Awkies

Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 2026

1. Introduction

Made From Holdings (Pty) Ltd ("we", "us", "our") operates Awkies (awkies.co.za), an online auction platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our Platform.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable data protection laws in South Africa.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly and information collected automatically when you use our Platform.

2.1 Information You Provide

  • Account information: Name, email address, phone number, and password when you register
  • Profile information: Additional details you choose to add to your profile
  • Bidding information: Your bids, watchlist items, and auction activity
  • Communications: Messages, questions, and comments you post on auctions
  • Auctioneer information: If you register as an auctioneer, we collect business details, bank account information for payments, and identity verification documents
  • Payment information: When making payments, your payment details are processed by our third-party payment processor (PayFast). We do not store your full payment card details.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

  • Device information: IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
  • Usage information: Pages viewed, links clicked, and actions taken on the Platform
  • Location information: General location based on IP address
  • Cookies and similar technologies: See our Cookies section below

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • To create and manage your account
  • To facilitate auctions, bidding, and transactions
  • To process payments and send transaction notifications
  • To communicate with you about your account, auctions, and bids
  • To send you notifications when you are outbid
  • To connect winning bidders with auctioneers for payment and collection
  • To verify your identity and prevent fraud
  • To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support
  • To improve and optimise our Platform
  • To send marketing communications (with your consent)
  • To comply with legal obligations
  • To enforce our Terms of Service

4. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA)

Under POPIA, we process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

  • Contract: Processing necessary to perform our contract with you (e.g., managing your account, facilitating bids)
  • Consent: Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., marketing communications)
  • Legitimate interest: Where processing is in our legitimate interests and does not override your rights (e.g., fraud prevention, Platform improvement)
  • Legal obligation: Where we need to comply with legal requirements

5. Information Sharing

We may share your personal information in the following circumstances:

  • With auctioneers: When you win an auction, we share your contact details with the auctioneer to facilitate payment and collection. Your bidding activity is displayed anonymously to other bidders during the auction.
  • Service providers: We use third-party services for hosting (Vercel), database (Supabase), payments (PayFast), image storage (Cloudflare), and email delivery. These providers only access information necessary to perform their services.
  • Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.
  • Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Anonymous Bidding

To protect bidder privacy, all bids are displayed anonymously on the Platform. Other bidders cannot see your identity. Only the auctioneer can see the identity of bidders after an auction ends to facilitate payment and collection.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Keep you signed in to your account
  • Remember your preferences
  • Understand how you use our Platform
  • Improve our services

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
  • Encryption of data at rest
  • Secure authentication and password hashing
  • Regular security assessments
  • Access controls limiting who can access your data

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

  • Provide our services to you
  • Comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records)
  • Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal information within a reasonable timeframe, except where we are required to retain it for legal purposes.

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • Access: Request confirmation of whether we hold your personal information and request a copy
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances
  • Objection: Object to processing of your personal information in certain circumstances
  • Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
  • Lodge a complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been violated

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe as required by POPIA.

11. International Data Transfers

Our service providers may process your data outside of South Africa. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA, including contractual obligations on our service providers to protect your information.

12. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

13. Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you marketing communications about our services. You can opt out at any time by:

  • Clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email
  • Updating your preferences in your account settings
  • Contacting us directly

Note that even if you opt out of marketing, we will still send you transactional communications related to your account and auctions.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on the Platform with a new "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

15. Information Officer

In accordance with POPIA, we have appointed an Information Officer responsible for ensuring compliance with data protection requirements.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

Email: hello@madefrom.co.za

Phone: +27 83 228 8090

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your personal information has been processed unlawfully.