Privacy Notice (POPIA)

Last updated: April 2026

This Privacy Notice explains how AdMarula (Pty) Ltd (trading as LoanSearch, "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and shares your personal information when you use this website. We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 ("POPIA").

1. Who we are

LoanSearch is a lead-generation and comparison service. We are not a credit provider, we do not issue loans, and we do not give financial advice. We introduce your enquiry to registered South African credit providers who may contact you with their own offer.

2. Information Officer

Our Information Officer is Daniel Gross and can be reached at [email protected].

3. What personal information we collect

When you submit the application form we collect:

  • Identity and contact details: first and last name, mobile number, email address, South African ID number, date of birth, province, city and postal code.
  • Financial profile: loan amount band, loan purpose, employment status, income band, monthly expense band, existing debt band, debt review status.
  • Preferences: preferred contact time and method, preferred loan term, urgency.
  • Technical data: IP address, user agent, timestamps, and consent records, which we keep as evidence that consent was given.

We do not collect ID numbers, bank account numbers, passwords, or payment card details on this site.

4. Why we use your information (lawful basis)

  • To match you with credit providers — performance of the service you requested when you submit the form, and your explicit consent.
  • To contact you about your enquiry by the methods you consented to.
  • To improve and secure the service — our legitimate interest in detecting fraud, preventing abuse, and running reliable systems.
  • To meet legal obligations — for example, retaining consent records as required by POPIA and the Consumer Protection Act.

5. Who we share your information with

When you submit an enquiry, we share your submitted information with one or more credit providers whose products appear to match your profile. Those providers become independent responsible parties under POPIA once they receive your information, and their own privacy notices will apply to what they do with it.

We also use operational service providers (for example, cloud hosting and email delivery) that process information strictly on our instructions.

6. Cross-border transfers

Some service providers we use may process data outside South Africa. Where this happens, we rely on contractual safeguards and, where applicable, the conditions set out in section 72 of POPIA.

7. How long we keep your information

We keep enquiry records for up to 24 months from the date of submission, after which personal identifiers are deleted or anonymised, unless a longer period is required by law. Consent records are retained for as long as needed to prove compliance.

8. How we protect your information

The site is served over HTTPS. Access to lead data is restricted to authorised staff using password and session-based authentication. We use encrypted database connections and follow reasonable, industry-standard technical and organisational measures.

9. Your POPIA rights

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you.
  • Ask us to correct or update inaccurate information.
  • Object to or withdraw consent for processing, at any time.
  • Request that we delete or destroy your information.
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

Self-service: use /privacy/data-request to request a copy of your data or to delete it. You'll verify the request via a one-time email link, and the action runs automatically once you confirm.

Alternatively, email [email protected] and we'll process the request manually. We will respond within a reasonable period and, in any event, within the timeframes required by POPIA.

10. Complaints and escalation

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your information or your enquiry, please contact us first at [email protected] so we have an opportunity to resolve the matter. If you remain unsatisfied, you have the following escalation routes:

Information Regulator (South Africa) — POPIA complaints

For concerns about how your personal information is processed.
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/
Email: [email protected]
POPIA complaints: [email protected]

National Credit Regulator (NCR)

The NCR supervises credit providers, debt counsellors, and credit bureaux in South Africa. If your concern is with the conduct of a credit provider we referred you to, the NCR may be the appropriate forum.
Website: https://www.ncr.org.za/
Phone: 0860 627 627 (0860 NCR NCR)
Email: [email protected]

Credit Ombud

For disputes with a credit provider about non-bank credit agreements, credit information, or credit bureau records.
Website: https://www.creditombud.org.za/
Phone: 0861 662 837 (0861 OMBUDS)
Email: [email protected]

National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO)

For complaints about banks and other financial institutions, including bank-issued personal loans.
Website: https://nfosa.co.za/
Phone: 0860 800 900
Email: [email protected]

11. Cookies

This site uses a small amount of first-party storage (sessionStorage in your browser) to remember your application answers if you navigate away. We do not currently run third-party advertising, analytics, or tracking cookies. If that changes, this notice and a cookie banner will be updated.

12. Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top will always reflect the latest version.

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