Privacy Policy

Last updated: 9 April 2026

KOER, operated by Die Bende (Pty) Ltd ("we", "us", "our"), are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

This policy sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.

1. Interpretation

The headings of the clauses in this Policy are for the purpose of convenience and reference only and shall not be used in the interpretation of nor modify nor amplify the terms of this Policy nor any clause hereof. Unless a contrary intention clearly appears:

1.1 words importing:

• 1.1.1 any one gender include the other two genders;
• 1.1.2 the singular include the plural and vice versa; and
• 1.1.3 natural persons include created entities (corporate or unincorporate) and the state and vice versa;

1.2 the following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them hereunder and cognate expressions shall have corresponding meanings, namely:

• 1.2.1 "Agreement" means these Terms of Use and all documents incorporated by reference;
• 1.2.2 "App" means the mobile and online dating application known as KOER owned and operated by Koer, as updated from time to time, including any web-based derivatives thereof;
• 1.2.3 "Data Subject", for the purposes of POPI, means a User;
• 1.2.4 "ECTA" means the South African Electronic Communications and Transactions Act No. 25 of 2002;
• 1.2.5 "Information Officer" means the person appointed by us from time to time as contemplated by Part B of POPI, currently being the person nominated in clause 12 below;
• 1.2.6 "KOER" means Die Bende (Pty) Ltd, a private company with registration number 2019/42247/07, duly incorporated in terms of the laws of South Africa, and "we", "us", "our" and "ours" will have a corresponding meaning;
• 1.2.7 "Minor" means any person under the age of 18 (eighteen) years and "child" will have the same meaning;
• 1.2.8 "PAIA" means the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000, including all regulations promulgated thereunder;
• 1.2.9 "PAIA Manual" means the document contemplated by clause 10 below, which can be accessed through this link: PAIA MANUAL;
• 1.2.10 "POPI" means the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, including all regulations, codes of conduct, compliance manuals and guidelines that may from time to time be promulgated thereunder;
• 1.2.11 "Process" or "Processing" means operations and activities related to collecting, receipt, recording, organisation, collating, storage, updating or modifying, retrieval, alteration, consultation and use, dissemination, transmission and sharing, deleting and destroying of personal information;
• 1.2.12 "Regulator" means the National Information Regulator established in terms of Part A of Chapter 5 of POPI;
• 1.2.13 "Service" means the social and dating enabling service rendered by the App which, inter alia, entails collecting your personal information and making same available to third parties on the terms recorded herein;
• 1.2.14 "User" means a consumer that uses the App and the terms "you", "your" and "yours" when used in this Policy means any user of the App and "use", "using" and "used" means the accessing of the App and viewing of the App's content.

2. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information depending on how you use our App and website.

Automatically Collected Information

Like most web services, we automatically collect certain technical information when you use our App. This helps us keep the service running smoothly and securely:

• Log data (IP addresses, browser type, pages visited) — for security monitoring and troubleshooting.
• Device information (device type, operating system) — to ensure our App works well on your device.
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies — to maintain your login session and remember preferences.
• Usage patterns and feature utilisation — to understand which features are most useful and improve the product.
• Location data — to determine distance between users (general area only, not your specific address).

Information You Provide

2.1 By creating a profile and using the App, you will be providing us with certain information personal to you. This information may include:

• 2.1.1 Your name, nickname or chosen profile name;
• 2.1.2 Your email address;
• 2.1.3 Your location (not specific, but area at least);
• 2.1.4 Your date of birth;
• 2.1.5 Your gender;
• 2.1.6 Your sexual orientation and/or preferences;
• 2.1.7 Your interests and hobbies;
• 2.1.8 A description of yourself;
• 2.1.9 Your photos and/or images of yourself (hereinafter referred to as "your personal information").

2.2 You may further send messages to other users via our App. If you do so, please bear in mind that such messages may contain more information about yourself, which may include information related to your religious and philosophic beliefs, race and ethnic origin, trade union membership, political persuasions, health or sex life (hereinafter referred to as "your private information"), which information is treated as special personal information in terms of POPI.

2.3 For billing purposes, you may also provide payment information. This is handled exclusively by Apple (App Store), Google (Google Play), or Huawei (AppGallery). KOER has no access to your card or banking details.

2.4 In processing your personal and private information, we adhere to all legislative requirements, including the requirements of accountability, processing limitation, purpose specific, further processing limitation, information quality, openness, security safeguards and data subject participation, as referred to in clauses 8 to 25 of POPI.

