Privacy Policy

Last updated: 26 October 2026

1. Who we are

This privacy policy applies to ELLIPSE WORLD, a translation services provider operating the website ellipseworld.co.za ("ELLIPSE WORLD", "we", "us", "our"). ELLIPSE WORLD is the responsible party for the personal information described in this policy.

Responsible party	ELLIPSE WORLD
Address	Nelson Mandela Square, Maude St, Sandown, Johannesburg, 2146, South Africa
Information Officer	The Information Officer, ELLIPSE WORLD
Email	info@ellipseworld.co.za

We take the protection of personal information seriously. Our clients entrust us with documents that are often sensitive, such as identity documents, civil records, medical reports, legal files and financial statements, and we handle them accordingly.

2. Personal information we collect

We only collect personal information that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

• Contact and identification details: name, email address, postal or delivery address, company name and position, and billing details.
• Documents you send us for translation: these may contain personal information about you or other people, including special personal information such as health information, information about children, religious or philosophical beliefs, or information about criminal behaviour, depending on the document.
• Project information: language pairs, deadlines, instructions, quotes, invoices, delivery details and correspondence.
• Payment information: proof of payment and transaction references. Card payments are processed by our payment service provider, and we do not store full card details.
• Website data: technical information such as IP address, browser type, pages visited and cookie data. See our cookie policy.
• Information about translators and suppliers: for linguists and suppliers who work with us, contact details, qualifications, sworn translator status, rates, banking details for payment and performance records.

3. How we collect personal information

We collect personal information directly from you when you request a quote, send documents, place an order, pay an invoice, contact us by email or apply to work with us. When you send us documents containing personal information about other people, for example family members, employees or parties to a legal matter, you confirm that you are entitled to share that information with us for the purpose of translation. We also collect limited technical information automatically when you use our website.

4. Why we process personal information

We process personal information for the following purposes, and only to the extent necessary:

• To prepare quotes, carry out translations, revise, certify and deliver them.
• To arrange sworn or certified translations with qualified translators when you request them.
• To communicate with you in writing about your project, including questions, delivery and aftercare.
• To invoice, receive payment and keep financial records.
• To comply with legal obligations, including tax and accounting requirements.
• To manage our relationships with translators and suppliers.
• To operate, secure and improve our website.
• To send you information about our services, only where you are an existing client and have not objected, or where you have given your consent. You may opt out at any time.

Our lawful bases for processing include the performance of a contract with you or steps taken at your request before a contract, compliance with legal obligations, our legitimate interests in running and protecting our business, and your consent where required.

5. Special personal information and children

Documents sent for translation may contain special personal information or personal information of children, for example a medical report or a child's birth certificate. We process such information only to the extent necessary to translate the document as you instruct, on the basis that the processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a right or obligation, or with the consent of the data subject or a competent person. We apply additional care to these documents and limit access to the linguists assigned to the project.

6. Who we share personal information with

We do not sell personal information. We share it only where necessary:

• Translators, revisers and sworn translators who work on your project and are bound by written confidentiality undertakings.
• Service providers who support our operations, such as secure email and file storage, payment processing, courier delivery, accounting and website hosting. They act as operators and may only process personal information on our instructions and with appropriate security measures.
• Authorities and professional advisers where required by law or necessary to protect our rights.

When you ask us to send a translation to a third party, such as your attorney, an embassy or a university, we share it with that recipient on your instruction.

7. Transfers outside South Africa

Some of our translators, revisers and service providers are located outside South Africa, for example when a document must be translated by a native speaker of a language not widely spoken in South Africa, or when a service provider stores data abroad. We only transfer personal information outside South Africa where the recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules or a binding agreement that provides an adequate level of protection comparable to POPIA, where you consent, or where the transfer is necessary to perform our contract with you, as permitted by section 72 of POPIA.

8. How we protect personal information

We take appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to prevent loss, damage, unauthorised destruction and unlawful access to personal information, including:

• secure channels for exchanging documents;
• access limited to the people who need it for a project;
• written confidentiality undertakings from every linguist;
• no submission of client documents to public machine translation websites;
• regular review of our security measures and of our service providers.

If we have reasonable grounds to believe that personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will notify the Information Regulator and the affected data subjects as required by POPIA.

9. How long we keep personal information

We keep project files, including source documents and translations, only for as long as necessary to complete the project, provide aftercare and answer any query from you or the receiving authority. Unless you ask us to delete them earlier or agree a different period, we delete project files after a standard retention period. Invoices and accounting records are kept for the period required by tax and company law. You may ask us at any time to delete your documents once the project is complete.

10. Your rights

Under POPIA you have the right to:

• be notified that your personal information is being collected;
• request access to the personal information we hold about you;
• request the correction, destruction or deletion of your personal information;
• object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds, and to processing for direct marketing at any time;
• withdraw your consent where processing is based on consent;
• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

To exercise these rights, write to our Information Officer at info@ellipseworld.co.za. We may ask you to confirm your identity before responding. Requests for access to records are also governed by our PAIA manual.

11. The Information Regulator

If you believe that we have not handled your personal information properly, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the matter. You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

Address	Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191
Email	enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Website	www.inforegulator.org.za

12. Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Details of the cookies we use and how to manage them are set out in our cookie policy.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The current version is always published on this page, with the date of the last update.