Your Privacy Matters to Us

The Barnes Group of Companies is committed to protecting your personal information and upholding your right to privacy. In accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA), we are dedicated to ensuring that any personal information you share with us is collected, stored, and processed responsibly, lawfully, and with the utmost care.

This Privacy Policy outlines how we gather, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you interact with our companies, websites, or services. We encourage you to read this policy carefully so that you understand your rights and how we fulfil our obligations as a responsible party under South African law.

1. Who We Are

The Barnes Group of Companies is a South African group of companies operating across multiple sectors. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, any reference to “Barnes Group”, “we”, “us”, or “our” refers collectively to the Barnes Group of Companies and its subsidiaries and affiliated entities.

As the responsible party under POPIA, we determine the purpose and means of processing your personal information and are accountable for ensuring that all processing is conducted lawfully and in accordance with this policy.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal information:

Identity information: full name, date of birth, identity or passport number
Contact information: email address, telephone number, physical and postal address
Financial information: banking details, credit history, and billing records
Employment information: curriculum vitae, employment history, qualifications and references
Technical information: IP address, browser type, and website usage data collected via cookies
Correspondence: records of communications between you and the Barnes Group

We only collect personal information that is adequate, relevant, and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which it is processed.

3. How We Collect Your Personal Information

We collect personal information in the following ways:

Directly from you, when you complete forms, make enquiries, apply for employment, or enter into agreements with us
From third parties, such as credit bureaus, referees, or publicly available sources, where lawfully permitted
Automatically, through the use of cookies and similar tracking technologies on our websites

4. Why We Process Your Personal Information

We process your personal information for legitimate business purposes, including but not limited to:

Providing and administering products and services
Processing and fulfilling contractual obligations
Conducting background and credit verification checks
Managing employment and recruitment processes
Complying with applicable legal, regulatory, and statutory obligations
Sending communications relevant to your relationship with us, including service updates and legal notices
Improving our websites, systems, and business operations

We will not process your personal information for purposes incompatible with those stated above without your prior consent, unless otherwise permitted by law.

5. Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may, however, disclose your personal information in the following circumstances:

To service providers and operators who process information on our behalf, under strict confidentiality obligations
To regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies, or courts where required by law
To professional advisors such as auditors, attorneys, or consultants, subject to confidentiality undertakings
To other entities within the Barnes Group of Companies for internal administrative and operational purposes

All third parties with whom we share personal information are required to handle it in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

6. Transfer of Personal Information Outside South Africa

In certain circumstances, personal information may be transferred to or processed in countries outside the Republic of South Africa. We will only transfer personal information internationally where:

The recipient country has equivalent data protection legislation to POPIA
The recipient has agreed to be bound by binding contractual obligations that provide adequate protection
You have provided your express consent to the transfer

7. Security of Your Personal Information

The Barnes Group of Companies takes the security of your personal information seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or disclosure. These measures include, but are not limited to, secure servers, access controls, encryption, and staff training.

While we take every reasonable precaution to safeguard your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is entirely secure. In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected data subjects as required under POPIA.

8. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law or regulation. Once personal information is no longer required, it will be destroyed, deleted, or de-identified in a secure manner.

9. Cookies and Website Usage

Our websites may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyse website traffic, and improve our services. You may configure your browser settings to refuse cookies; however, doing so may affect the functionality of certain features on our websites.

By continuing to use our websites, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

10. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA, you have the following rights in respect of your personal information:

The right to be notified that your personal information is being collected or processed
The right to access the personal information we hold about you
The right to request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, or outdated information
The right to object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds
The right to submit a complaint to the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of the above rights, please contact our Information Officer using the details provided in Section 12 below.

11. Direct Marketing

We will only send you direct marketing communications where we have obtained your consent, or where we are permitted to do so under applicable law. You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by contacting us directly or using the unsubscribe mechanism provided in any marketing correspondence.

12. Contact Us and Information Officer

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal information, please contact our Information Officer:

Information Officer

Barnes Group of Companies

Email: privacy@barnesgroup.co.za

Telephone: +27 11 398 2700]

Postal Address: 4 Prevett Street, Spartan, Kempton Park, 1619

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

The Information Regulator (South Africa)

Website: www.inforegulator.org.za

Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za

13. Updates to This Policy

The Barnes Group of Companies reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time. Any material changes will be communicated through our website or by direct notification where required. The effective date at the top of this document will be updated to reflect the most recent revision.

Your continued use of our services following any amendments constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA) Compliant