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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026

Draft for review. This policy is a starting template written to align with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Please have it reviewed by a legal professional and complete the bracketed details before publishing or submitting to the app stores.

Hitchikr (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the Hitchikr mobile application and this website (together, the “Service”). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, and the choices you have. We are committed to processing your personal information lawfully and transparently in accordance with POPIA.

1. Who we are

The responsible party for your personal information is Hitchikr, [registered entity name], [registration number], of [physical address], South Africa. You can reach our Information Officer at support@hitchikrapp.com.

2. Information we collect

Account details — your name, phone number, email address and profile photo.
Driver details (drivers only) — ID document, driver's licence and PrDP, vehicle registration and photos, roadworthy certificate, police clearance, proof of address, and banking details for payouts.
Location data — pickup and destination points, and live location during a trip, to match rides and enable navigation and tracking.
Trip and payment data — ride history, fares, and payment records processed by our payment provider. We do not store full card numbers.
Safety data — trusted or emergency contacts you choose to add, and safety-event records (such as an SOS alert or a missed check-in), which may include your location at the time so we can respond and, where needed, get help to you.
Communications — in-app messages between riders and drivers, and any messages you send us.
Device and usage data — app version, device type, and diagnostic information used to keep the Service reliable and secure.

3. How we use your information

To create and manage your account and verify driver eligibility.
To match riders with nearby drivers, calculate fares, and enable navigation and live tracking.
To process payments and driver payouts.
To provide safety features such as trip sharing, pickup PIN verification, automated trip check-ins (RideCheck), SOS alerts, ratings and dispute investigation.
To communicate with you about your rides, account and important updates.
To detect, prevent and investigate fraud, abuse and safety incidents.
To comply with our legal obligations.

4. When we share information

We share only what is necessary to provide the Service:

Between riders and drivers — limited details (name, photo, rating, vehicle) needed to complete a trip.
With people you choose — anyone you send a trip-share link to can view that trip while it is active.
Service providers — payment processing, cloud hosting, maps, notifications and analytics, who process data on our behalf under appropriate safeguards.
Emergency and safety response — when you raise an SOS or a safety event is detected, relevant details and your location may be shared with our team and, where appropriate, emergency services, to help keep you safe.
Legal and safety — where required by law, or to protect the rights, safety and property of users and the public.

We do not sell your personal information.

5. Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for the purposes above or as required by law. In-app chat messages are retained for a limited period and then deleted. Trip and payment records may be kept longer to meet financial and legal obligations.

6. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit, access controls and role-based restrictions. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to safeguard your data and to notify you and the Information Regulator of any breach as required by POPIA.

7. Your rights

Under POPIA you have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, to request correction or deletion, to object to certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@hitchikrapp.com.

8. Children

The Service is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the updated version here and, where appropriate, notify you in the app.

10. Contact us

Questions about this policy or your personal information? Email support@hitchikrapp.com.

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