The Blend Group comprises of a group of companies that share a holding company or subsidiary relationship, and which companies share various resources in order to deliver value product / services to our clients. In this privacy notice, when we refer to the Blend Group, we refer to one or more of the group companies as responsible parties.

This privacy notice applies to Personal Information processed by the Blend Group for the purposes of offering its products and/or services.

Blend Property Group has developed this privacy notice to inform our client (existing or potential), services providers, employees, applicants for employment, and any other Data Subject of how and why the Blend Group collects, uses, discloses and safeguards Personal Information of Data Subjects.

The aim of this privacy notice is to demonstrate the Blend Group’s commitment to compliance with the provisions of the Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPIA”) to safeguard Personal Information.

The Blend Group is committed to processing Personal Information in accordance with the below principles when collecting, recording, storing, disseminating, and destroying Personal Information, and responding to government requests for our users’ data:

1. We shall not contact/solicit you unless you have given us your consent to do so.
2. We shall process information for a specific, lawful reason and only adequate, relevant information which is limited to the purposes for which the information is processed, and which relates to the functions or the activity of the Blend Group.
3. We inform users upfront that we will be processing data in fulfilment of their requests. If you cancel your services with the Blend Group, we will delete or otherwise de-identify your Personal Information after the minimum storage periods required under our risk and statutory record-keeping periods have expired.
4. We take measures to ensure data is kept safe and prevent loss of, damage to, or unauthorized destruction of Personal Information, and unlawful access to or processing of Personal Information.

Name, Surname, Gender, Identity number, Nationality, Race, Contact information (residential address, postal address, email, telephone number) Curriculum Vitae, Academic records, qualifications, references from previous responsible parties, performance information, bank account details, salary information, number of dependents, competence requirements, reference check, criminal checks, credit checks, credit card information.

We collect Personal Information directly from you as the Data Subject. We collect your Personal Information in several ways which may include:

• Submission through our website;
• Correspondence through email or mobile applications;
• Phone Calls in which content is submitted or entered into a record;
• Social Media Platforms;
• Completion of paper-based information sheets;

  For example-

• While you use this website, we may collect your Personal Information, or you may provide it to us (for example by enquiring or subscribing to our vacancy schedules). For example, your name, email address or telephone number;
• To send you an offer or invoice – we may collect your publicly available Personal Information from the Internet. For example, your address or VAT registration number;
• For leasing purposes, we are required by law to verify the identity of our clients, and tenant, so we may ask you to provide us with various Personal Information;
• Completion of paper-based information sheets;
•  For leasing purposes, we perform credit checks to confirm your credit and payment history, and verify your banking details;
• For security purposes we may require your Personal Information prior to giving access to our buildings. For example, your name, identity number, email address, telephone number, vehicle registration number, CCTV footage;
• To comply with Disaster Management Regulation we require Personal Information like your name, telephone number, e-mail address, temperature etc;
• To consider a job application, we may collect Contact Information Curriculum Vitae, Academic records, qualifications, references from previous responsible parties, performance information, salary information, reference check, competence requirements, criminal checks;
• For employment relations we may collect Contact Information, number of dependents, bank account details, competence requirements.

A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. The Blend Group uses cookies to help identify and track visitors, their usage of the Blend Group’s services, and their website access preferences. The Blend Group visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using the Blend Group’s websites, which may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

We will inspect all emails you contact us with via email addresses registered to the Blend Group. We do this to check for viruses and reserve the right to monitor and inspect all material and information transmitted over our system. We may also monitor whether you read emails.

We may use your Personal Information to-

• respond to your enquires;
• general communication;
• for operational purposes;
• verify your identity;
• credit checks;
• FICA compliance and all other legislative compliance;
• prepare lease agreements and other general lease agreements and documents;
• prepare offers;
• prepare mandates;
• process debit orders and payment instructions;
• provide you with our services;
• enforce and collect on any agreement when you are in default or breach;
• for audit and record keeping purposes;
• improve our service to you by analysing it for trends;
• send you updates on tenant related information;
• send you marketing material (including vacancy schedules) relating to other solutions you might be interested in. You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time by e-mailing info@blendproperty.co.za, and thereafter we will not market to you;
• share information with companies within the Blend Group, and third parties in order to provide products and services;
• enable our systems to access, scan, and transport your Personal Information within the Blend Group or to a hosted third-party site;
• to verify, appoint and enter into agreements with service providers for the delivery of services;
• to verify, prepare and manage property management agreements, sale agreements and other commercial agreements;
• to comply with relevant legislation, e.g. Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Bill;
• for employment purposes, including screening potential applicants and managing the continued employer/ employee relationship.

A user has a right to object to the use of Personal Information, however in certain instances failure to provide us with Personal Information may result in the inability to deliver said services or products to you, or alternatively, you shall receive limited services. The Blend Group collects information directly from you where you provide us with your Personal Information. In addition to the aforementioned we shall, subject to your consent, obtain further Personal Information required from third parties and other sources where necessary. The Blend Group does not collect and process special Personal Information unless it is a requirement by law to process such information as part of our service delivery, in which case we shall obtain consent from you before collection thereof. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children (under 18 years of age) without the permission of their parent/s or guardian.

We take all reasonable and appropriate measures to keep your Personal Information secure. For example, we encrypt our laptops and our phones. Access to Personal Information from within our organisation is limited to essential staff or specialist contractors that are required to access our systems for client service or maintenance purposes, who are bound by the requirements of the legislation and are required to maintain safety and security measures. However, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of it. We back-up all your Personal Information on a regular basis.

We will review and update our security measures in accordance with future legislation and technological advances.

The Blend Group and its employees may disclose Personal Information: to other services providers or agents involved in the rendering of services or the provision of products to our clients; to services providers the Blend Group is in engaged with such as accountants, compliance officers, attorneys, administrators etc. or if a company with the Blend Group has a duty or a right to disclose same in terms of law or certain industry codes; or if it is necessary to protect the Blend Group’s legal rights and interests.

The Blend Group will not transfer Personal Information to a third party in a foreign country without ensuring that it complies with the provisions of POPI.  

This notice was last revised on 7 June 2022. Any material changes hereto will be published on our website or distributed to clients in writing. Your continued use of our services following the update means that you accept the Blend Group’s updated notice.

Should you have any questions relating to this notice or wish to lodge a complaint relating to an interference with the protection of Personal Information; or wish to access or correct your Personal Information, you can contact the Information Officer. Our Information Officer is: Mark Corbishley (Chairman) at legal@blendproperty.co.za