PAIA Manual

Last updated: 26 October 2026

1. Introduction

ELLIPSE WORLD provides translation and related language services, including certified and sworn translation, legal, technical, medical, financial, marketing, website and business translation, to clients in South Africa and abroad. ELLIPSE WORLD is a private body for the purposes of PAIA.

PAIA gives effect to the constitutional right of access to information held by private bodies where that information is required for the exercise or protection of any right. This manual explains how to request access to records held by ELLIPSE WORLD and describes how ELLIPSE WORLD processes personal information.

2. Purpose of this manual

This manual is intended to help requesters to:

• understand the categories of records held by ELLIPSE WORLD;
• know which records are available without a formal request;
• understand the procedure and fees for requesting access to a record;
• know the contact details of the Information Officer;
• understand how ELLIPSE WORLD processes personal information, as required by POPIA.

3. Contact details

Private body	ELLIPSE WORLD
Information Officer	The Information Officer, ELLIPSE WORLD
Physical address	Nelson Mandela Square, Maude St, Sandown, Johannesburg, 2146, South Africa
Email	info@ellipseworld.co.za
Website	ellipseworld.co.za

All requests and correspondence under this manual should be sent in writing to the Information Officer at the email address above.

4. Guide on how to use PAIA

The Information Regulator has published a guide in each official language containing information to help any person who wishes to exercise a right of access under PAIA and POPIA. The guide is available on the Information Regulator's website and from the Regulator directly:

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

A copy of the guide may also be requested from the Information Officer of ELLIPSE WORLD by email.

5. Records available without a request

The following information is available on the ELLIPSE WORLD website without a formal request under PAIA: information about our services and languages, our contact details, this PAIA manual, our privacy policy, our terms and conditions and our cookie policy.

6. Records held in terms of other legislation

ELLIPSE WORLD keeps records as required by applicable legislation, which may include, where applicable:

• Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991;
• Income Tax Act 58 of 1962;
• Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011;
• Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997;
• Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995;
• Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008;
• Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002;
• Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013;
• Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000.

Records held in terms of these Acts are available only in the manner and to the persons provided for in the relevant legislation.

7. Subjects and categories of records held

Subject	Categories of records
Company and administration	Founding and registration documents, internal policies, agreements with service providers, insurance records
Finance and tax	Invoices, quotes, payment records, accounting records, tax records, bank statements
Clients	Contact details, quotes, orders, instructions, correspondence, source documents and translations, delivery records
Translators and suppliers	Contact details, qualifications, sworn translator status, agreements, confidentiality undertakings, rates, payment records, quality records
Information technology	Website records, security and access records, system documentation
Marketing	Website content, marketing material, records of consent and opt-outs

The inclusion of a category does not mean that access will be granted. Access is subject to the grounds of refusal set out in PAIA.

8. Processing of personal information

8.1 Purpose of processing

ELLIPSE WORLD processes personal information to provide translation services, prepare quotes, carry out and deliver translations, arrange certified and sworn translations, communicate with clients in writing, invoice and receive payment, manage translators and suppliers, comply with legal obligations, and operate and secure its website.

8.2 Categories of data subjects and personal information

Data subjects	Personal information processed
Clients (individuals and contact persons of organisations)	Name, contact details, billing details, correspondence, project instructions, payment records
Persons named in documents submitted for translation	Any personal information contained in the documents, which may include identity numbers, civil status, health, education, financial or legal information
Translators, revisers and suppliers	Name, contact details, qualifications, sworn translator status, banking details, agreements and performance records
Website visitors	IP address, browser and device information, cookie data

8.3 Recipients of personal information

Translators, revisers and sworn translators working on a project; service providers acting as operators, such as email and file storage, payment processing, courier, accounting and website hosting providers; recipients designated by the client; and authorities where required by law.

8.4 Transborder flows

Some translators, revisers and service providers are located outside South Africa. Personal information is transferred outside South Africa only in accordance with section 72 of POPIA, including where the recipient is subject to laws or binding agreements that provide an adequate level of protection, where the data subject consents, or where the transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract with the data subject.

8.5 Security measures

ELLIPSE WORLD implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information, including secure document exchange, restricted access, written confidentiality undertakings from linguists, no use of public machine translation websites for client documents, and regular review of security measures and service providers.

9. Procedure for requesting access

• A request for access must be made on the prescribed request form (Form 2 of the PAIA Regulations), available on the Information Regulator's website or from the Information Officer.
• The completed form must be sent to the Information Officer by email, together with proof of identity and, where applicable, proof of payment of the request fee.
• The requester must provide enough detail to identify the record and the requester, state the form of access required, identify the right the requester seeks to exercise or protect, and explain why the record is required for that purpose.
• A request made on behalf of another person must be accompanied by proof of the capacity in which the requester acts.
• ELLIPSE WORLD will decide on the request within 30 days of receipt, which may be extended by a further period of not more than 30 days in the circumstances permitted by PAIA. The requester will be notified in writing of the decision.

10. Fees

Fees are payable in accordance with the PAIA Regulations. A request fee is payable by requesters other than personal requesters seeking their own personal information. If access is granted, an access fee may be payable for the search, preparation and reproduction of the record, and a deposit may be required where the search and preparation is expected to take longer than the period set out in the Regulations. The requester will be informed in writing of any fee payable before the record is prepared.

11. Grounds for refusal

ELLIPSE WORLD may refuse access to a record on the grounds set out in Chapter 4 of Part 3 of PAIA, including where access would involve the unreasonable disclosure of personal information about a third party, the disclosure of confidential commercial information of a third party or of ELLIPSE WORLD, a breach of a duty of confidence owed to a third party, the disclosure of privileged records in legal proceedings, or where the request is manifestly frivolous or vexatious. Because ELLIPSE WORLD holds confidential documents entrusted to it by clients for translation, access to such documents will generally be refused to anyone other than the client concerned or a person lawfully entitled to them.

12. Remedies

ELLIPSE WORLD has no internal appeal procedure. A requester who is dissatisfied with a decision of the Information Officer may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator or apply to a court with appropriate jurisdiction, within the periods prescribed by PAIA.

13. Availability and updating of this manual

This manual is available on the ELLIPSE WORLD website and may be requested from the Information Officer by email. ELLIPSE WORLD will update this manual when necessary, and the date of the last update is shown at the top of this page.