation or deregistration where needed for legal, safety and regulatory reasons |
| Trip and order records, payments and invoices | [5 years], to meet tax, accounting and legal requirements |
| Location data | [12 months] for ordinary Trip records, longer if relevant to an incident, complaint or legal claim |
| Trip audio recordings | [30 to 90 days], unless an incident, complaint, dispute or investigation requires them to be kept longer, in which case they are kept until the matter is resolved and any legal deadlines have passed |
| Support requests and complaint media | [3 years] after the matter is closed |
| Marketing preferences | Until you opt out or close your account |
12.3 When we no longer need personal information, we securely delete it, destroy it or de-identify it so that it can no longer be linked to you.
13. Security and Data Breaches
13.1 We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information against loss, damage, unauthorised access and unlawful processing. These include encryption of data in transit, access controls on a need-to-know basis, secure hosting, and the use of Paystack for card data.
13.2 No system is completely secure. Please protect your account by keeping your login details and device secure, and tell us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access.
13.3 If there are reasonable grounds to believe your personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will notify the Information Regulator and, where required, you, as soon as reasonably possible in line with POPIA.
14. Your Rights
Under POPIA you have the right to:
- Be informed about how we process your information (this Policy);
- Access the personal information we hold about you and ask what third parties have received it;
- Correct or delete information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading or unlawfully obtained;
- Object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds, and object to direct marketing at any time;
- Withdraw consent where we process your information based on consent (this does not affect processing that happened before you withdrew it);
- Request a human review of certain automated decisions (see Section 11); and
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (see Section 20).
To exercise these rights, email support@uniride.co.za or use the support screen in the app. We may need to verify your identity first. If you ask us to delete information, we may need to keep some of it where the law requires or to deal with disputes, and we will tell you if so. If you ask us to delete information that is needed to provide the services, we may not be able to continue providing them.
15. Children
The Platform is for adults only. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. A child may travel only when accompanied by an adult or guardian who made the booking. If we discover that someone under 18 has registered, we will suspend the account and may delete the information. If you think a child has given us personal information, please contact us at support@uniride.co.za.
16. Marketing and Notifications
16.1 Service messages. We send messages that are necessary for the services, such as Trip receipts, safety alerts, KYC and document-expiry reminders, and account and policy notices. You cannot opt out of these while you have an account.
16.2 Promotional messages. We may send you offers, campaigns (including university and student campaigns) and updates by push notification, email or SMS where you have agreed or where the law allows us to. You can opt out at any time through the in-app settings, by following the unsubscribe link, or by contacting support@uniride.co.za.
17. Cookies and Website Technologies
17.1 Our websites and dashboards may use cookies and similar technologies. These are small files stored on your device that help us keep you logged in, remember preferences, understand how the website is used and keep it secure.
17.2 You can control cookies through your browser settings. If you block essential cookies, parts of the website may not work.
18. Third-Party Services
The Platform may link to or use third-party services, such as Paystack, mapping providers and social or messaging apps. These parties have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for how they handle your information. Please read their terms before you use them.
19. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, technology or the law. We will update the effective date above and notify you of material changes through the app, by email or on our website. If you continue to use the Platform after a change takes effect, the updated Policy applies to you.
20. Contact Us and Complaints
20.1 Contact us
UNIRIDE (Pty) Ltd Autus Manor House, The Vineyards Office Estate, 99 Jip de Jager Road, Bellville, Western Cape, 7530 Email: support@uniride.co.za In-app: Support screen (subject, description, optional media)
Information Officer: [name of Information Officer], reachable at support@uniride.co.za
20.2 Complaints
If you have a concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa). Its current contact details are available on its website: www.inforegulator.org.za.