Privacy Policy

PYT Cape (“PYT Cape”, “we”, “us” or “our”) provides maritime training and certification for students working towards qualifications required for careers on superyachts. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you visit www.pytcape.co.za or enrol in one of our courses.

We are committed to handling personal information responsibly and in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), as well as other applicable data protection laws where relevant to students joining us from outside South Africa.

Who We Are

PYT Cape is a maritime training provider based in Cape Town, South Africa, offering courses that lead to certifications regulated by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), a South African government agency responsible for maritime safety.

Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following types of information:

  • Contact details, such as your name, email address, phone number and postal address.
  • Identification information required for enrolment and certification, such as your date of birth, nationality, passport number and identity documents.
  • Medical and fitness information where required for specific maritime courses, such as sea survival or medical care certifications.
  • Payment and billing information needed to process course fees.
  • Technical information collected automatically when you visit our website, such as your IP address, browser type and browsing behaviour, as described in our Cookie Policy.
  • Any other information you choose to share with us, for example through enquiry forms, emails or phone calls.

How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect to:

  • Process your course enrolment and manage your student record.
  • Issue certificates and communicate with the relevant regulatory bodies, including SAMSA, where required.
  • Communicate with you about your course, schedule changes, results and administrative matters.
  • Process payments and maintain financial records.
  • Improve our website, courses and services.
  • Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations.
  • Send you marketing communications where you have consented to receive them. You may opt out at any time.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal information where it is necessary to perform our contract with you as a student, where we have a legal obligation to do so, where you have given consent, or where we have a legitimate interest in doing so, such as improving our services or maintaining accurate student records.

Sharing Your Information

We do not sell personal information. We may share your information with SAMSA and other relevant maritime authorities where required for certification, with service providers who assist us in running our courses and website, such as payment processors and IT providers, and where required by law, regulation or a valid legal process.

Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the personal information we hold against loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we regularly review our practices to keep your information safe.

Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including meeting our legal, accounting and regulatory requirements, such as maintaining certification records that may need to be produced years after a course has been completed.

Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
  • Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Request that we delete your personal information, subject to our legal and regulatory retention obligations.
  • Object to or request that we restrict certain types of processing.
  • Withdraw your consent to marketing communications at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience. Full details are available in our separate Cookie Policy.

International Students

As many of our students train for careers on superyachts operating internationally, some personal information may be transferred outside South Africa, for example to place students with employers or to comply with the requirements of foreign flag states. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information continues to be protected.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised date.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us through the details provided on our website, www.pytcape.co.za.