PAIA Manual
Last updated: 15 July 2026
Manual in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (“PAIA”), read with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”).
Kharnetics (Pty) Ltd (operating Stok-Vel) · Registration number 2026/689033/07 · Republic of South Africa
1. Introduction
Kharnetics (Pty) Ltd (“the Company”) operates Stok-Vel, a savings app for South African stokvels. This manual is published in terms of section 51 of PAIA and provides information on how to request access to records held by the Company, and how the Company processes personal information under POPIA.
2. Contact details (section 51(1)(a))
Information Officer: The Information Officer, Kharnetics (Pty) Ltd — privacy@stok-vel.co.za
- Postal address: 17 Umgazi Rd, Menlo Park, Pretoria, 0081
- Physical address: 17 Umgazi Rd, Menlo Park, Pretoria, 0081
- Telephone (call / WhatsApp): 079 271 7820
- Email: privacy@stok-vel.co.za
- Website: https://stok-vel.co.za
3. The Information Regulator’s Guide (section 51(1)(b))
The Information Regulator has, in terms of section 10(1) of PAIA, published a Guide on how to use PAIA. The Guide is available in all official languages from:
The Information Regulator (South Africa)
- Physical address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
- Email: inforeg@inforegulator.org.za / PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
- Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
4. Records available in terms of other legislation (section 51(1)(d))
Records are kept in accordance with legislation applicable to the Company, including:
- Companies Act 71 of 2008
- Income Tax Act 58 of 1962
- Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 (where applicable)
- Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002
- Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008
- Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013
5. Categories of records held (section 51(1)(e))
Company records:
- Incorporation and statutory records
- Financial and accounting records
- Tax records
Operational records:
- Customer account records (Platform users)
- Stokvel group records captured by users on the Platform
- Subscription and billing records
- Support and communication records
Personnel records (where applicable):
- Employment contracts and related records
Other:
- Contracts with service providers
- Marketing and website content
Note: records captured by stokvel groups on the Platform belong to those groups; the Company hosts them as an operator/service provider.
6. How to request access to records
Requests must be made on Form 2 (Request for Access to Record), available from the Information Regulator’s website, and submitted to the Information Officer at the contact details in section 2.
The requester must:
- Provide sufficient detail to identify the record;
- Identify the right they seek to exercise or protect and explain why the record is required for that right (for requests by persons other than the data subject);
- Provide proof of identity;
- Pay the prescribed request fee and, where applicable, the access fee (fees are prescribed in the PAIA regulations).
The Company will respond within 30 days of receiving a compliant request, as required by PAIA. Access may be refused on the grounds set out in Chapter 4 of Part 3 of PAIA (e.g. protection of third-party privacy, commercial information, or legal privilege).
7. Processing of personal information (POPIA — section 51(1)(c)(v))
Purpose of processing: The Company processes personal information to provide and bill the Stok-Vel platform, communicate with users, secure its systems, and comply with law. Full details are in the Privacy Policy.
Categories of data subjects and information:
| Data subjects | Categories of information |
|---|---|
| Platform users | Identity and contact details, account credentials, group membership and roles, group financial records captured on the Platform, billing records, usage data |
| Suppliers and service providers | Contact and contract details, banking details |
| Employees (where applicable) | Employment and payroll records |
Recipients: Service providers (hosting, payments, email delivery) under operator agreements; regulators and authorities where required by law.
Cross-border transfers: Certain service providers process data outside South Africa, subject to section 72 of POPIA safeguards.
Security measures: Encryption in transit, access controls, row-level data isolation per group, append-only financial ledgers, audit logging, and operator agreements with service providers.
8. Availability of this manual
This manual is available:
- On the website at https://stok-vel.co.za/paia
- From the Information Officer on request (contact details in section 2)
9. Updating of this manual
The Information Officer will update this manual as and when required.