2.5 You provide us with the information entirely voluntarily. Bear in mind however that where you refuse to provide us certain information, which may be your right to do, it may make it impossible for us to render the Service which may cause you not to have full use and enjoyment of the App.

3. Cookies and Tracking

The Koer App may make use of cookie and tracking technology, whereby information that you send whilst on the site is saved on your hard drive and the Koer App will know who you are when you next visit. This technology is useful for gathering information such as browser type and operating system, for tracking the number of visitors to a site and understanding how visitors use the App. Personal information cannot be collected via cookie technology.

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Maintain your login session
• Remember your preferences
• Analyse service usage
• Improve user experience

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Please note that blocking essential cookies may affect your ability to use certain parts of the App or website.

4. How We Use Your Information

4.1 You consent to us processing your personal information for the following purposes:

• 4.1.1 Deliver and improve the Services;
• 4.1.2 Create and manage your account;
• 4.1.3 Provide you with user support and respond to your requests;
• 4.1.4 Facilitate and complete your transactions;
• 4.1.5 Communicate with you about our services, including order management and billing;
• 4.1.6 Analyse your profile, activity on the service, and preferences to recommend meaningful connections to you and recommend you to other users;
• 4.1.7 Show users' profiles to one another;
• 4.1.8 Link the various devices you use to your profile;
• 4.1.9 Administer promotions, internal marketing and offers, contests, discounts or similar advances;
• 4.1.10 Develop, display and track content and advertising tailored to your interests;
• 4.1.11 Communicate with you by email, phone, social media or mobile device about the Service;
• 4.1.12 Administer focus groups and surveys;
• 4.1.13 Conduct research and analysis of users' behaviour to improve our services and content;
• 4.1.14 Develop new features and services for the App;
• 4.1.15 Address ongoing or alleged misconduct or breaches of these Terms and Conditions, both on and off-platform;
• 4.1.16 Perform data analysis to better understand and design countermeasures against these activities;
• 4.1.17 Retain data related to fraudulent activities to prevent against recurrences;
• 4.1.18 Comply with legal requirements;
• 4.1.19 Assist law enforcement; and
• 4.1.20 Enforce or exercise our rights.

4.2 As for your private information, you consent to us processing this information for the limited purpose of:

• 4.2.1 Investigating any complaints of infringement of another user's rights or breach of the provisions of our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy or other rules;
• 4.2.2 Enforcing our rights;
• 4.2.3 Aiding any criminal investigation; or
• 4.2.4 If subpoenaed in any civil proceedings.

4.3 We will not process your personal information beyond what is reasonably required for the aforesaid purposes.

4.4 You may at any time withdraw your consent for us to process your information. In this regard, please bear in mind that:

• 4.4.1 You need to advise us in writing;
• 4.4.2 You need to give us a reasonable time to process and give effect to your request; and
• 4.4.3 Your request may lead to the termination of the Service.

4.5 Please bear in mind that you may also at any time lodge an objection with us or the Regulator if you feel we are not processing your information lawfully.

5. Cross-Collection Consent

5.1 We collect your personal information from you directly. You may also choose to make use of your existing Facebook or Apple profiles when creating a profile on the App. If you elect to make use of such a third-party site to create your profile, you consent to us accessing your profile and collecting such personal information from that site as may be reasonably necessary for the purpose of rendering the Service as more fully set out above.

5.2 All information we may collect from such other sources shall be dealt with in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

6. Where We Store Your Personal Data

All information you provide is stored on our secure servers. We make use of the latest anti-hacking and firewall technology to safeguard your personal information. Access to personal data is restricted to authorised personnel only.

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, the transmission of information over the internet is not completely secure. Any transmission is at your own risk.

We will notify you as soon as reasonably possible via your profile and via separate email to the email address linked to your account should we become aware of any security breaches or unauthorised access to or use of your personal information.

7. Data Retention

7.1 In addition to you consenting to us processing your information, you also consent to us retaining and storing it. You consent to us storing your information for as long as you have a profile with us and for an indefinite period thereafter.

7.2 We retain and store your information even after you have deleted your profile for the following limited purposes:

• 7.2.1 For the reactivation or reloading of your profile, should you wish to do so in the near future; and
• 7.2.2 For purposes of internal research and further App development.

7.3 You may instruct us, in writing, to permanently delete all information we retain on your behalf at any time. We will then destroy it digitally in such a manner that no person can use it or reconstruct it in any way again. You can find the applicable request form here: Request Form.

