Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Apex Metals (“we”, “us”) is a metal merchant based in Johannesburg, South Africa. We are the responsible party for the personal information described in this policy.

Our Information Officer can be reached at apexmetals@gmail.com or 061 545 6126. Questions, requests and complaints about your personal information go to the same address.

2. What we collect

We only collect what we need to quote, sell and deliver steel:

• Contact details such as your name, company, phone number and email address.
• Order details such as the products, sizes and quantities you ask for, cutting lists, delivery addresses and site contact names.
• Billing details such as invoice names, VAT and company registration numbers, and, for trade accounts, the information on your credit application.
• Messages you send us by WhatsApp, email, phone or the quote form on this website.
• Technical data our hosting provider records when you visit this site, such as your IP address, browser type and the pages requested. We use it to keep the site secure and working.

3. How we use it

We use personal information to:

• prepare quotes and answer your questions;
• process, cut, deliver and invoice your orders;
• open and manage trade accounts;
• keep the records the law requires, including tax records;
• protect this website against abuse and spam.

We process it because it is needed to carry out a contract with you or take steps you asked for, to comply with the law, or for our legitimate interest in running the business, as section 11 of POPIA allows.

4. Cookies and browser storage

This website does not use advertising or analytics cookies and does not track you across other sites.

It stores one small value in your browser's session storage to remember that the opening animation has played, so it does not repeat on every page. It is deleted when you close the browser tab.

5. Who we share it with

We do not sell or rent personal information. We share it only where needed with:

• service providers who host this website or deliver our email;
• WhatsApp (Meta), when you choose to contact us on WhatsApp;
• our bank, accountants and auditors, for payments and financial records;
• credit bureaus, if you apply for a trade account;
• the South African Revenue Service or other authorities where the law requires it.

Anyone who processes information on our behalf must keep it confidential and secure.

6. Information stored outside South Africa

Some of our service providers, including our website host and email provider, store data on servers outside South Africa. We only use providers that are bound by laws or agreements that give a level of protection similar to POPIA, as section 72 of POPIA requires.

7. How long we keep it

Quote requests that do not lead to an order are deleted after 12 months. Invoices, delivery notes and account records are kept for at least five years, as South African tax law requires, and then deleted or anonymised.

8. Security

This website uses encrypted connections (HTTPS). Access to customer records is limited to staff who need it. If we become aware of a breach that affects your information, we will tell you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.

9. Your rights

Under POPIA you may:

• ask what personal information we hold about you and get a copy of it;
• ask us to correct or delete information that is wrong, out of date or no longer needed;
• object to us processing your information, including for direct marketing;
• complain to the Information Regulator at inforeg.org.za.

To use any of these rights, contact us at apexmetals@gmail.com or 061 545 6126. We may ask you to confirm your identity before we act on a request.

10. Marketing

We do not send marketing messages unless you have asked for them or are an existing customer, and every message tells you how to opt out.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. The date at the top shows when it last changed. Please also read our Terms & Conditions.