Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how TopStudent collects, processes, uses, stores and protects personal information when you access or use TopStudent, including our website, student platform, applications, educational tools and related services.

TopStudent is committed to handling personal information responsibly and transparently and aims to process information in accordance with applicable South African privacy and data protection laws, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), where applicable.

By using TopStudent, you acknowledge that your personal information may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.

Depending on how you use TopStudent, we may collect information including:

• Your name and surname.
• Email address and telephone number.
• Student number or other account identifiers.
• Date of birth and identity-related information where required for a service.
• School, college or university information.
• Academic results, subjects, marks and qualifications.
• Course and institution preferences.
• Application information.
• Documents uploaded by you.
• Information required to provide paid services.
• Payment and transaction information.
• Information you provide when contacting us.
• Technical, device and usage information.
• Information relating to your interactions with the TopStudent platform.

When you create an account, we may collect information necessary to create and maintain your account.

This may include your name, contact details, student number, authentication information and other information you voluntarily provide.

You are responsible for ensuring that information supplied to TopStudent is accurate and reasonably up to date.

TopStudent may allow you to store or provide academic information such as subjects, marks, qualifications, academic history and other educational information.

We may use this information to provide features such as performance tracking, course exploration, course comparisons, educational recommendations and application preparation.

You should only provide academic information that you are authorised to provide.

Certain TopStudent features may allow you to upload and organise documents.

These may include documents such as:

• Identity documents.
• Academic records.
• Certificates.
• Proof of residence.
• Application-related documents.
• Other documents required for a service you request.

Documents may contain sensitive personal information. You should only upload documents where they are necessary for the service you are using.

TopStudent will process uploaded documents for legitimate platform and service purposes, including assisting with institution applications where you have requested that service.

If you use TopStudent's institution application service, we may collect and process information required to prepare, manage or submit your application.

This may include your personal information, academic information, selected institutions, selected programmes and supporting documents.

The information may be used to prepare and process the application you have requested.

If you purchase a paid TopStudent service, we may process information associated with the transaction.

Depending on the payment method used, payment information may be processed directly by a payment provider, banking institution or other payment service provider.

TopStudent does not need to store complete card details where those details are processed directly by an authorised payment provider.

When you use TopStudent, certain technical information may be collected automatically.

• IP address or similar network information.
• Browser type and version.
• Device type.
• Operating system.
• Pages or features accessed.
• Approximate usage information.
• Security and authentication logs.
• Error and diagnostic information.

We may use this information to operate, secure, maintain and improve the platform.

We may process personal information for purposes including:

• Creating and managing your account.
• Providing TopStudent services.
• Processing institution applications requested by you.
• Managing documents and application information.
• Providing academic and course-related tools.
• Providing calendar, challenge and performance features.
• Maintaining and improving the platform.
• Processing payments and transactions.
• Communicating with you about your account or services.
• Providing customer support.
• Preventing fraud, abuse and unauthorised access.
• Maintaining platform security.
• Complying with legal obligations.
• Resolving disputes and enforcing our agreements.

Where applicable, TopStudent may process personal information because processing is necessary to provide a service you requested, because you have provided consent, because processing is required by law, or where another lawful basis recognised by applicable law applies.

Where consent is required, you may have the right to withdraw consent, subject to legal or contractual limitations.

Withdrawal of consent does not necessarily affect processing that was lawfully carried out before consent was withdrawn.

When you instruct TopStudent to assist with an institution application, you authorise us to process and disclose the information reasonably necessary to carry out that service.

This may include sending application information and supporting documents to the institution or institutions selected by you.

Once information is submitted to an institution, that institution may process the information under its own privacy policy, procedures and legal obligations.

TopStudent does not control how an independent institution processes information after it receives it.

We do not sell your personal information as a general business practice.

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to provide a service, operate the platform, comply with law or protect legitimate rights and interests.

This may include disclosure to:

• Institutions you ask us to apply to.
• Technology and hosting providers.
• Payment service providers.
• Authentication and security providers.
• Professional advisers where reasonably necessary.
• Government, regulatory or law-enforcement authorities where legally required.
• Other service providers acting on our behalf.

TopStudent may use third-party technology providers to operate parts of the platform.

Depending on our technology architecture, these providers may assist with hosting, databases, authentication, storage, analytics, payments, email, security and other technical services.

Service providers should only receive information reasonably necessary for the services they provide, subject to applicable law and contractual arrangements where appropriate.

TopStudent may interact with universities, colleges, training institutions and other educational organisations.

These organisations are independent entities and may have their own privacy policies and data-processing practices.

When you choose to apply to an institution, information necessary for that application may be shared with that institution.

Where permitted by applicable law, TopStudent may communicate with you about services, platform updates, educational information or other relevant communications.

Where marketing consent is required, we will seek to obtain it in accordance with applicable law.

You may request that marketing communications stop, subject to communications that are necessary for your account or services you have requested.

TopStudent may use cookies, local storage, session technologies and similar technologies to operate the website and platform.

These technologies may be used for purposes such as:

• Keeping you signed in.
• Maintaining security.
• Remembering preferences.
• Understanding platform usage.
• Improving performance and user experience.

Some cookies may be provided by third-party services used by TopStudent.

TopStudent takes reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

Depending on the system involved, security measures may include authentication controls, access restrictions, encrypted connections, database security and monitoring.

However, no internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

We may retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including providing services, maintaining records, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements and complying with legal obligations.

Retention periods may differ depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

Where information is no longer reasonably required and there is no legal reason to retain it, we may delete, destroy or anonymise it in accordance with applicable law.

Subject to applicable law, you may have rights concerning your personal information.

• Request access to personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion where applicable.
• Object to certain forms of processing where applicable.
• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
• Request information about how your personal information is processed.
• Complain to the relevant data protection authority where applicable.

Requests may be subject to legal requirements, identity verification and other lawful limitations.

TopStudent is intended for students and prospective students, including users who may be under 18.

Where applicable law requires parental or guardian consent for the processing of a minor's personal information, TopStudent will seek to comply with those requirements.

Parents or legal guardians who believe that a minor's information has been provided improperly may contact us using the details provided below.

Some technology or service providers used by TopStudent may process information in countries outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, TopStudent will seek to do so in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

If TopStudent becomes aware of a security compromise involving personal information, we will assess the incident and take steps required or reasonably appropriate under applicable law.

Where applicable law requires notification to affected individuals or a regulatory authority, TopStudent will make the required notifications within the applicable requirements.

TopStudent may contain links to external websites, institutions, services or resources.

These external websites are not controlled by TopStudent. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.

You should review the privacy policy of an external website before providing personal information to it.

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

The updated version will be published on this page with a revised effective or update date where appropriate.

Your continued use of TopStudent after an updated policy becomes effective may be subject to the updated policy, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

If you have a question, request or complaint concerning your personal information or this Privacy Policy, please contact TopStudent.