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Privacy Policy
Effective: 1 May 2026 · Last updated: 24 May 2026
1. Who we are
Solvd Studio (Pty) Ltd (“Solvd Studio”, “we”, “us”) is registered in South Africa. We operate the Thola tender intelligence platform at thola.solvdstudio.co.za and the studio homepage at solvdstudio.co.za.
2. What we collect
Account information
Name, email address, phone number (optional). Collected when you sign up.
Business profile
Sectors, keywords, provinces, B-BBEE level, CIDB grading, budget range. Collected during onboarding.
Compliance documents
PDFs you upload to the Compliance Vault: tax clearance certificates, B-BBEE certificates, CSD registration summaries, CIDB grading certificates, and similar. These are uploaded voluntarily and stored securely.
Usage data
Pages visited, features used, timestamps. Used to improve the product. Not linked to identifiable personal information in analytics.
3. Why we collect it
- ▸Account information: To identify you, send notifications, and provide support
- ▸Business profile: To match tenders to your business using our scoring algorithm
- ▸Compliance documents: To check your documents against tender requirements and identify compliance gaps
- ▸Usage data: To understand how the product is used and where to improve it
4. How long we keep it
- ▸Account and profile data: while your account is active, plus 12 months after account closure.
- ▸Compliance vault documents: until you delete them. Deletion is immediate and permanent.
- ▸Agent logs and usage data: 12 months rolling.
5. Who we share it with
We use the following sub-processors (acting as Operators under POPIA) to provide the service. We do not sell your data to third parties.
| Service | Purpose | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database and file storage | US (AWS) |
| Anthropic | AI processing of document text and chat messages | US |
| Resend | Transactional email delivery | US |
| Trigger.dev | Background job processing | US |
| Vercel | Web hosting and edge functions | US / Global |
6. Cross-border transfers
Several sub-processors store data outside South Africa (primarily in the United States). Each operates under standard contractual clauses and privacy frameworks (GDPR, SOC 2) that provide adequate safeguards for the protection of personal information. By using Thola, you consent to your data being transferred to and processed in those countries.
7. Your rights under POPIA
- ▸Access: request a copy of your personal information we hold
- ▸Correction: ask us to correct inaccurate information
- ▸Deletion: request deletion of your account and associated data
- ▸Objection: object to specific processing activities
- ▸Complaint: lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa
Information Regulator: inforegulator.org.za
8. Analytics
We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-respecting analytics service that does not set cookies and does not track individual users. Usage statistics are aggregated. No personal information is sent to Plausible.
9. Contact us
For privacy-related requests or questions, email privacy@solvdstudio.co.za. We respond within 5 business days.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the product evolves. Material changes will be communicated by email to registered users at least 14 days before taking effect. The effective date at the top of this page reflects the current version.