Community housing schemes in South Africa have until 30 June 2021 to ensure complete compliance with the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act, warn property experts.
Among other changes, the regulations require schemes to adopt their rules to be POPI compliant, including the sharing of personal information of owners and tenants.
It also introduces stricter rules around security systems in complexes, and how information is gathered by security guards and cameras. Schemes are also required to adopt a POPI policy and compliance officer.
Schemes that do not meet the requirements face hefty fines, including fines of up to R10 million or 12 months imprisonment.
The POPIA does not forbid the collection of personal information, but rather stipulates, for example, that every person whose information is requested is entitled to be informed how that information will be used and how it will be secured to prevent it from being used for any other purpose, said Andrew Schaefer, managing director of property group Trafalgar.
(Source: BusinessTech)
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