Privacy Policy

Who we are

Machillz is a discovery platform for places, events, stays and experiences in Zimbabwe and other markets we operate in. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why, how we share it and the rights you have over it.

For the purposes of Zimbabwe’s Data Protection Act [Chapter 11:12], Machillz is the data controller for the information described here. If you have questions or want to exercise a right, reach us through the Contact page.

Information we collect

We collect the following, depending on how you use Machillz:

• Account details — your name, email address, a securely hashed password, and (if you sign in with Google) your Google account identifier. A phone number if you choose to add one.
• Profile — display name, avatar, and preferences you set.
• Location — the city you select, and, only if you allow it, your device’s approximate or precise location, used to show nearby places and rank results. You can change or clear this at any time.
• Your content — reviews, ratings, photos, questions and answers, saved places and check-ins. Reviews and their display name are public.
• Identity verification (owners & promoters only) — if you claim a place or apply as a promoter, we collect the documents you submit (e.g. a government ID, operational licence or business registration) and, for promoters, a live selfie used to confirm the ID belongs to you. This is sensitive information and is used only to verify identity and eligibility.
• Payments (business owners only) — subscription payments are processed by our payment provider (Paynow). We receive confirmation of a transaction and its status; we do not collect or store your full card or mobile-money credentials.
• Verification codes — when you claim a place by phone, we send a one-time code by SMS to the number listed for that place.
• Usage & device data — pages and places you interact with, your device and browser type, IP address, and similar diagnostic data, collected via cookies and similar technologies.

How we use your information

• To power discovery, search and recommendations, and to show you nearby and relevant places, events and deals.
• To let you save places, post reviews and questions, earn loyalty points, and take part in the community.
• To verify place ownership and promoter identity, and to keep the platform safe from fraud, spam and abuse.
• To give business owners aggregate, non-identifying analytics about their listings.
• To process owner subscription payments and send you service messages (verification, receipts, important notices).
• To show advertising that keeps Machillz free (see “Advertising & cookies”).
• To comply with our legal obligations and enforce our Terms.

Legal bases

We process your information where it is necessary to provide the service you asked for (your contract with us), where you have given consent (for example, precise location or optional communications), where we have a legitimate interest (such as keeping the platform safe and improving discovery), and where we must comply with the law.

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time; this does not affect processing already carried out.

Advertising & cookies

We show ads to keep Machillz free. We use Google, including Google AdSense, which uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to Machillz and other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to our and/or other sites.

You can opt out of personalised advertising via Google Ads Settings (google.com/settings/ads), or opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info. We also use cookies to keep you signed in and remember your preferences; most browsers let you control or clear cookies.

How we share information

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only as follows:

• Service providers (sub-processors) who help us run Machillz, under confidentiality obligations — including hosting and media storage (Cloudflare), SMS delivery (Infobip), payment processing (Paynow), advertising (Google), email delivery, and maps (Google Maps).
• Third parties you choose to act with — for example when you tap through to directions, ride-hailing, delivery or WhatsApp. Those services have their own privacy policies.
• Other users — your reviews, questions and public profile details are visible to others by design.
• Legal and safety — where required by law, or to protect the rights, safety and property of Machillz, our users or the public.

International transfers

Some of our service providers process data on servers outside Zimbabwe. Where your information is transferred across borders, we take reasonable steps to ensure it remains protected to a standard consistent with this policy and applicable law.

How long we keep it

We keep your account information for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period afterwards to meet legal, accounting or dispute-resolution needs. Identity-verification documents are retained only as long as necessary for the verification and any legal record-keeping requirement, then deleted or anonymised. Diagnostic logs are kept for a limited period. You can ask us to delete your account and associated personal data (see “Your rights”).

Your rights

Subject to the law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Delete your account and personal data, where we are not required to keep it.
• Object to or restrict certain processing, and withdraw consent you have given.
• Request a copy of information you provided, in a portable format.
• Lodge a complaint with the national Data Protection Authority (in Zimbabwe, POTRAZ) if you believe your rights have been infringed.

Security

We use industry-standard measures — encryption in transit, hashed passwords, access controls and reputable infrastructure providers — to protect your data. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to safeguard it and to notify you and the authorities of a serious breach where the law requires.

Children

Machillz is not directed to children. Some listings relate to venues intended for adults. You must be at least 18 to create an account, or have the consent and supervision of a parent or guardian where the law allows. We do not knowingly collect data from children; if you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will remove it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the platform evolves or the law changes. We will update the date below and, for material changes, take reasonable steps to let you know. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact

For privacy questions, data requests or complaints, reach us through the Contact page. We aim to respond within a reasonable time.