Civitas - Privacy focused Strategic Regulatory Advisory

25/07/2026

Welcome back to the balancing act.

In this video, I explain how the Constitution and the Protection of Personal Information Act, commonly known as POPIA, work together.

Privacy is a right, but it is not absolute. Cameras, licence plate recognition and other surveillance technologies may be used lawfully for legitimate purposes.

The important question is whether that use can be justified and whether proper limits and accountability are in place.

Have a question? Ask me in the comments. Challenge it. Join the debate. Privacy affects all of us, and these conversations should be accessible to everyone.

21/07/2026

Before we continue our privacy conversations, I want to make sure we understand who is who in the POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) realm.

Why is it important for us to understand these definitions as defined in the Act? Because your personal information may pass through many hands. But accountability should never disappear between them.

The responsible party remains accountable for the personal information, even when an operator processes it on its behalf.

Once you understand the difference between a responsible party and an operator, you know who is doing the work, who is making the decisions and, importantly, who must answer to you, the data subject.

14/07/2026

Technology as force multiplier is something I feel fiercely about. Welcome to Civitas!

Join the conversation!

13/07/2026

Morning, dear followers! I will post my first short video about privacy and the basic concepts tomorrow morning. Please do let me know if there is anything specific you want me to address, and I will do that.

But for now, remember - you have a right to privacy, that right is not absolute though. You always have an expectation of privacy, but your expectation is contextual: the more public the setting, the lower the expectation, but it is never zero.

Now that we have POPIA, it tells you how to deal with privacy - no more blindfolded attempts to try and interpret what the constitutional right to privacy means.

Looking forward to hearing from you all - see you tomorrow morning.

09/07/2026

Consistent results due to consistent efforts of hundreds of people - from the Vumacam team, to the law enforcement agencies and private bodies. Well done to all involved!

After Hatfield CID issued a look-out for a vehicle linked to a theft from a motor vehicle, it was added to the Vumacam Proof platform as a Vehicle of Interest (VOI), providing investigators with valuable reference information.

The vehicle was later identified and monitored through the Vumacam LPR network, enabling Gauteng Department of e-Government operators, supported by Hatfield CID and South African Police Service (SAPS), to coordinate a response.

The operation resulted in the interception of the vehicle, the arrest of two suspects, the recovery of two stolen 4x4 spare wheels and the vehicle being impounded as part of the ongoing investigation.

08/07/2026

Super thrilled that I got to help ATG Digital write this eBook for the draft Code of Conduct for Gated Accesses issued by the Information Regulator of South Africa.

Well done on the awesome initiative, ATG Digital. It will be massively helpful for your clients.

Remember, the Code of Conduct, when gazetted, will be binding legislation - it's not a suggestion or guideline. It is the law. POPIA is already applicable to gated accesses, therefore you need to get ready. The Code merely provides greater specificity on how you need to comply.

If you or your organisation needs help to implement, give me a shout!

ATG Digital in partnership with Civitas - Privacy focused Strategic Regulatory Advisory presents: The Practical POPIA eBook for Gated Access Environments. South Africa’s draft Code of Conduct is reshaping how visitor data, access logs, CCTV, and resident information must be managed.

Download the eBook and get ahead of compliance before it becomes mandatory. https://atgdigital.biz/popiahub

What's the biggest POPIA challenge your organisation faces? Let us know in the comments.

08/07/2026

It was great writing this article in collaboration with 24/7 Drone Force. Thank you Daily Maverick for publishing.

Drone operators, elevate your privacy conversations - your clients will be asking the questions!

As South Africa braced for 30 June, drones were quietly becoming part of our safety and security landscape. The law that governs what they see is already here, most just haven’t noticed.…

08/07/2026

We are living in a surveillance age and especially in South Africa, the outcomes of surveillance are crucial, but the accompanying accountability not less so.

Cameras, drones, AI. They all generate data. It is the most valuable commodity of our time

The technology exists, for very lawful and legitimate purposes, but the governing law is trying to catch up. Somewhere in the middle of all these operations, businesses, communities and ordinary people are trying to work out what responsible use looks like.

Enter Civitas.

On this page I will address and unpack uncomfortable questions, popular myths and hopefully make the law feel a little more understandable.

Welcome to Civitas.

It's all about the balancing act.