TownConnect (Pty) Ltd, trading as TownConnect, CarsConnect and HomesConnect. Effective date: 10 September 2026.
TownConnect (Pty) Ltd (registration number 2026/106250/07) operates the TownConnect network of town directory websites, the CarsConnect vehicle marketplace (carsconnect.co.za), the HomesConnect property marketplace (homesconnect.co.za), the WhatsApp assistants attached to each of them, and the TownConnect search connector that makes our listings available inside AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude.
This policy applies to personal information we process when you use our websites, message our WhatsApp assistants, list a business, vehicle or property with us, or search our listings through an AI assistant. It applies to buyers, sellers, dealers, estate agencies, area partners and visitors.
Website visitors: pages viewed, device and browser type, approximate location derived from IP address, and the source of your visit, collected through Google Analytics and similar tools. We do not see your name unless you submit a form.
Form submissions (listing a business, car or property; contacting us; dealer or agency sign-up): name, business name, phone number, email address, physical address, and the details and photographs of what you are listing. Payment is handled by PayFast; we receive confirmation of payment and a reference, never your card number.
WhatsApp assistants: your WhatsApp number, the messages you send, the listings we show you, and whether you asked to be connected to a seller. We store your number in hashed (scrambled) form for analytics. Where you ask to be put in touch with a dealer or agent, we pass your message and number to that dealer or agent.
AI assistant search (ChatGPT, Claude and similar): when you search our listings from inside an AI assistant, we receive only the search criteria the assistant sends (for example make, price range, area, bedrooms), which assistant sent it, and the time. We do not receive your name, account, or conversation.
Sellers and partners: the contact details and stock you give us to publish, plus billing records.
To show you listings and connect you to the seller you choose (performance of the service you asked for); to publish the listings, contact details and photographs that sellers and partners give us; to bill partners and sellers and keep accounting records; to measure how our services are used and report those counts to that partner (the reports contain counts, not buyer identities); to keep our services secure and prevent abuse; and to answer your questions and complaints. We do not sell personal information and we do not use it for automated decisions that have legal effect on you.
The dealer, agency or seller you ask to be connected to, so they can respond to you. Service providers that process data for us under contract: Netlify (hosting), Google (Sheets, Analytics, AI language processing for our WhatsApp assistants), Meta (WhatsApp Business Platform), Cloudinary (images), PayFast (payments), and our email host. Some of these store data outside South Africa; we rely on their contractual commitments to protect it as POPIA requires. AI assistant providers (OpenAI, Anthropic and similar) receive the search results we return for your query, which are public listing details — they do not receive your WhatsApp number from us. Authorities where the law requires it.
Listings and partner records: for the life of the listing or partnership plus 12 months. WhatsApp conversation logs: 12 months, then deleted or anonymised. AI search logs (criteria, assistant, time, listings shown): 24 months in aggregated form for partner reporting. Billing records: 5 years as required by tax law. Analytics data: per Google Analytics retention settings, currently 14 months.
Under POPIA you may ask us what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and withdraw consent where processing relies on it. Write to the Information Officer at the contact above. We answer within 30 days. You may also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa): complaints.IR@justice.gov.za. To stop receiving messages from a WhatsApp assistant, reply STOP or simply stop messaging it; we do not send unsolicited marketing through the assistants.