LEGAL / THE SMALL PRINT
Our Privacy Policy, Legal Disclaimers and PAIA Manual, all in one place. Written in plain English wherever the law allows.
01 / PRIVACY
How we collect, use and protect your personal information under POPIA. Last updated 13 October 2026.
M Barnet Consulting ("MBC", "we", "us") is a digital studio based in Pretoria, South Africa, run by Michael Barnet. We are the responsible party for the personal information described in this policy, as defined in the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). Our Information Officer is Michael Barnet, michael@thembc.co.za.
Information you give us: your name, email address, phone number, business name or website, and the details of your enquiry, when you use our contact form, email or call us.
Newsletter: your email address, if you subscribe to The Brief.
Website use: pages visited, device and browser type, and approximate location, collected through cookies and similar technologies.
Client projects: business details, and access to the accounts and systems we are asked to work on.
To respond to your enquiry and prepare quotes. To deliver and support the services you have engaged us for. To send The Brief and other marketing emails, but only if you have subscribed or are an existing client, and you can unsubscribe at any time. To keep our website secure and understand how it is used. To meet our legal and tax obligations.
We process personal information where you have given consent, where it is necessary to take steps at your request or perform a contract with you, where we have a legal obligation, or where it is in our legitimate interests or yours and does not unreasonably affect your privacy.
We do not sell personal information. We share it only with service providers who help us run the business and are bound to protect it: our web hosting provider, our email and newsletter provider (MailerLite), website analytics providers and, where a project requires it and you have agreed, our specialist partners for advertising and product feeds. We may also disclose information where the law requires it.
Some of our providers store or process information outside South Africa. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to make sure the recipient is subject to protections comparable to POPIA, or that we have your consent.
We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purpose it was collected, or as the law requires. Enquiries that do not become projects are normally deleted within 24 months. Client and financial records are kept for at least five years, in line with tax and company law. Newsletter subscribers stay on the list until they unsubscribe.
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information, including access controls, strong passwords, two-step verification where available, and encrypted connections. No system is completely secure. If a breach affecting your information occurs, we will tell you and the Information Regulator, as POPIA requires.
This website uses cookies that are necessary for it to work, and may use analytics cookies to understand how it is used. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, though parts of the site may then not work as intended.
You may ask us to confirm whether we hold personal information about you, to give you a copy, to correct or delete it, or to stop using it for marketing. You may withdraw consent at any time and object to processing on reasonable grounds. To do any of these, email michael@thembc.co.za. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you may complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.
Our services are for businesses. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version is always on this page, with the date of the last update.
02 / DISCLAIMERS
What you can and can't rely on when you use this website and our services.
The content on this website, including The Brief, is provided for general information only. We work hard to keep it accurate and up to date, but we make no promise that it is complete, current or suitable for your situation.
Nothing on this website is legal, financial, medical or other regulated professional advice. If you are a health professional, you remain responsible for making sure your website, advertising and online communication comply with the rules of your professional council (for example the HPCSA), the Consumer Protection Act and POPIA. Our work is not a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.
Search engine rankings, traffic, leads, sales and advertising performance depend on factors outside our control, including search engines, advertising platforms, competitors and market conditions. We do our work with care and skill, but we do not guarantee any particular ranking, traffic or revenue outcome unless we have agreed so in writing.
Every project is quoted individually. A quote is valid for the period stated on it. The scope, deliverables, timelines and payment terms that apply to a project are those set out in the written quote or agreement we both accept.
This website links to other websites, tools and platforms, including client websites in our portfolio. We do not control these and are not responsible for their content, availability, privacy practices or security. A link is not an endorsement. Third-party names, logos and screenshots belong to their owners and are shown to illustrate our work.
Unless stated otherwise, the content, design, text and graphics on this website belong to M Barnet Consulting. You may view it and share links to it, but you may not copy, reproduce or republish it for commercial purposes without our written permission. Ownership of work we create for clients is dealt with in the relevant agreement.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, MBC is not liable for any loss or damage, whether direct or indirect, arising from your use of, or inability to use, this website, or from relying on its content. Nothing here limits any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act or other law that cannot be excluded.
We aim to keep this website available, but we do not promise that it will be uninterrupted, error-free or free of harmful components.
This website and these disclaimers are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
03 / PAIA
How to request access to records held by M Barnet Consulting, under section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act. Last updated 13 October 2026.
This manual is published in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA). It explains how to request access to records held by M Barnet Consulting, a private body. PAIA gives effect to the constitutional right of access to information held by another person that is needed to exercise or protect any right.
Name of body: M Barnet Consulting
Head of the private body and Information Officer: Michael Barnet
Email: michael@thembc.co.za
Telephone: 068 173 6314
Physical and postal address: Pretoria, South Africa [full street address to be added]
Website: thembc.co.za
Registration or enterprise number: [to be added]
The Information Regulator has compiled a guide on how to use PAIA. It explains how to request access to a record and the remedies available. The guide and the Regulator's contact details are available at inforegulator.org.za.
The content of this website, our published marketing material, The Brief newsletter and our portfolio are publicly available. No PAIA request is needed to see them.
We hold records in these categories:
– Company and governance records, such as registration documents.
– Financial and tax records, such as invoices, receipts, bank statements and tax returns.
– Client records, such as enquiries, quotes, agreements, project briefs, correspondence and project files.
– Marketing records, such as newsletter subscriber lists and website analytics.
– Supplier and partner records, such as agreements and correspondence.
– Where applicable, employment and contractor records.
Access is subject to the grounds for refusal in PAIA, including the protection of the privacy of third parties and confidential commercial information.
Where applicable, we keep records as required by law, including the Companies Act, the Income Tax Act, the Value-Added Tax Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Consumer Protection Act, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act and POPIA.
Complete the prescribed request form (Form 2 of the PAIA Regulations) and send it to the Information Officer at the email address above. Give enough detail to identify the record, say which form of access you want, and explain which right you are trying to exercise or protect and why you need the record. If you are asking on behalf of someone else, include proof of your authority.
A prescribed request fee and, where applicable, an access fee is payable as set by the PAIA Regulations. We will decide on your request within 30 days of receiving it, and may extend that period once by up to 30 days, as PAIA allows. If your request is refused, we will give reasons, and you may complain to the Information Regulator or apply to court.
Purpose: to respond to enquiries, quote, deliver and support our services, market to subscribers and clients, keep records and comply with the law.
Data subjects: prospective and existing clients, newsletter subscribers, website visitors, suppliers and partners.
Information processed: names, contact details, business details, project information and website usage data.
Recipients: our service providers (hosting, email and newsletter, analytics), specialist partners where a project needs them, and authorities where the law requires.
Cross-border transfers: some providers process information outside South Africa, with appropriate safeguards.
Security: access controls, strong authentication, encrypted connections and backups.
See the Privacy Policy above for more.
This manual is available on our website and on request from the Information Officer. We review and update it from time to time. Last updated 13 October 2026.
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