Privacy Notice

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that researches, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socioeconomic prosperity in South Africa. The organisation’s work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state.

The CSIR was established through an Act of Parliament in 1945 and the organisation’s executive authority is the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The organisation plays a key role in supporting public and private sectors through directed research that is aligned with the country’s priorities, the organisation’s mandate and its science, engineering and technology competences.

Impact is at the core of our business and the following objectives are crafted to ensure that we achieve our mission:

• Conduct research, development and innovation of transformative technologies and accelerate their diffusion;

• Improve the competitiveness of high-impact industries to support South Africa’s re-industrialisation by collaboratively developing, localising and implementing technology;

• Drive socioeconomic transformation through RD&I that supports the development of a capable state;

• Build and transform human capital and infrastructure; and

• Diversify income, and maintain financial sustainability and good governance.

Our core values are EPIC and they are the driving force behind our ability to conduct cutting-edge research and technological innovation to improve the quality of life of South Africans. The CSIR pursues Excellence, celebrates People, personifies Integrity, and welcomes Collaboration.

The CSIR has appointed a Deputy Information Officer for you to contact if you have any questions or concerns about the CSIR’s personal data protection policies, procedures and/or practices. The CSIR’s Deputy Information Officer’s contact details are as follows:

Physical Address:
627 Meiring Naude Road
Brummeria
Pretoria
Tel: 012 842 7235
Email: @email
 

The CSIR cares about your personal information. Therefore, we provide you with this notice so that you may make an informed decision about whether or not you would like to continue using the website. This notice regulates the manner in which we collect, use, disclose, transfer and store your personal information.

Please note that by using this website you consent to this Privacy Notice. If you do not consent to this Privacy Notice, you must stop using this website immediately.

When you use this website, the CSIR collects the following personal information automatically (this will always be recorded without you having to do anything):

• Your IP address, browser and operating system information;

• The date and time that you accessed the website;

• Your geographic location and the pages you view while using the website; and

• Any search terms you use when using the website’s search functionality.

In addition, we collect any personal information that you voluntarily provide to the CSIR, for example, by submitting a CV, subscribing to a newsletter or making an enquiry.

The information we collect automatically is to help the CSIR to improve the functionality and content of its website.

The information we collect that you provide voluntarily is to provide you with a service or facilitate a function where your personal information is required to provide the service or fulfil the function.

We share the personal information you provide voluntarily and the personal information we collect automatically differently.

Personal information provided voluntarily:

We do not share this personal information with third parties, unless we have a justifiable reason to do so. Typically, the third parties who will have access to your personal information are the contracted parties who assist us with the development of the website, IT maintenance and related matters.

In certain circumstances, we may be forced by law to share your personal information, for example, when served with a court order or other valid request from a lawful authority.

In other circumstances, we may share personal information that has been anonymised and it would be impossible to link the information to a specific individual.

Personal information collected automatically:

Some of the personal information that is collected automatically is collected by third parties whose technology we use to provide website functionality and acquire website analytics information. The table below lists these third parties, where they are located, details on opting out of their personal information collection and, if available, their contact details for privacy queries.

In addition, if you make use of the social media sharing buttons on the website, your information will be automatically collected by the social media company that you use to share content (see the “Social Media Platforms and External Links” section below).

With regard to the personal information we collect, we make use of a number of technologies that collect personal information automatically.

Cookies: Cookies are small files that are saved onto your computer, which track, save and store information about how you use this website. In some instances, these cookies are needed for the website to function. You can disable them in your browser, but this may interfere with the proper functioning of the website.

Google analytics: This is tracking software from Google, which we use to monitor how users interact with the website, in order for us to improve its functionality and content.

Web-server software: This delivers web pages to your browser. The web-server software will automatically collect your IP address whenever you connect to the website.

YouTube: This is software used to display videos. We do not collect personal information from you by placing these videos on our site or through you viewing them, but Google Inc. (which owns YouTube) collects personal information when videos are placed on webpages.

AddToAny: This is software that is used to place social media buttons on our website, which allows you to share content on our website through social media. We do not collect personal information by placing these buttons on our site, but the AddToAny Company does.

This website may make use of social media platforms, such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Whenever you make use of any such platforms on this website, please note that any personal information you share on these platforms is subject to their privacy policies and not the CSIR’s.

