Privacy Policy

1. What this policy covers

PurplePlug is a student ecosystem for NWU Potchefstroom. It includes the campus marketplace, the NSFAS housing application section, the Study Hub, the job board, carpool listings and the PurplePlug Pass.

This policy explains what personal information we collect through those sections, why we collect it, who can see it and what you can do about it. It applies to the app and to any message you send us through the app.

2. Information you give us

• Account details: your name, email address and, if you choose to sign in with Google, Microsoft, Facebook or Apple, the basic profile information that provider shares with us.
• Hustle and store listings: your business name, your name and residence, the area you serve, your collect-from address, your price range and the WhatsApp number you want students to contact.
• Housing applications: your full name, NWU student number, year and programme of study, NSFAS status, preferred room type and your WhatsApp number.
• Shared resources, job posts and ride listings: whatever you choose to type into those forms, including contact numbers and vehicle or route details.
• Messages and reports: anything you send us when you ask for help or report a scam, a fake listing or a problem with another user.

3. Information created when you use PurplePlug

When you use the app we record basic technical information such as when a listing was created or updated, which account created it and how the app is performing. This keeps listings in order, prevents abuse such as duplicate or spam listings, and helps us fix problems.

4. Why we use your information

• To create and secure your account and to let you sign in and reset your password.
• To publish the listings, applications, adverts and offers you choose to post.
• To let a landlord see the housing applications you submitted to them, and to let you track the status of those applications.
• To keep the app safe: spotting fake listings, scams, spam and misuse.
• To send you service messages, such as an email verification code or a password reset link.
• To understand which sections students actually use so we can improve them.

5. Who can see your information

• Public to other students: marketplace listings, study resources, job posts, ride listings and the contact details you put in them. Only post a number you are happy for other students to see.
• Private to you and our admins: your housing applications. A landlord sees the applications sent to their residence, and only the details you supplied in the application form.
• Your account: your email address, sign-in details and the listings linked to your account, visible to you and to platform admins.
• We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with advertisers.

6. Service providers

We run PurplePlug on secure hosting and email infrastructure that processes data on our behalf, under contract and only for the purposes described here. We share information with a provider only to the extent needed to keep the app running and to deliver emails such as verification codes and password resets.

7. How long we keep information

Listings stay live until you delete them or your account is closed. Housing applications stay on record so you and the landlord can track the lease process, and are kept for as long as the application and any dispute around it are live. Backup copies are removed on our normal backup cycle once the live copy is deleted.

8. Your rights

South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) gives you the right to ask what personal information we hold about you, to ask us to correct or delete it, and to object to certain uses of it. You can also ask us to stop sending you non-essential messages.

Send any request through the app's contact channel. If you are not satisfied with our response you may complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa.

9. Security

We protect your information with access controls, encryption in transit and platform security monitoring. No system is perfect, so use a strong unique password and never share your sign-in details — see our Security Policy for the full picture and for what to do if something looks wrong.

10. Who may use PurplePlug

PurplePlug is built for NWU Potchefstroom students aged 18 and older, and for landlords and local businesses who serve them. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

11. Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle personal information we will update this page and, where the change is significant, tell you in the app. Continued use after an update means you accept the updated policy.