Why Comply

Your POPI Act to Practice Partner

The POPI Act was enacted in 2013 and commenced on 1 July 2020 and all businesses, regardless of type, industry or size must comply by 30 June 2021.

Since the 1st of July 2021 compliance to the conditions of the POPI act are monitored and enforced by the Information Regulator. Businesses who are investigated and found guilty of non-compliance will face various consequences.

risks

NON COMPLIANCE

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse!

All businesses, regardless of size and industry must comply to all the Conditions of the Act. Failure to comply can lead to dire consequences:

serious offences – maximum penalties of R10 million fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years, or both
less serious offences – the maximum penalty would be a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding12 months, or both
reputational damage

benefits

COMPLIANCE

The most obvious benefit of compliance to the conditions of the POPI Act is the avoidance of the serious penalties.

The greatest benefit to gain when businesses comply is an increase in business value due to the implementation of information management best practices which will lead to:

enhanced quality of information
ensuring of information/data accuracy and validity
improved information security and protection processes
reduced the risk of data breaches
increased customer confidence in your company
improved reputation

You need to ask yourself:

Are you familiar with and ready to deal with compliance conditions of the POPI Act?