Privacy Policy

ZIMCONTRACT PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: 28/09/26
Last Updated: 28/09/26

ZimContract respects the privacy of the individuals and organisations that use our services.

ZimContract is a product of Cloud Zhet (Private) Limited, a company incorporated in Zimbabwe (“ZimContract”, “ZC”, “we”, “us” or “our”).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and otherwise process personal information when you visit or use ZimContract, create an account, purchase access to procurement information, submit procurement information, communicate through the Platform or otherwise interact with us.

This Policy should be read together with the applicable ZimContract Buyer Terms and Conditions, Supplier Terms and Conditions, and any other agreement governing your use of our services.

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information processed in connection with ZimContract, including information relating to:

Buyer users;
Suppliers and their representatives;
prospective Suppliers;
procurement personnel;
PAYG customers;
website visitors;
individuals appearing in procurement documents;
business contacts;
representatives of organisations;
people communicating with ZimContract; and
other individuals whose information is lawfully processed through the Platform.

This Policy concerns personal information relating to identifiable individuals.

Business, procurement and organisational information that does not constitute personal information may also be used in accordance with the applicable ZimContract Terms and Conditions.

2. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with ZimContract, we may collect the following categories of information.

2.1 Identity and Contact Information

This may include:

full name;
business or organisation name;
job title;
email address;
telephone number;
WhatsApp number;
business address; and
other professional contact information.

2.2 Account Information

Where you create an account, we may collect:

username;
account identifiers;
organisation;
account role;
account permissions;
login and security information;
subscription status; and
account activity.

Passwords are intended to be stored using appropriate secure authentication methods rather than as readable passwords.

2.3 Supplier Information

Suppliers may provide information including:

company registration information;
company profile;
contact persons;
products and services;
business categories;
areas of operation;
years of experience;
workforce or capacity information;
customer references;
certifications;
licences;
tax information;
compliance documents;
banking or payment-related information where necessary;
quotations;
proposals;
supporting documents; and
procurement responses.

Some Supplier Information may be made available to Buyers as part of ZimContract’s supplier discovery, verification and procurement services.

2.4 Buyer Information

Buyer users may provide information including:

organisation details;
procurement contacts;
procurement requirements;
RFQs;
tenders;
supplier registrations;
specifications;
categories;
procurement deadlines;
supplier lists;
supplier assessments;
supplier communications;
procurement outcomes;
contract or award information; and
other procurement-related information.

Where this information contains personal information, it will be processed in accordance with this Policy.

2.5 Opportunity and Procurement Activity

We may record information concerning how Buyers and Suppliers interact with procurement activities, including:

Opportunities viewed;
Opportunities purchased or unlocked;
responses submitted;
response dates;
participation;
shortlisting;
procurement outcomes;
Buyer assessments;
supplier performance information;
communications; and
Platform activity relating to procurement processes.

2.6 Payment and Transaction Information

Where you purchase a ZimContract service, we may process information including:

payer name;
company name;
email address;
telephone or WhatsApp number;
amount;
product or Opportunity purchased;
transaction reference;
payment status;
payment date; and
other transaction information.

Payment card, mobile-money or banking credentials may be processed directly by the relevant payment provider rather than stored by ZimContract.

2.7 Communications

We may retain communications between you and ZimContract, including communications through:

email;
telephone;
WhatsApp or other messaging services;
website forms;
customer-support requests; and
Platform messaging systems.

2.8 Technical and Usage Information

When you use the Platform, we may automatically collect technical information such as:

IP address;
browser type;
device type;
operating system;
login information;
pages viewed;
timestamps;
referring pages;
website activity;
security logs; and
cookie or similar technology information.

3. How We Obtain Information

We may obtain information:

directly from you;
from your employer or organisation;
from Buyers;
from Suppliers;
through Platform activity;
through procurement processes;
from payment providers;
from publicly available sources;
from company websites;
from business directories;
from publicly available procurement notices;
from professional or business networks;
from authorised representatives; and
from other lawful sources.

Where personal information is obtained from another source, ZimContract will process it subject to applicable law and this Privacy Policy.

4. Why We Process Personal Information

We may process personal information for purposes including:

Providing ZimContract Services

To:

create and administer accounts;
operate the Platform;
authenticate users;
process subscriptions and purchases;
deliver purchased Opportunity information;
facilitate procurement activities;
provide customer support; and
maintain Platform functionality.

Supplier Management and Discovery

To:

create Supplier profiles;
categorise Suppliers;
enable Buyers to discover Suppliers;
assess Supplier information;
manage compliance documentation;
support Buyer supplier-management activities; and
connect relevant Suppliers with procurement requirements.

Procurement Opportunity Distribution

To:

identify potentially relevant Suppliers;
distribute procurement Opportunities;
send opportunity alerts;
contact Suppliers about relevant requirements; and
facilitate Supplier participation.

Procurement Intelligence

To:

analyse procurement activity;
understand supply and demand;
improve Supplier matching;
identify procurement trends;
analyse market participation;
improve Buyer decision-support tools; and
develop ZimContract’s procurement intelligence.

