Privacy and Cookie Policy

Last Updated: April 30, 2025

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly when you:

Submit application forms (including personal details, educational history, contact information, and supporting documents)
Make payments through our platform (including payment details and billing information)
Contact us for support (including your name, contact information, and the content of your communication)
Interact with our website (through cookies and similar technologies - see Section 6 below)

We process this information based on your consent and/or as necessary for the performance of a contract with you (your application) and for our legitimate interests in providing and improving our services, in accordance with the principles of fairness, lawfulness, and purpose of processing as outlined in the Cyber and Data Protection Act.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes, aligning with the principle of purpose limitation:

Process and track applications, including verifying eligibility and communicating with you about your application status.
Communicate application status updates and other relevant information related to your application or our services.
Process payments for application fees and other related services.
Improve our services, website functionality, and user experience.
Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support.
Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms and conditions.
For internal administrative purposes.

3. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

4. Data Security

We are committed to protecting your personal data and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, including:

SSL encryption for data transmission to protect information exchanged between your browser and our website.
Secure storage of sensitive information on protected servers with restricted access.
Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and address potential threats.
Access controls and internal policies to limit access to your personal data to authorized personnel only.

While we strive to protect your personal data, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

5. Sharing Your Information

We may share your personal information with third parties only in the following circumstances, and always in compliance with the Cyber and Data Protection Act:

With service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as payment processors (like Paynow), IT service providers, and customer support providers. These third parties are obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which it was disclosed.
When required by law or legal process, such as in response to a court order or subpoena.
To protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.
In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, in which case your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.
With your consent.

6. Your Rights Under the Cyber and Data Protection Act

In accordance with the Cyber and Data Protection Act, you have certain rights regarding your personal data. These rights may include:

Right of Access: The right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): The right to request the deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances.
Right to Restriction of Processing: The right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data under certain circumstances.
Right to Data Portability: The right to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.
Right to Object: The right to object to the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances.
Right to Lodge a Complaint: The right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority (the Authority established under the Cyber and Data Protection Act) if you believe your data protection rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in the "Contact Us" section below. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. For detailed information on how we use cookies and how you can manage your preferences, please refer to our dedicated Cookie Policy.

We use different types of cookies, including:

Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms.
Analytical/Performance Cookies: These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.
Functionality Cookies: These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages.
Targeting/Advertising Cookies: These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. However, please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

8. Third-Party Services

We use Paynow for payment processing. When you make a payment through our platform, your payment information is processed by Paynow. We do not store your full payment card details on our servers. Please review Paynow's privacy policy to understand how they collect, use, and protect your information: paynow.co.zw/PrivacyPolicy

We may also use other third-party services for website analytics, hosting, and other operational purposes. These third parties may have access to your personal data only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of our services after the changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact Us and Lodging a Complaint

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy and Cookie Policy, our data practices, or if you wish to exercise your rights under the Cyber and Data Protection Act, please contact us:

Email: ict@alma.ac.zw
Phone: +263 8677 174235

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe that we have not complied with the Cyber and Data Protection Act, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Authority established under the Act. Information on how to contact the Authority should be made available by the Authority itself.