Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 5 October 2026
Last Updated: 5 October 2026

Train The Brain respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how Train The Brain (“Train The Brain”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you visit or use https://www.trainthebrain.co.za/ (“the Website”), contact us, subscribe to our communications, enquire about our services, book a consultation or participate in any of our programmes or services.

This Privacy Policy is intended to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”), together with other applicable South African legislation.

1. RESPONSIBLE PARTY

The responsible party for the processing of personal information through the Website and in connection with Train The Brain’s services is:

Train The Brain
Operated by: Michaela de Gier
Address: 90 Danville Avenue, Glenashley, Durban North, South Africa
Email: michaela@trainthebrain.co.za

Where applicable, the responsible party may appoint an Information Officer or Deputy Information Officer in accordance with POPIA.

For privacy-related enquiries, requests or complaints, please contact us using the email address above.

2. WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

2.1 Information you provide directly

This may include:

  • your name and surname;

  • email address;

  • telephone or mobile number;

  • physical or postal address;

  • information provided when you contact us;

  • information provided when requesting or booking a clarity session;

  • information provided in connection with an assessment or programme;

  • information relating to a child or another person where you provide that information as their parent, guardian or authorised representative;

  • payment or transaction-related information where applicable;

  • correspondence and communications between you and Train The Brain; and

  • any other information you voluntarily provide to us.

2.2 Health and related information

Depending on the service requested or provided, you may voluntarily provide information concerning your or your child’s:

  • health or wellbeing;

  • learning difficulties;

  • behavioural or emotional challenges;

  • developmental history;

  • nervous-system or sensory responses;

  • medical or therapeutic history;

  • assessment results;

  • treatment or intervention history; or

  • other information relevant to determining whether a particular programme or protocol is appropriate.

Certain information concerning health, behaviour, development and related matters may constitute special personal information under POPIA.

We will only process such information where permitted by law and where an appropriate lawful basis exists, including where processing is necessary to provide a service requested by you, where you have given appropriate consent, or where another lawful justification under POPIA applies.

Please do not provide unnecessary health or medical information through a general website contact form.

3. INFORMATION RELATING TO CHILDREN

Some Train The Brain services may be provided to children.

Where we process personal information relating to a child, we will take appropriate steps to comply with POPIA’s requirements relating to the processing of children’s personal information.

Where required, information relating to a child should be provided by or with the authorisation of the child’s parent, guardian or other person legally authorised to act on the child’s behalf.

We may request additional information or consent where necessary to verify authority to provide information concerning a child.

4. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may collect personal information when you:

  • visit or use the Website;

  • complete a contact or enquiry form;

  • request a free clarity session;

  • communicate with us by email, telephone or WhatsApp;

  • subscribe to our newsletter or other communications;

  • request information about our services;

  • participate in an assessment, consultation or programme;

  • purchase or access a service or programme;

  • submit information through an online platform or application used in connection with a programme; or

  • otherwise voluntarily provide information to us.

We may also automatically collect certain technical information when you use the Website, such as browser information, device information, IP address, pages visited and general usage information, depending on the technologies enabled on the Website.

5. COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES

The Website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Website, remember preferences, understand Website usage and, where permitted, support marketing activities.

Cookies may be categorised as:

  • Strictly necessary / functional cookies – required for certain Website functions;

  • Preference cookies – used to remember settings and preferences;

  • Statistics / analytics cookies – used to understand how visitors use the Website; and

  • Marketing cookies – where enabled, used to support advertising, remarketing or similar marketing activities.

Where required by law, non-essential cookies will only be activated after you have provided the appropriate consent.

You can manage or withdraw your cookie preferences using the cookie-consent controls available on the Website.

Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some Website features.

6. WHY WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may process personal information for purposes including:

  • responding to enquiries;

  • arranging and providing consultations or clarity sessions;

  • assessing whether a programme or service may be appropriate;

  • providing requested services and programmes;

  • communicating with clients and prospective clients;

  • administering appointments and programmes;

  • monitoring participation and progress where this forms part of a service;

  • providing access to digital programmes or applications;

  • sending newsletters or other requested communications;

  • administering payments and transactions;

  • maintaining business and client records;

  • improving the Website, services and user experience;

  • analysing Website usage;

  • protecting the security and integrity of the Website and our systems;

  • complying with legal and regulatory obligations;

  • establishing, exercising or defending legal rights; and

  • carrying out other purposes that are compatible with the purposes for which the information was collected.