Payments and Administration

To:

process payments;
confirm transactions;
deliver purchased services;
maintain accounting records;
manage subscriptions; and
investigate payment disputes.

Security and Fraud Prevention

To:

secure accounts;
detect suspicious activity;
prevent fraud;
investigate misuse;
maintain audit records; and
protect ZimContract, Buyers, Suppliers and other users.

Communications

To:

provide service notifications;
respond to enquiries;
communicate account information;
send procurement alerts;
provide support;
communicate relevant product information; and
where lawfully permitted, provide marketing communications.

5. Procurement and Commercial Intelligence

ZimContract is intended to develop useful procurement and supplier intelligence from activity across the Platform.

Accordingly, information lawfully collected through ZimContract may be analysed and combined to understand matters such as:

procurement demand;
supplier availability;
Supplier participation;
product and service categories;
market capacity;
pricing trends;
procurement activity;
supplier responsiveness;
Buyer requirements;
procurement outcomes; and
other market and procurement trends.

Where reasonably possible and appropriate, commercial analytics, benchmarking, research and market intelligence will use aggregated, de-identified or anonymised information.

ZimContract may commercially use aggregated, statistical, analytical and anonymised information to:

develop reports;
provide market intelligence;
develop benchmarking services;
improve Supplier matching;
improve procurement tools;
develop new products;
conduct research;
improve Platform functionality; and
develop commercial ZimContract services.

Nothing in this section authorises ZimContract to sell or disclose identifiable personal information contrary to applicable law.

6. Business Information Versus Personal Information

ZimContract distinguishes between information relating to an organisation and personal information relating to an identifiable individual.

For example, procurement requirements, product categories, organisational demand, contract opportunities and aggregated procurement activity may constitute commercial or organisational information rather than personal information.

Rights granted to ZimContract over business and procurement information are principally governed by the applicable Buyer or Supplier Terms and Conditions.

Where such information also identifies an individual, the personal-information component will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

7. Supplier Profiles and Buyer Visibility

An important function of ZimContract is enabling Buyers to identify and assess potential Suppliers.

Supplier business information may therefore be displayed or otherwise made available to Buyers.

This may include:

business name;
logo;
business description;
categories;
products and services;
business contact information;
capacity information;
years of experience;
selected customer references;
compliance status;
verification indicators; and
other Supplier information intended for Buyer assessment.

Sensitive documents may be subject to additional access controls.

8. Supplier Compliance Documents

Suppliers may submit documents for verification or Buyer assessment.

These may include company-registration documents, tax documents, licences, certifications and other compliance information.

ZimContract may:

store these documents;
review their status;
record verification information;
display compliance indicators; and
where appropriate, make documents available to authorised Buyers.

Access to sensitive compliance documents may be restricted to authorised users.

9. Buyer Assessments and Supplier Performance Information

ZimContract may collect factual information concerning Supplier participation and Buyer experience.

This may include information concerning:

responsiveness;
procurement participation;
documentation;
delivery;
completion;
procurement outcomes; and
other Supplier-related activity.

Such information may contribute to ZimContract’s Supplier-management and procurement-intelligence services.

Where information constitutes personal information, it will remain subject to this Policy and applicable law.

10. Sharing Information

We may share information where reasonably necessary with:

Buyers

Supplier information may be shared with Buyers for Supplier discovery, assessment, procurement and supplier-management purposes.

Suppliers

Buyer contact or procurement information may be shared with Suppliers where appropriate for participation in an Opportunity.

Service Providers

We may use third parties to provide services such as:

hosting;
cloud infrastructure;
email;
communications;
cybersecurity;
analytics;
payment processing;
software;
document storage;
backups; and
technical support.

Such providers may process information only as necessary to provide the relevant service and subject to applicable contractual and legal requirements.

Professional Advisers

Information may be disclosed where reasonably necessary to lawyers, accountants, auditors, insurers or other professional advisers.

Authorities

We may disclose information where required by law, court order, regulatory requirement or lawful request from a competent authority.

Corporate Transactions

If ZimContract or the relevant business is reorganised, financed, sold, merged or transferred, information may be transferred as part of that transaction subject to applicable law and appropriate protections.

11. We Do Not Sell Personal Information as a Contact Database

ZimContract’s commercial model may involve generating revenue from Supplier memberships, Opportunity access, procurement services, analytics, market intelligence and related services.

However, this does not mean that ZimContract indiscriminately sells identifiable individuals’ personal information as contact lists.

Any commercial use of personal information must remain consistent with this Privacy Policy, applicable contractual terms and applicable law.

12. Direct Marketing and Procurement Communications

We may contact business users regarding:

relevant procurement Opportunities;
account services;
ZimContract products;
membership;
procurement services;
relevant commercial opportunities; and
other services reasonably related to their interaction with ZimContract.

Where applicable, individuals may object to or opt out of direct marketing communications.

Opting out of marketing does not necessarily prevent ZimContract from sending operational communications necessary for an account, transaction, purchased Opportunity, security matter or active service.