8. Data Deletion Requests

You have the right to request that we delete personal data we hold about you. To make a deletion request, please contact us at info@koer.co.za. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and confirm once your data has been removed.

9. Disclosure of Your Information

9.1 We will not sell your personal data to any third party.

9.2 We have mentioned above that we may use your information for internal marketing purposes, i.e. marketing of KOER's existing and new services and offerings to Users. We may also use your information for purposes of securing third party advertisements on the App, and you consent thereto, subject to these terms. In this regard, please note that:

• 9.2.1 Where we make your information available to any third-party advertiser, it will be subject to the same or similar terms of privacy and confidentiality as recorded herein;
• 9.2.2 It will be for the purposes of "in-App" advertisements only;
• 9.2.3 Your personal information will not be used for direct marketing purposes, unless you specifically consent thereto by, for instance, clicking on 'opt in' in any advertisement.

9.3 We may disclose your personal data where required by law, to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or others, or to assist with any criminal investigation or civil proceedings.

10. Promotion of Access to Information

10.1 We have to comply with PAIA alongside POPI and, to this end, make available our PAIA manual as contemplated by section 51 of PAIA (read in conjunction with section 17 of POPI) here: PAIA MANUAL.

10.2 Any request for information you may wish to direct to us is to be addressed, and will be dealt with, as provided for in the above PAIA Manual. We undertake to provide you with such information as may be lawfully permitted and required.

11. Security Safeguards

11.1 Koer will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is kept confidential and secure by storing it on our secure database.

11.2 Koer will endeavour to take all reasonable and necessary precautions to secure access to your transactions — however, it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of your transactions.

11.3 We make use of the latest anti-hacking and firewall technology to safeguard your personal information. If you have any queries on the safety systems we use, you may direct your enquiry to our Information Officer.

11.4 Our staff and agents undergo routine training in order to identify potential risks and to establish and maintain appropriate safeguards.

11.5 We undertake to notify you as soon as reasonably possible via your profile and via separate email to the email address linked to your account should we become aware of any security breaches or unlawful access to or use of your personal information.

12. Information Officer, Objections, Queries and Complaints

12.1 Please direct all objections, queries and complaints to our Information Officer, whose details are set out in our PAIA Manual. You can access it here: PAIA MANUAL.

12.2 If you wish to lodge an objection to any aspect of our processing of your personal information, please make use of the following objection form: objection form.

12.3 Our Information Officer will:

• 12.3.1 Ensure that we comply with this Policy and all provisions of POPI, ECTA and PAIA;
• 12.3.2 Receive, process and deal with any query and complaint, as required; and
• 12.3.3 Provide assistance to the Regulator, when needed.

12.4 Should you wish to direct a complaint directly to the Regulator, you may do so on the form you can find here: complaint form.

12.5 The Regulator's details are as follows: The National Information Regulator JD House, 27 Stiemens Street Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001 complaints.ir@justice.gov.za

13. Your Rights Under POPIA

You always have the right to:

• 13.1 Have notice of the information we collect from you and to be notified of any unauthorised use of or access to your information;
• 13.2 Have access to your personal information kept by us, and to request changes or corrections thereto or deletions thereof;
• 13.3 Object to the processing or use of your personal information — objection form;
• 13.4 Object to any direct marketing practice;
• 13.5 Not have your personal information used for direct marketing purposes without your consent;
• 13.6 Not be subjected to decisions made by way of automated process;
• 13.7 Submit complaints to the Regulator; and
• 13.8 Institute civil proceedings as contemplated by section 99 of POPI.

14. Third-Party Services

Our App may integrate with third-party services including Apple, Google, and Huawei for payments, and Facebook for profile creation. These services operate under their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review their policies before use.

Koer will not be held liable for any personal information that you disclose to a third party whose link may be found on this App. Ensure that you refer to that third party's privacy policy before you disclose any of your personal information.

Our website was developed and is managed by Cetaya Digital. They do not process your personal information but may maintain technical access to ensure the site functions properly.

15. Children's Privacy

Our App is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe we have collected such information, please contact us immediately at info@koer.co.za.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes via your profile or via email. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when changes were last made.

Contact

Questions, comments, and requests regarding this Privacy Policy should be addressed to:

Die Bende (Pty) Ltd (KOER) Registration No: 2019/42247/07 Email: info@koer.co.za Website: www.koer.co.za