We will not use personal information for purposes that are incompatible with the original purpose of collection unless permitted by POPIA or another applicable law.

7. LAWFUL BASIS FOR PROCESSING

POPIA requires personal information to be processed lawfully and in accordance with applicable conditions for lawful processing.

Depending on the circumstances, Train The Brain may process personal information where:

  • you have consented to the processing;

  • processing is necessary to provide a service you have requested;

  • processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into an agreement;

  • processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation;

  • processing is necessary to protect a legitimate interest recognised by law; or

  • another lawful basis permitted by POPIA applies.

Where consent is relied upon, you may generally withdraw your consent, subject to any legal or contractual consequences and circumstances where continued processing is otherwise permitted or required by law.

8. DIRECT MARKETING

We may send you newsletters, educational information, service updates or other marketing communications where permitted by applicable law.

Where consent is required, we will obtain it before sending electronic direct marketing communications.

Every electronic marketing communication will provide an appropriate mechanism to unsubscribe or opt out.

You may also contact us directly to request that we stop sending marketing communications.

Your withdrawal from marketing communications will not necessarily affect non-marketing communications relating to services you have requested or ongoing contractual or administrative matters.

9. SHARING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

We may disclose personal information to appropriate third parties where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including:

  • technology and website service providers;

  • hosting and website maintenance providers;

  • email and newsletter service providers;

  • booking or scheduling platforms;

  • payment service providers;

  • software and application providers used to deliver programmes;

  • professional advisers;

  • service providers acting on our behalf;

  • regulators, government authorities or law-enforcement agencies where legally required; or

  • other parties where you have authorised the disclosure or where disclosure is otherwise permitted by law.

Where third parties process personal information on our behalf, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate confidentiality and security obligations apply.

10. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

Some service providers or technology platforms used by Train The Brain may process information outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer complies with POPIA, including the requirements applicable to cross-border transfers of personal information.

This may include ensuring that the recipient is subject to appropriate legal protections, contractual obligations, binding rules or another lawful basis recognised under POPIA.

Where a third-party application is used as part of a particular programme, additional terms or privacy policies of that provider may also apply.

11. RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We will not retain personal information for longer than is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, unless:

  • retention is required or permitted by law;

  • retention is necessary for legitimate business or legal purposes;

  • you have consented to longer retention; or

  • the information is required for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal rights.

Different categories of information may therefore be retained for different periods.

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy or anonymise it.

12. INFORMATION SECURITY

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

  • loss;

  • damage;

  • unauthorised access;

  • unauthorised disclosure;

  • misuse;

  • alteration; and

  • unlawful processing.

However, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

You should therefore avoid submitting highly sensitive information through ordinary email or general website contact forms unless specifically requested.

13. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA

Subject to applicable legal limitations, you have rights including the right to:

  • request confirmation as to whether we hold personal information about you;

  • request access to personal information we hold about you;

  • request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;

  • request deletion of personal information where permitted by law;

  • object to certain processing of your personal information;

  • object to the processing of personal information for direct marketing;

  • withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;

  • lodge a complaint concerning the processing of your personal information; and

  • exercise other rights available to you under POPIA.

Requests should be submitted to:

michaela@trainthebrain.co.za

We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

14. COMPLAINTS

If you believe that your personal information has been processed unlawfully or that we have not adequately addressed your privacy concern, please contact us first so that we can investigate and attempt to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

Information Regulator
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Telephone: 010 023 5200

15. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, applications or resources.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of third-party websites.

You should review the privacy policy of any third-party website before providing personal information to it.

16. TESTIMONIALS AND REVIEWS

The Website may publish testimonials or reviews from clients or other individuals.

Where testimonials contain personal information, they will only be published where we have an appropriate lawful basis to do so.

Where appropriate, names may be shortened, anonymised or otherwise presented in a manner intended to protect privacy.

17. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, Website functionality, technology, legal requirements or privacy practices.

The updated version will be published on the Website with a revised “Last Updated” date.

18. CONTACT

For questions, requests or concerns relating to this Privacy Policy or the processing of personal information, please contact:

Train The Brain
Michaela de Gier
90 Danville Avenue
Glenashley, Durban North
South Africa

Email: michaela@trainthebrain.co.za

Last Updated: 5 October 2026