Privacy Policy, POPIA & PAIA Notice

1. Who we are

HappiSpace is operated by Shareen Richter trading as Laughter Coaching SA, registered in South Africa. Our offices are in Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng.

2. What information we collect

• Contact details — name, work email, company, phone — when you submit the proposal form, subscribe to the Corporate Wellbeing Pack, or message Shareen directly.
• Enquiry context — interest area, team size, target month — to route your enquiry to the right response.
• Analytics data — pages visited, time on site, browser type — via Google Analytics 4, only with your explicit consent (Consent Mode v2).
• Cookies — see Section 5.
• We do not collect: race, health, religion, sexual orientation, political views, biometric data, or any other category POPIA defines as "special personal information."

3. How we use your information

• To respond to your enquiry or proposal request, within one working day.
• To send the Corporate Wellbeing Pack PDF you requested.
• With your explicit consent: to send occasional updates from HappiSpace.
• To improve site experience and content.
• We never sell, share, rent or trade your personal information for marketing or any other purpose.

4. POPIA compliance

We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA). Under POPIA you have the right to:

• Be notified that your personal information is being collected.
• Access your personal information at any time.
• Correct or update any inaccurate information.
• Object to the processing of your information.
• Request deletion of your personal information.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights have been infringed.

To exercise any of these rights, email shareen@laughtercoaching.com. We action all requests within 30 days as required by POPIA.

5. Cookies and analytics

We use the minimum necessary cookies for the site to function. With your explicit, opt-in consent via the banner shown on first visit (and accessible anytime from the footer), we also use Google Analytics 4 with Consent Mode v2 — anonymised IPs, no advertising signals.

Cookies in use:

• hs-popia, hs-analytics — local storage flags remembering your cookie preference (essential, always on).
• _ga, _ga_* — Google Analytics 4 (only with explicit consent; default state denied).

You may withdraw consent at any time by clicking "Cookie preferences" in the footer.

6. Data retention

Enquiry data is retained for 3 years from your last interaction with us, or until you request deletion. Newsletter subscribers may unsubscribe at any time via the link in every email — your details are then removed within 7 days.

7. Data security

Your data is stored on reputable, security-audited services (Netlify, Google Workspace) all of which comply with international data-protection standards (GDPR, SOC 2). We use HTTPS encryption for all data in transit. Access to your information is restricted to Shareen and any approved team members on a need-to-know basis.

8. Third-party services (Operators)

The following Operators (as defined by POPIA) process data on HappiSpace's behalf under written agreements:

• Netlify Inc. — site hosting and form submission processing (US, EU + Asia-Pacific edge nodes).
• Google LLC — Google Analytics 4 (anonymised) and Google Workspace (email, document storage).

Each Operator is contractually bound to the same level of protection POPIA requires of us. Cross-border transfers occur under POPIA Section 72 lawful-transfer conditions.

9. Children's privacy

HappiSpace services are designed for adult corporate audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated on this page; the "Last updated" date at the top will change. Continued use of the site after an update constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact our Information Officer

12. PAIA Manual

This manual is published in compliance with Section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, No. 2 of 2000 (PAIA) as amended by POPIA.

12.1 The Body

12.2 Section 51 PAIA notice

The latest PAIA Section 51 Manual issued by the Department of Justice is available at justice.gov.za/inforeg.

12.3 Records held

• Client engagement records (proposals, contracts, invoices)
• Enquiry and subscription records (this site's forms)
• Statutory records (CIPC, SARS, BBBEE, banking)
• Internal session and training records

12.4 How to request access

Requests for access to records must be made in writing to the Information Officer above. Use Form C (PAIA Regulations) — available at justice.gov.za. Standard PAIA fees apply.

12.5 Grounds for refusal

HappiSpace may refuse a request on the grounds set out in Chapter 4 of PAIA (e.g. protection of third-party privacy, commercial information, legal privilege). Where a request is refused, written reasons will be provided.

12.6 Complaints

You may complain to the Information Regulator: inforegulator.org.za, PAIA Complaints: PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za.