Bazareni Platform

Introduction

Bazareni ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you use the Bazareni platform, including its website and related services, across all modules: Marketplace, Real Estate, Jobs, and Tenders.

By registering for or using Bazareni, you agree to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the platform.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Registration Data

When you create an account, we collect the following information:

• First name and surname — to identify you on the platform
• Username — a unique identifier for your account
• Mobile phone number — verified via a one-time password (OTP) sent by SMS; stored in E.164 international format
• Email address — optional; you may add and verify an email address on your profile at any time
• Password — stored exclusively as a cryptographic hash; we never store your plain-text password
• Referral information — if you joined through a referral link, we record the referring user

1.2 Listing and Post Data

When you create listings, posts, or requirements across any module, we collect the content you submit, which may include:

• Titles, descriptions, categories, prices, and location details (country, province/state, city, area)
• Contact information you choose to publish on a listing (name, phone, email)
• Media files: photos, videos, and documents you upload (stored on cloud infrastructure)
• Module-specific fields such as employment type, property type, tender number, company name, salary range, and similar structured data

1.3 Usage and Interaction Data

• Pages and listings you view (analytics tracking for performance insights)
• Items you add to your watchlist across Marketplace, Real Estate, Jobs, and Tenders
• Notifications you receive, open, or mark as read
• Feedback and contact form submissions you send us

1.4 Technical Data

• IP address and approximate geolocation (used to pre-fill location fields and improve search relevance)
• Browser type and device information collected automatically when you access the platform
• Session tokens and authentication cookies used to keep you logged in

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account — verify identity, authenticate sessions, and allow you to manage your listings and profile
• Match buyers with sellers and seekers with providers — our platform's core function is connecting users based on their posts and watchlists across all four modules
• Send matching notifications — when a new listing or request is posted that matches your interests, we notify you via in-app notifications, email, and/or WhatsApp (see Section 4)
• Deliver transactional communications — OTP codes for phone and email verification, password reset codes, and security alerts
• Improve the platform — analyse usage patterns and listing performance to improve features and content quality
• Moderate content — review listings and user behaviour to enforce our Terms and Conditions and remove inappropriate content
• Support you — respond to contact form submissions and feedback
• Referral tracking — attribute account registrations to referring users to support the referral programme

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contractual necessity — processing required to provide the services you signed up for (account management, listing publication, matching notifications)
• Consent — for optional features such as adding an email address, receiving WhatsApp notifications, or joining the referral programme
• Legitimate interests — analytics, fraud prevention, platform security, and content moderation
• Legal obligation — where required by applicable law

4. Notifications and Communications

Bazareni operates a multi-channel notification system to alert you when there is activity relevant to your posts or interests. The three channels are:

4.1 In-App Notifications

Stored in your account and visible within the platform. These record which listings triggered the notification, a summary message, and a direct link to the relevant post. You can mark notifications as read or clear them at any time.

4.2 Email Notifications

If you have provided a verified email address, we will send HTML email notifications when a match is found. Emails are sent from support@bazareni.site using our email infrastructure (see Section 6). Email notifications include a call-to-action button linking directly to the relevant listing on the platform.

4.3 WhatsApp Notifications (Meta WhatsApp Business API)

If your account has a verified mobile phone number, Bazareni may send you notifications via the Meta WhatsApp Business Cloud API. Important details:

• We use pre-approved message templates only — Bazareni does not send free-form WhatsApp messages
• Template messages include: your name, a brief notification summary, and a deep link back to the relevant listing
• Your phone number is transmitted to Meta's servers solely for the purpose of delivering the message. Meta's own privacy policy governs how Meta handles data on their infrastructure. You can review it at whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy
• WhatsApp notifications are best-effort. Delivery is not guaranteed and failures are handled silently without affecting other platform operations
• You can opt out of WhatsApp notifications by replying STOP to any message or by contacting us at support@bazareni.site

4.4 SMS (OTP Only)

We use Twilio Verify to send one-time password SMS messages for phone number verification and password reset. These are transactional messages only — we do not send marketing SMS. Your phone number is shared with Twilio solely to deliver the OTP. Twilio's privacy policy governs their handling of this data.

5. Sharing Your Information

Bazareni does not sell your personal data. We share data only in the following circumstances:

5.1 Publicly Visible Listing Data

Contact information you choose to include on a listing (such as a seller's name, phone number, or email) is visible to other platform users as part of that listing. You control what contact details you publish. We recommend only sharing contact information you are comfortable making public.

5.2 Third-Party Service Providers

We share minimal necessary data with the following trusted service providers who process it on our behalf:

• MongoDB Atlas — cloud database provider where all platform data is stored securely
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) — cloud storage (S3) for uploaded images, videos, and documents; email delivery (Amazon SES, Africa region)
• Hostinger — SMTP email infrastructure
• Meta (WhatsApp Business API) — delivery of WhatsApp notification messages using your registered phone number
• Twilio Verify — SMS OTP delivery using your mobile number
• Vercel — platform hosting and deployment infrastructure

All service providers are contractually required to process your data only for the purposes we specify and to maintain appropriate security standards.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Bazareni, our users, or the public.

5.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the platform before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

6. Data Storage and Security

• All data is stored in MongoDB Atlas using TLS/SSL-encrypted connections
• Uploaded files (images, videos, documents) are stored in Amazon S3 (Africa — South Africa region, af-south-1)
• Passwords are hashed using industry-standard cryptographic algorithms and are never stored or transmitted in plain text
• Authentication uses signed JSON Web Tokens (JWT) with server-side secret keys
• Phone number verification and email verification are enforced via time-limited OTP codes before data is accepted
• Administrative access to user data requires a separate admin authentication flow with elevated privileges

While we implement strong technical and organisational measures, no system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted over the internet. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password and to keep your account credentials confidential.

7. Data Retention

• Account data is retained for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your personal profile data is immediately disabled and anonymised. A minimal tombstone record and stable ownership references are retained so historical posts and audit records remain internally consistent
• Listings and posts you delete are soft-deleted (marked with a deletion timestamp) and may be retained temporarily for moderation and fraud-prevention purposes before permanent deletion
• Notifications associated with deleted posts are automatically cleaned up when the related post is removed
• Analytics and usage data may be retained in aggregated, anonymised form for longer periods for platform improvement purposes
• OTP tokens are short-lived and expire automatically; they are not stored beyond their validity period

8. Cookies and Tracking

Bazareni uses the following types of cookies and local storage:

• Authentication cookies — HTTP-only cookies containing your JWT session token, required to keep you logged in
• Preference storage — browser local storage used to remember UI preferences (such as your last selected location or category filters)
• Analytics tracking — we track page views and listing interactions to measure platform performance; this data is associated with post IDs and is not used for cross-site advertising

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels for behavioural advertising purposes.

9. Children's Privacy

Bazareni is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@bazareni.site and we will delete it promptly.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your country of residence, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction — update inaccurate or incomplete data via your profile settings, or by contacting us
• Deletion — request deletion of your account and personal data
• Portability — request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Restriction — request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances
• Withdraw consent — where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@bazareni.site. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

11. International Data Transfers

Bazareni is a global platform with infrastructure hosted primarily in the Africa (South Africa) AWS region (af-south-1). However, some of our service providers (such as Meta and Twilio) may process data in other regions. Where data is transferred internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including contractual clauses with data processors that require data protection standards equivalent to those in your jurisdiction.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date above. For significant changes, we may also notify you by email or via an in-app notification. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

• Email: support@bazareni.site
• Contact form: bazareni.com/contact

We are committed to resolving privacy-related concerns promptly and transparently.