PAIA manual
Last updated: 12 November 2026
Prepared in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA), as amended, for [to be confirmed: legal entity name], trading as Optimize Energy.
Date of compilation: [to be confirmed: date of compilation] Date of revision: 12 November 2026
1. Abbreviations
- IO: Information Officer
- PAIA: Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000, as amended
- POPIA: Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013
- Regulator: the Information Regulator
2. Purpose of this manual
This manual helps members of the public to:
- see which records we hold, and which are available without a formal request;
- understand how to request access to a record we hold;
- find the contact details of our Information Officer;
- find the Regulator's guide on how to use PAIA;
- understand how we process personal information, who we share it with, whether it is sent outside South Africa, and how we protect it.
3. Our contact details
| Name of the private body | [to be confirmed: legal entity name], trading as Optimize Energy |
| Legal status | [to be confirmed: legal status] |
| Registration number | [to be confirmed: registration number] |
| Head of the private body | [to be confirmed: name of head of the private body] |
| Information Officer | Shan, Operations Manager |
| Phone and WhatsApp | 081 484 4964 |
| Email for access requests | optimizeenergy@outlook.com |
| Physical address | [to be confirmed: physical address] |
| Postal address | [to be confirmed: postal address] |
| Website | https://optimizeenergy.vercel.app |
We have no fax number and no Deputy Information Officer at present.
4. The Regulator's guide on how to use PAIA
The Regulator has published a guide on how to use PAIA and POPIA (the Guide), as required by section 10 of PAIA. The Guide is available in each of the official languages and in braille. It explains, among other things:
- the objects of PAIA and POPIA;
- how to request access to records of public and private bodies;
- the help available from Information Officers and the Regulator;
- the remedies available, including how to complain to the Regulator or apply to court;
- the fees payable for requests.
You can get the Guide from the Regulator's website at https://inforegulator.org.za, from the Regulator's offices, or by asking our Information Officer. A copy is available for inspection at our office during normal business hours, in English and in [to be confirmed: two official languages].
5. Records available without a formal request
| Category | Records | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Public information | Website content, descriptions of our services and the municipalities we deal with | On our website |
| Legal documents | Terms of service, privacy policy, cookie policy, website disclaimer, complaints procedure, this manual | On our website, or on request |
| Your own records | Your case status, documents you uploaded, messages, charges and payments | In your client portal |
6. Records available under other laws
We keep records required by the laws that apply to us, which may include the following, depending on our legal form and whether we employ staff.
| Law | Records |
|---|---|
| Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011 and Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 | Tax records and supporting documents |
| Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991 (if we are registered for VAT) | Tax invoices and VAT records |
| Companies Act 71 of 2008 (if we are a company) | Company registration and statutory records |
| Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, Unemployment Insurance Act 63 of 2001, and Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993 (if we employ staff) | Employment, payroll and related records |
| Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 | Consumer agreements and transaction records |
| Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 and PAIA | Privacy policy, records of consent, this manual |
7. Subjects on which we hold records
| Subject | Categories of records |
|---|---|
| Clients and cases | Account and contact details, case files, documents provided by clients, letters of authority, correspondence with clients and municipalities, staff notes, follow-up dates and audit logs |
| Enquiries | Records of enquiries, including how consent to be contacted was given |
| Finance | Charges, invoices, payment records, refunds, bank statements and accounting records |
| Municipal contacts | Work contact details of municipal officials and staff, and notes on who handles which queries |
| Marketing | Records of marketing consent and of requests to stop marketing |
| Suppliers | Agreements with service providers, including data processing agreements |
| Staff (if any) | Employment contracts, payroll and leave records |
| Legal and compliance | Policies, this manual, complaints records, and records of requests under PAIA and POPIA |
| Technology | System and security logs, and access records |
Listing a category here does not mean that access to a record in it will be granted. Every request is decided on its own merits, under PAIA.