This website may also contain links to external (non-CSIR) websites. Whenever you click a link and are taken to an external website, note that your use of these websites is governed by their privacy policies and not the CSIR’s.

The CSIR hosts many events throughout the year. These include conferences, school visits, demonstrations, etc. If you register for one of our events, we will collect your name and contact information, which we will store in our database(s) and use to provide you with information and services associated with the event. We process this information to fulfill the order you have made to receive the event or conference services.

If you are a presenter at one of our events, we will collect information about you, including your name, employer, contact information and photograph; and we may collect information provided by event attendees who evaluated your performance as a presenter. We may also make and store a recording of your voice and likeness in certain instances. The CSIR relies on a legitimate interest  basis for collecting, storing and processing this information.

We keep a record of your participation in CSIR events as an attendee or presenter. This information may be used to provide you with information about other events and publications.

If you correspond with us by e-mail, the postal service or another form of communication, we may retain such correspondence and use it to respond to your inquiry; to notify you of CSIR conferences, publications or other services; or to keep a record of your compliment, complaint, accommodation request and the like. As always, if you wish to have the CSIR ‘erase’ your personal information or otherwise refrain from communicating with you, please contact us at @email.

Note: If you ask the CSIR not to contact you by e-mail at a certain e-mail address, the CSIR will retain a copy of that e-mail address on its “Do Not Contact” list, in order to comply with your no-contact request.

The CSIR has a legitimate interest in maintaining the personal information of those who communicate voluntarily with it.

We take reasonable care to protect your personal information using reliable information security safeguards. However, you should be aware that no safeguards are 100% effective all of the time. Therefore, it is possible that your personal information may inadvertently be accessed by unauthorised or unknown persons if these safeguards be defeated or fail.

Please note that the CSIR, its employees, and external parties invited to meetings and events hosted on MS Teams by the CSIR may process, store, or share Personal Information provided on and through its MS Teams platform during the organisation of virtual meetings or events; the hosting of virtual meetings or events, and while using the MS Teams chat function.

With this context in mind, please note the CSIR’s handling of such Personal Information, in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (PoPIA) below.

The CSIR processes Personal Information for the purpose of organizing virtual meetings (internal and/or external) or events and chat messaging. The CSIR may also arrange live web streaming and video or audio recording through the MS Teams platform, from time to time. Personal Information is collected and stored in Microsoft’s Cloud infrastructure solely for the purpose stated herein.

The types of Personal Information that may be processed by the CSIR are listed below:

• Content – your meetings and chat conversations, voicemail, shared files, recordings, and transcriptions.

• Profile data – data that is shared within the CSIR (e.g. e-mail address, profile picture, presence information);

• Image and/or video, should the meeting be recorded.

• Call history – a detailed history of the phone calls you make, which allows for the review of own call records.

• Call quality data – details of meetings (e.g. record of attended) and call data (e.g. call duration) are available to the CSIR system administrators. This allows the CSIR administrators to diagnose issues related to poor call quality and service usage.

• Diagnostic and service data: diagnostic data related to service usage. This information allows Microsoft to deliver the service (troubleshoot, secure, and update the product and monitor performance) as well as perform certain internal business operations, such as: determine revenue; develop metrics; determine service usage; and conduct product and capacity planning.

While using MS Teams through the CSIR, the CSIR and the meeting organizer are responsible for processing Personal Information. The identity of the meeting organizer will be contained in the relevant meeting or event invitation or registration tool. However, should the meeting organizer not be specified, one may contact @email providing details of the meeting or event, requesting such identity to be provided.

Personal Information processed by the CSIR through MS Teams is disclosed, on a strict need-to-know basis, to the following potential recipients:

• CSIR staff and external invitees to MS Team hosted meetings or events.

• The CSIR’s operators, including Microsoft and Microsoft’s operators involved in the data processing necessary to provide the service.

No other third parties will have access to the Personal Information processed by the CSIR, except if required by law.

The CSIR takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard and protect Personal Information processed from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. MS Teams has been configured to preserve the confidentiality of information exchanged thereon by implementing end-to-end encryption during all communications and encryption of data at rest. Microsoft data centers are certified in several security standards, most notably, ISO 27001:2013, CSA-STAR attestation and SOC 1-2-3.

In terms of PoPIA, one has the right to access, rectify and erase one’s own Personal Information, as well as restrict or object to its processing.

