Privacy Policy

Version 1.0

October 29, 2024

At Africred Technologies Services Limited (“AfriCred”, “Us”, “Our”, “We”), we prioritize the privacy of our customers (“you” or “your”). We are committed to being transparent about how we handle the information you share with us, and we appreciate your trust in our careful and responsible practices. The terms outlined below (“the Privacy Policy”) describes our privacy practices, particularly, how we collect, process, share, retain, and protect your Personal Data. It also explains your rights as a data subject to help you make an informed decision when you access or visit our website https://africred.org mobile applications, our premises, or when you engage with our team via email, phone, or any other medium of communication, including any additional services offered through our digital platform (“the Platform”).

AfriCred is your one-stop global mobility platform, offering products and services ranging from free courses to assist in the upscaling of your skills and knowledge; to hassle-free processing of graduate and post graduate education, including ancillary services such as visa processing, loan applications to help you achieve your educational and career goals. With support from our strategic partners, we facilitate loan services, both collaterized and unsecured and facilitate global education fee remittances.

By clicking the “Accept” button or any other icon that indicates agreement with this Privacy Policy and applying for any of our services including but not limited to admission processing, visa applications, loans for tuition payments, tuition remittance or any other offerings provided by AfriCred on our website or on any of our platforms (“the Services”), you consent to our Terms and Conditions, Website Terms of Use and the collection, use, storage and sharing of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.

  1. What information do we collect and why?
    1. Submitted Information
      • Information to access our Services: We collect information when You create an account on the AfriCred website, which may include your name, email, phone number, age, gender, marital status, username, password and other registration information, details of your international passport, certificates issued by institutions of study, financial information (including your bank account details, where applicable), institutions of study attended, current and intended study location, and any other document/information relevant to provide our services to you. We gather this information through forms on our website, correspondence, account registration, app downloads, service subscriptions, social media interactions, promotions, and feedback on our services.
      • Communication Details: This may include your name, address, email address, postal address, and phone number. By the use of any of the AfriCred Services, you consent to the collection, use and storage of your information in the manner provided herein. We may also reach out to you with updates and new launches on AfriCred.
      • Billing & Payment Information: Details required for billing and payment processing.
      • Information from other sources: We may collect information from other sources, such as our social media platforms when you contact us for support or complaints. Nevertheless, we only request for information relevant to your inquiry. We may also collect information from credit bureaus or other third-party service providers.
      • Employment Information: If you apply for employment with us, we may request Personal Data about your education and work history. As part of your application, you may be required to provide your express consent to our use of this information to assess your application and any monitoring activities which may be required of us under applicable laws as an employer. We may also carry out screening checks (including reference, background and criminal record checks). We may share your Personal Data with academic institutions, recruiters, health organisations, law enforcement agencies, referees and your previous employers, typically to verify your information. Without this information, we may be unable to process your employment.
      • We need this information to facilitate your use of AfriCred and to conduct our normal operations.
    2. Collected Information
      • Browsing Information: We automatically collect certain information when you use our Services, such as your systems, browser type, IP address, referring and exit pages, visited pages, operating system, date and time, and clickstream data. This information helps us administer our services, troubleshoot issues, and enhance user engagement. So, in an event where you encounter any error on our Platform, we get to know without you even explicitly telling us.
      • Device Information: We may collect technical information about your mobile device, including unique identifiers, operating system, browser details, and location settings.
      • Location Data: By using our Services, you consent to the automatic collection of location data via GPS technology or other services. You can withdraw your consent by logging out and uninstalling the app. Information we may collect from you automatically include information including but not limited to your, technical information, including the type of mobile device you use, unique device identifiers (for example, your device’s IMEI or serial number), information about the SIM card used by the device, mobile network information, your device’s operating system, browser information and details, or your device’s location and time zone setting including, but not limited to, traffic data, location data, weblogs and other communication data (Log Information).
      • Third Party Cookie Services: There may be some third-party cookie services on AfriCred which are not owned by AfriCred and they may set their own Cookies. We do not use or have access to those Cookies, we simply allow these third-party cookie services to set cookies, for their proper functioning. These cookies function under their own privacy policy and can be managed through your browser.
      • Third Party Links: You will find links to some third-party websites which are not controlled by AfriCred. We do not have any interest in placement of those links; they are provided solely for your convenience. The destinations of these links will have their respective privacy terms and may differ from the Privacy Policy. Hence You shall use your discretion while accessing those links.
      • To maintain and improve the quality of our Service to you, we track information provided to us by your browser when you view or use the Service, such as the type of browser you use, the device from which you connected to the Service, the time and date of access, and other information that does not personally identify you. We track this information using cookies, or small text files which include an anonymous unique identifier.
  2. How do we use your Personal Information?
    1. Personal information you provide to us is generally used to help us communicate with you. We may use your personal information to facilitate the opening of an account with AfriCred.
    2. Your data may be used to compile statistics relating to our user base or loan portfolio and may disclose such information to any third party for such purposes, provided that such information will always be anonymous.
    3. We may require your personal information to comply with regulatory provisions and obligations to which we are bound; to ascertain your satisfaction of our Services; to determine your creditworthiness; and for the purpose of evaluating your eligibility for the Services.
    4. You may withdraw your consent to this Privacy Policy at any time upon your request and subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy, however, obligations accrued prior to such withdrawal shall remain subsisting and valid until such obligations are fulfilled.
    5. Please note that except in compliance with an order of the court, arbitration panel, tribunal, regulatory directive or order or any other legal or regulatory obligation, we do not disclose information about identifiable individuals to other parties, but we may provide them with anonymous aggregate information about our users.
  3. What is the legal basis of collecting this data?

