Last updated 5 October 2026.
1. Who we are
This policy explains how the African Academy of Artificial Intelligence collects, uses and protects your personal information. We process personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Responsible party | African Academy of Artificial Intelligence Proprietary Limited ("AAAI", "we", "us") |
| Registration number | 2023/902886/07 |
| VAT number | 4490320365 |
| Registered address | 55 Knox Street, Johannesburg 2090, South Africa |
| Website | aaai.africa |
| Information Officer | Greg Serandos, Director |
| Contact | info@aaai.africa |
This policy applies to everyone whose information we handle. That includes website visitors, newsletter subscribers, learners on our courses and certification programmes, event and webinar attendees, clients, prospective clients and suppliers. It covers our website, online courses, in-person training, advisory work and email communication.
2. Information we collect
We collect only what we need to deliver our programmes, run our business and keep in touch with you.
| Category | Examples | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and contact | Name, email address, phone number, job title, organisation, country | You, your employer, event organisers, business cards, LinkedIn |
| Learner records | Course enrolments, attendance, assessment results, assignments, certificates issued, accreditation records | You, your employer, our learning platforms |
| Commercial | Billing contact, company name, VAT number, purchase orders, invoices, payment status | You or your organisation |
| Communication | Emails, meeting notes, call recordings (with notice), feedback forms, survey responses | You |
| Marketing | Newsletter subscription status, email opens and clicks, marketing preferences | You, our email platform |
| Technical | IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, cookie data | Your device when you use our website |
We do not ask for special personal information, such as health, religious beliefs or biometric data, unless it is necessary. One example is a dietary or accessibility need for an in-person session. We collect that only with your consent and use it only for that purpose.
If you give us information about another person, such as a colleague you enrol on a course, you confirm that you have their permission to do so.
3. How we use your information
We use personal information only for a clear purpose and on a lawful ground recognised by POPIA.
| Purpose | Lawful ground |
|---|---|
| Enrol you on courses, deliver training and issue certificates | Performing a contract with you or your organisation |
| Report on attendance and results to your employer or sponsor | Performing a contract; legitimate interest |
| Submit learner records to accreditation and professional bodies | Legal obligation; performing a contract |
| Prepare proposals, deliver advisory work and invoice clients | Performing a contract; legitimate interest |
| Answer enquiries and provide support | Legitimate interest |
| Send newsletters, course announcements and event invitations | Consent, or our existing customer relationship |
| Improve our website, courses and services | Legitimate interest |
| Keep financial records and meet tax obligations | Legal obligation |
| Protect our systems and prevent fraud | Legitimate interest |
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use it to make automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
4. Direct marketing
We send electronic marketing only in line with section 69 of POPIA.
- Customers. If you have bought a course or service from us, we may email you about similar AAAI programmes and events.
- Everyone else. We email you only if you have opted in, for example by subscribing to our newsletter or registering for a webinar.
- Opting out. Every marketing email carries an unsubscribe link. You can also email info@aaai.africa at any time. Opting out is free and takes effect promptly.
Unsubscribing from marketing does not stop service emails, such as joining instructions, invoices or certificate notices.
5. Who we share it with
We share personal information only when we need to, and only with people bound to protect it.
- Service providers (operators). These include our CRM, email and newsletter platform, cloud storage, email hosting, learning platforms, video conferencing and accounting tools. They process information only on our instructions, under written agreements that require confidentiality and security.
- Delivery partners and co-facilitators. Partners who help deliver a programme or engagement see only what they need for that work.
- Your employer or sponsor. Where your organisation pays for or arranges your training, we share enrolment, attendance and results with it.
- Accreditation and academic partners. Where a programme is accredited or run with a business school, we share learner records needed for that programme.
- Professional advisers and authorities. We share information with auditors, lawyers or the South African Revenue Service where the law requires it.
Transfers outside South Africa
We hold our customer records in Attio, a CRM provider based in the United Kingdom. Attio hosts data on Google Cloud and may process it in the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States. We send our newsletters and marketing emails through beehiiv, an email platform based in the United States, which stores subscriber data there. Some of our other service providers also store data outside South Africa. We transfer information across borders only as section 72 of POPIA allows. That means the recipient is subject to laws, binding rules or an agreement that gives protection substantially similar to POPIA, or you have consented, or the transfer is needed to perform our contract with you.
6. AI tools and your information
We teach AI and we use it. We hold ourselves to the same governance standards we teach.
- We use business-grade AI tools to draft materials, summarise meetings and prepare proposals. We choose tools whose terms do not allow our data to be used to train public models.
- We do not enter learner assessment results, client confidential information or special personal information into public AI tools.
- When we record or transcribe a meeting with an AI tool, we tell participants at the start.
- In hands-on training, we ask learners to use sample or anonymised data, not real personal information about colleagues or customers.
- A person reviews any AI-assisted output before it affects a learner's result or a client deliverable.
7. Security, retention and cookies
Security
We protect personal information with reasonable technical and organisational measures. These include access controls, multi-factor authentication, encrypted storage and transmission where available, and limiting access to people who need it. If we believe a security compromise has exposed your information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as section 22 of POPIA requires.
Retention
We keep personal information only as long as we need it, or as long as the law requires.
| Record | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Certificates and accreditation records | As long as needed to verify your qualification, or as the accrediting body requires |
| Other learner records | 5 years after the programme ends |
| Financial and tax records | 5 years, as South African tax law requires |
| Client and proposal records | 5 years after the engagement ends |
| Marketing contacts | Until you unsubscribe, or after 2 years without engagement |
| Enquiries that do not become business | 2 years |
After that, we delete, destroy or de-identify the information.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Essential cookies make the site work. Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use it. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, although some features may then stop working.
8. Your rights
Under POPIA, you have the right to:
- ask whether we hold personal information about you, and request a copy of it;
- ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date;
- ask us to delete or destroy information we no longer have a right to keep;
- object to us processing your information on the ground of legitimate interest;
- object to direct marketing and withdraw consent at any time;
- complain to the Information Regulator.
To use any of these rights, email info@aaai.africa. We may ask you to confirm your identity first. We will respond within a reasonable time, and within 30 days where we can. Requests for access to records are also governed by the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA).
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please contact us first so that we can put it right. You may also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) at inforegulator.org.za.
9. Children, changes and contact
Children
Our programmes are designed for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian. If you believe we hold a child's information without that consent, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our services or the law change. The date at the top shows when it last changed. Where a change is significant, we will tell you by email or on our website.
Contact us
Information Officer: Greg Serandos
Email: info@aaai.africa
Post: African Academy of Artificial Intelligence (Pty) Ltd, 55 Knox Street, Johannesburg 2090, South Africa