8. Processing of personal information
8.1 Purpose of processing
We process personal information to:
- assess whether we can help with a municipal account problem;
- represent clients in dealing with municipalities under a letter of authority;
- communicate with clients and enquirers;
- take payment and keep financial records;
- keep in contact with municipal officials for our clients' cases;
- send marketing to people who have agreed to receive it;
- run and secure our website and portal;
- meet our legal obligations.
8.2 Categories of data subjects and their information
| Data subjects | Personal information we may process |
|---|---|
| Clients (individuals and businesses) | Names, ID or registration numbers, contact details, property and account details, meter numbers, documents such as ID, title deed, lease, SASSA letter and municipal accounts, letters of authority, payment records, messages |
| Other people named in client documents (tenants, co-owners, household members, children) | Names and details contained in documents needed for the case, which may include information about health (such as grant type) |
| Enquirers | Name, contact details, the problem described, how consent to be contacted was given, notes and follow-up dates |
| Municipal officials and staff | Name, job title, department, work phone and work email, notes of dealings |
| Website visitors | Approximate area (not stored), a scrambled code used to prevent misuse of the chat assistant (kept for two days), chosen area (stored in the visitor's own browser) |
| Service providers | Names, contact details, contracts and banking details |
| Staff (if any) | Contact details, ID numbers, employment and payroll information |
8.3 Recipients of personal information
| Information | Recipients |
|---|---|
| Client case information and documents | The municipality (or its entity) that the case concerns, as far as the case needs |
| All information we store | Our technology service providers: Supabase (database and storage), Vercel (hosting), Flick Media (website maintenance and support) |
| Payment information | PayFast |
| Email content and addresses | Resend (sending email) and Microsoft (our inbox) |
| Chat assistant messages | Anthropic |
| WhatsApp messages | WhatsApp (Meta) |
| Information required by law | Authorities such as the South African Revenue Service, where the law requires |
| Information needed for advice | Our attorney or accountant |
8.4 Planned transfers outside South Africa
Our database and document storage are in the European Union (Ireland), and our website is hosted in the European Union with some technical processing elsewhere, including the United States. Email delivery, the AI chat assistant and WhatsApp involve processing in the United States. Our privacy policy explains the safeguards and the legal grounds we rely on.
8.5 Security measures
We protect personal information with measures that include:
- encryption of information while it travels over the internet and while it is stored;
- private document storage, with links that expire after a short time;
- access to client information limited to signed-in staff, and each client able to see only their own records;
- a log of changes to case and client records;
- payment card details handled only by PayFast;
- written agreements with service providers that require them to protect information;
- regular review of our safeguards.
9. How to request access to a record
- Use the prescribed form. Complete Form 2 (Request for Access to Record) of the PAIA Regulations, available from the Regulator's website or from our Information Officer.
- Send it to our Information Officer by email or post, or deliver it to our physical address (see section 3).
- Say which right you need the record for. PAIA gives access to a record of a private body if the record is required for the exercise or protection of a right, and no ground for refusal applies.
- Prove your identity. If you are asking on behalf of someone else, include proof that you may act for them.
- Pay the prescribed fees. A request fee and, if access is granted, an access fee may be payable, as prescribed in the PAIA Regulations. We will tell you in writing what is payable. People asking for their own personal information do not pay the request fee.
- Our decision. We will decide on your request within 30 days and tell you in writing. In some cases PAIA allows us to extend this once, by up to 30 days, and we will tell you why. If we refuse access, we will give reasons and tell you how you can challenge the decision.
If you need help to complete the form, our Information Officer will help you.
10. Remedies
If you are not satisfied with our decision, you may, within the time allowed by PAIA, complain to the Regulator or apply to a court.
Information Regulator: https://inforegulator.org.za, PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za, 010 023 5200, Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191.
11. Availability of this manual
This manual is available:
- on our website;
- at our physical address for inspection during normal business hours;
- to any person on request, on payment of the prescribed fee for a copy;
- to the Regulator on request.
12. Updating this manual
The head of Optimize Energy will review and update this manual regularly, and whenever our records, processing or contact details change.
Issued by [to be confirmed: name of head of the private body], head of the private body.