To exercise any of these rights, simply contact the CSIR on @email and make such request. The CSIR will endeavour to ensure that such requests are actioned within one (1) month of receipt of request, unless otherwise agreed.

Personal Information is stored for as long as follow-up actions are required, in the context of the meeting or event concerned. For contacting audiences in the future in the context of CSIR’s activities, the CSIR may retain contact details in a database, specifically designed for this purpose. Should you not agree to this storage of your contact details, kindly contact the CSIR at @email.

We may update this notice from time to time. You are encouraged to check this notice frequently for any changes in order to understand how it may affect you.

How to contact us:

Privacy Office, Building 23

Physical Address
Meiring Naudé Road
Brummeria
Pretoria
South Africa
 

Postal Address

Privacy Office, Building 23
PO Box 395
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel: 012 842 7235
Email address: @email

Privacy Statement

Introduction:

• This privacy statement will inform you what the CSIR will do with the Personal Information it collects from you and which you voluntarily provide to the organisation, it also indicates your rights as a data subject

Application of this Privacy Statement:

• This privacy statement will apply to the CSIR and the Personal Information supplied by you. It includes any processing or further processing of the Personal Information by any operators duly appointed by the CSIR

• The CSIR will require your explicit consent, until such consent is provided, you will not be able to register on the site to subscribe for the newsletter

Purpose for the collection:

• To register you as a newsletter subscriber

• To contact you when required and attending to your or the CSIR’s enquiries and requests

• For statistical analysis purposes, including data analysis

• For pursuing and protecting your and/or the CSIR’s legitimate interest, or that of a third party to whom the Personal Information is supplied

Implications of withholding consent or Personal Information

• The CSIR requires your Personal Information for the purposes indicated above, and your explicit consent is mandatory to process the aforementioned Personal Information

• Should you elect to withhold consent for the CSIR to process your Personal Information, then the CSIR will be unable to engage with you and/or register you for the newsletter

Storage, retention and destruction of information

• Your Personal Information will be stored electronically in a centralised database, which, for operational reasons, will be accessible on a need to know and business basis

• The CSIR undertakes to conduct regular audits regarding the safety and security of your Personal Information

• Once the Personal Information is no longer required because the purpose for which it was held has expired, your Personal Information will be safely and securely archived for the requisite and prescribed retention periods as required by the law. On expiration of this retention period, the CSIR will permanently destroy your Personal Information

Access by others and cross border transfers

• The CSIR may have to disclose your Personal Information to other parties, including auditors, regulatory bodies, and/or government officials. The CSIR will always ensure that there is a legitimate reason for such disclosure and that your Personal Information is handled with strict confidentiality and data security conditions

• Your Personal Information will not be transferred across the borders of South Africa

Right to object and complaints

• You are encouraged to make immediate contact with the CSIR’s Privacy Office or the CSIR Communications department at any time if you are not comfortable or satisfied with the manner in which the CSIR is processing your Personal Information. On receipt of your objection, the CSIR will place a hold on any further processing until the cause of the objection has been resolved. If you are still not satisfied with such process, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator at @email

Accuracy of information and responsibility

• PoPIA requires that all your Personal Information and related details, as supplied are complete, accurate and up-to-date. It will be your responsibility to advise the CSIR of any changes to the Personal Information, as and when these may occur

Access to the information by the Data Subject

• You have the right at any time to ask the CSIR to provide you with the details of the Personal Information which the CSIR holds on your behalf; and/or the purpose for which it has been used, provided that such request is made using the standard Section 14 CSIR PAIA process, which can be accessed by downloading and completing the standard request for information form, housed under the CSIR’s Section 14 PAIA Manual which can be found on the CSIR’s website at www.csir.co.za

Declaration and informed consent

• You confirm that the Personal Information, provided to the CSIR is accurate, up-to-date, not misleading and is complete in all respects, save where same may change and then in such event, you undertake to advise the CSIR of these changes

• In providing the required Personal Information to the CSIR, you consent and give the CSIR permission to further process your Personal Information as and when required and acknowledge that you understand the purposes for which the Personal Information is required and for which it will be used

For further information, contact:

CSIR Privacy Office

@email

CSIR Communications Office

@email

Physical Address:
Corporate Communications Office, Building 22
Meiring Naudé Road
Brummeria
Pretoria
South Africa
 

Postal Address:
Privacy Office, Building 3c
PO Box 395
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel: 012 842 7235