13. Cookies and Similar Technologies

ZimContract may use cookies and similar technologies for purposes including:

authentication;
maintaining sessions;
security;
remembering preferences;
understanding Platform usage;
analytics; and
improving Platform performance.

Where required, users may be provided with appropriate cookie controls or notices.

Additional information may be provided in a separate Cookie Notice.

14. Security

ZimContract takes reasonable technical and organisational measures appropriate to the nature of the information and the risks involved.

Measures may include:

access controls;
authentication;
role-based permissions;
secure password handling;
restricted administrative access;
secure hosting;
backups;
monitoring;
software updates; and
other appropriate security controls.

No internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Users are also responsible for protecting their account credentials and promptly reporting suspected unauthorised access.

15. Data Breaches

Where ZimContract becomes aware of a personal-data security breach, it will investigate the incident and take reasonable steps to contain and address it.

ZimContract will make notifications to the relevant authority and affected individuals where required by applicable law.

16. International Data Transfers

Some technology, hosting, communications, payment or other service providers used by ZimContract may operate infrastructure outside Zimbabwe.

Where personal information is transferred outside Zimbabwe, ZimContract will seek to ensure that such transfers are carried out in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements and with appropriate safeguards where required.

17. Data Retention

ZimContract may retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for:

providing services;
maintaining account and transaction records;
procurement audit history;
resolving disputes;
fraud prevention;
security;
compliance;
accounting;
legal obligations;
legitimate business records; and
establishing or defending legal claims.

Retention periods may differ according to the nature of the information and purpose for which it was collected.

Where personal information is no longer reasonably required and there is no lawful reason to retain it, ZimContract may securely delete or anonymise it.

Aggregated or anonymised information that no longer identifies an individual may be retained for longer periods for research, analytics, historical records and commercial intelligence.

18. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, individuals may have rights concerning their personal information, including rights to:

be informed about how their information is used;
request access to personal information held about them;
request correction of inaccurate or misleading information;
object to certain processing;
object to direct marketing;
request deletion of false or misleading personal information; and
exercise other rights provided under applicable data-protection law.

Certain requests may be subject to lawful limitations, including where information must be retained for legal, contractual, security, audit or legitimate record-keeping purposes.

19. Accuracy of Information

Users should provide accurate information and update information where circumstances change.

ZimContract may also take reasonable steps to update or correct information where inaccuracies are identified.

Where information was supplied by another organisation or publicly available source, individuals may contact ZimContract if they believe personal information concerning them is materially inaccurate.

20. Automated Processing and Matching

ZimContract may use technology to:

categorise Suppliers;
match Suppliers with procurement Opportunities;
identify potentially relevant Suppliers;
generate alerts;
analyse procurement activity; and
support Buyer decision-making.

Where automated processing is used, ZimContract may continue to develop and improve its systems.

ZimContract does not intend automated matching alone to constitute a final procurement award decision. Final procurement decisions remain with the relevant Buyer.

21. Information About Other People

If you submit personal information concerning another person to ZimContract, you confirm that you are authorised or otherwise lawfully entitled to provide that information where such authority is required.

This may apply, for example, where a company administrator uploads information concerning employees, representatives, directors, references or procurement contacts.

22. Children’s Information

ZimContract is a business-to-business procurement platform and is not intended for use by children.

We do not knowingly seek to collect children’s personal information for ordinary Platform use.

If ZimContract becomes aware that children’s information has been collected improperly, appropriate steps may be taken in accordance with applicable law.

23. Third-Party Websites and Services

ZimContract may contain links to external websites or use third-party services.

ZimContract is not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third parties.

Users should review the privacy policies of external services where appropriate.

24. Changes to This Privacy Policy

ZimContract may update this Privacy Policy to reflect:

changes to the Platform;
new services;
changes in technology;
changes in our information practices; or
legal and regulatory developments.

The current version will be published on the ZimContract website with its effective or last-updated date.

Where a change materially affects how personal information is processed, ZimContract may provide additional notice where appropriate or required by law.

25. Contacting ZimContract About Privacy

Questions, requests or concerns concerning personal information or this Privacy Policy may be directed to:

ZimContract
A product of Cloud Zhet (Private) Limited
Email: [Insert privacy/data-protection email]
Telephone: [Insert telephone number]
Address: [Insert registered/business address]

Where ZimContract has appointed a Data Protection Officer, the relevant Data Protection Officer contact details may also be published here.

26. Applicable Law

This Privacy Policy is intended to operate in accordance with applicable Zimbabwean data-protection law, including the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07], as amended or replaced from time to time, together with applicable regulations and regulatory requirements.

Where any provision of this Privacy Policy conflicts with a mandatory requirement of applicable law, the mandatory legal requirement will prevail.

27. Acceptance

By using ZimContract and providing personal information through the Platform, you acknowledge that you have been provided with this Privacy Policy and understand that your information will be processed for the purposes described above, subject to applicable law.

Where consent is specifically required for a particular processing activity, ZimContract may request that consent separately.

ZimContract
Where Verified Business Gets Done.

A product of Cloud Zhet (Private) Limited
Zimbabwe