    Our legal basis for processing your personal data may include:

    • providing seamless access to our Services;
    • to develop new features and maintain our Services;
    • prevent unauthorized usage, access or unusual activities;
    • for the performance of contracts with you;
    • based on your consent;
    • for our legitimate business interest or that of a third party; and
    • enhance your user experience and it and communicate with you.
  4. How do you consent to our use of your Personal Information?

    While signing up for our Service, you will be required to consent to this Privacy Policy by ticking/checking a box. Please note that by ticking that box, accessing our Platform, the Services, and/or accepting our cookie policy, you consent to and authorize us to collect, use, store and compile your personal information and to use the same as may be necessary for the efficient provision of the Service.

  5. Does AfriCred share my information with others?
    1. We will share certain personal information with our strategic partners- higher institutions of study, loan companies, embassies, affiliates and third-party service providers in order to provide our Service and to resolve any incident, and we may also receive information about you from them.
    2. We may also share your information:
      • if we believe it is necessary in order to detect, investigate, prevent, or take action against illegal activities, fraud, or situations involving potential threats to the rights, property, or personal safety of any person;
      • to satisfy legal or regulatory requirements but only to the extent required for that purpose;
      • with other companies for purposes of marketing our products to you or for analysing our business and transactions;
      • with credit agencies and data processors for credit reference checks and anti-fraud and compliance purposes – all in accordance to applicable data privacy regulations and laws;
      • in connection with a merger, acquisition, consolidation, change of control, or sale of all or a portion of our assets or if we undergo bankruptcy or liquidation;
      • to enforce our Terms and Conditions and other agreements or to investigate potential breaches; report defaulters to any credit bureau in accordance with the Terms of Use of our services; or for the purpose of publishing statistics relating to the use of the Platform, in which case all information may be aggregated or made anonymous; and
      • request your permission to share your personal information for a specific purpose. We will notify you and request consent before you provide PII or before the PII you have already provided is shared for such purposes.
  6. How long will your Personal Information be kept?

    We will retain your information for as long as reasonably and obligatory necessary to provide you with our products and Services. In determining the appropriate period in which your information would be kept, we consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised disclosure of your personal information and the applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting and other relevant requirements.

  7. How is your Personal Information protected?
    1. We restrict access to your information to our employees and others who require it to provide our products and Services. We also maintain electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your information. Once received, your information will be accorded strict procedures and security features via the use of encryption to try to prevent unauthorised access.
    2. In addition, you agree and consent that it is your responsibility to keep all tokens and passwords that enables you to access the Services, Website and our other platforms, safe, intact and confidential. Please ensure you do not disclose your password to third parties, and you log out of your account after each use.
    3. We will take all reasonable measures to ensure that your data is treated, stored and processed securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy, however, these measures do not guarantee that your information will not be accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed by breach of firewalls and secure server software. By using our Service, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to assume these risks, and consent to the collection, transfer, storing or processing of your personal data in the manner set out above.
  8. How can you prevent the use of your Personal Information?

    You have the right at any time to prevent us from contacting you for marketing purposes. You may opt out of promotional communications by following the unsubscribe instructions in each email.

  9. How do we use Cookies?
    1. Cookies are small files placed on your device’s browser that enable the website to identify your device as you view different pages. Like most interactive websites, our website uses cookies to enable us track of your activity for the duration of a session. Our website uses only encrypted session cookies which are erased either after a predefined timeout period or once the user logs out of the platform and closes the browser. Session cookies do not collect information from your device. They will typically store data in the form of a session identification that does not personally identify you. Certain aspects of our website are only available through the use of cookies, so your use of our website may be limited or not possible if you choose to disable or decline cookies. You may also choose to accept, decline, or manage cookie settings, which affects how you interact with our website and determines the functionality of the pages. We set cookies on the device through which you use AfriCred.
  10. What are your rights in relation to your Personal Information?
    Under data protection laws, you have the right to:
    • Request access to your personal information: This enables you to receive a copy of your Personal Information that we hold.
    • Request correction of your personal information: This enables you to correct any incomplete or inaccurate information that we have about you.
    • Request erasure of personal information: This enables you to ask us to delete your personal information. Please note, however, that we may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure of your personal information for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.
    • Request transfer of your personal information: You may request that we transfer, to you or a third party, the personal information which you had provided to us.
    • Withdraw consent: Where you have previously granted us consent to process your personal information, you may choose to withdraw such consent. This withdrawal will, however, not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent.
    • If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us.
  11. Violation of the Privacy Policy

    AfriCred is committed to utilize all reasonable measures to ensure that your personal data remains protected with firm procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach. We will notify you of any personal data breach and let you know the steps we have taken to remedy the breach and the security measures we have applied to render your personal data unintelligible.

  12. Will AfriCred ever change this Privacy Policy?
    1. As our Services evolve, we may update our Privacy Policy. We will notify you of significant changes to our Privacy Policy by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your account or by placing a prominent notice on our website. Significant changes will take effect thirty (30) days following such notification. Non-material changes or clarifications will take effect immediately. We encourage you to periodically check the Website and this privacy page for updates.
    2. In any event, by continuing to use our Services or accessing the Website after changes are posted, you confirm your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy together and consent to the terms/changes set out therein.
    3. Questions, comments and requests regarding this Privacy Policy should be directed to legal@africred.org
  13. Contact us

    You may contact our data privacy team via the following email address: legal@africred.org