Last updated 2 June 2026
  • Lancer (Pty) Ltd

Lancer Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Lancer (Pty) Ltd (“Lancer”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use the Lancer mobile application (the “App”), our website at getlancer.co.za, and any related services (together, the “Services”).

Lancer is a South African marketplace that connects clients with independent local service providers (“Providers”). This policy is designed to comply with the South African Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (“POPIA”) and, where it applies to you, the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), as well as the data-handling and disclosure requirements of the Apple App Store and Google Play.

By creating an account or using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with it, please do not use the Services.

1. Who is responsible for your information

Lancer (Pty) Ltd is the “responsible party” (under POPIA) and “data controller” (under GDPR) for the personal information described in this policy. For privacy questions, to exercise your rights, or to contact our Information Officer, email lancersoftwares@gmail.com or call +27 64 516 1922. See Section 14 for full contact details.

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information you provide to us

Category Examples
Account & registration First name, last name, email address, mobile phone number, password (stored only in encrypted/hashed form), country and dialling code.
Profile information Profile photo, bio, skills, languages, province, city and suburb, weekly availability, and portfolio images you choose to upload.
Identity & trust-and-safety verification If you apply to become a verified Provider, we collect a government-issued identity document (and its type), a selfie photograph used to confirm that you match your ID, and — where you choose to submit it — a police clearance certificate. This is sensitive personal information and is described further in Section 3.
Listings (“gigs”) Service descriptions, categories, pricing and currency, images, and related details you publish.
Bookings Booking-request descriptions, requested dates, and the service address you provide for an in-person booking.
Communications Messages you exchange with other users and their attachments, including images, voice notes (audio) and documents/files.
Ratings & reviews Reviews, star ratings, and feedback you give or receive.
Reports & support Reports you file about other users or content, blocks you apply, and messages you send to our support or contact channels.

2.2 Information we collect automatically

  • Device & technical data — device model, operating system and version, app version, language, time zone, IP address, and diagnostic/crash and performance logs.
  • Usage data — how you interact with the App (screens viewed, features used, searches, and actions taken).
  • Location data — if you grant permission, your approximate or precise device location, used to show nearby Providers and gigs and to power address autocomplete. You can turn this off at any time in your device settings.
  • Push notification tokens — a device token used to deliver push notifications (e.g. new messages, booking updates, verification results).
  • Advertising & analytics identifiers — identifiers and event data used by our analytics and advertising providers (see Section 7).

2.3 Information from third parties

  • If you sign in using a third-party provider (such as Google), we receive basic profile information from that provider, such as your name and email address.
  • Address and place suggestions are returned by Google’s Places service when you search for an address.

3. Sensitive personal information (identity verification)

To keep the community safe, Providers may be asked to verify their identity. Where you choose to go through verification, we collect and process special / sensitive personal information, namely your government-issued ID document, a verification selfie, and (optionally) a police clearance certificate.

  • We use this information only to verify your identity, reduce fraud and impersonation, and maintain trust and safety on the platform.
  • These documents are reviewed by authorised Lancer staff, stored using access-controlled encrypted storage, and are not shown to other users. Other users only see whether your account is “verified”, never the underlying documents.
  • We process this information with your explicit consent and to pursue our legitimate interest in platform safety. You may decline verification (though some features may then be unavailable), and you may ask us to delete your verification documents — see Section 10.

4. Device permissions we request

The App asks for the following permissions. Each is optional, is only used for the stated purpose, and can be changed at any time in your device settings (granting or revoking a permission may limit the related feature):

Permission Why we ask for it
Camera Capture photos and videos to share in chat, upload to your profile or portfolio, and complete identity verification.
Photos / media library Select existing images to share in chat or upload to your profile, gigs, or verification.
Microphone Record voice notes to send in chat.
Location Show nearby Providers and gigs and provide address autocomplete.
Notifications Send you push notifications about messages, bookings, and account activity.

5. How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

  1. create and manage your account and authenticate you;
  2. operate the marketplace — publish gigs, match clients with Providers, and facilitate booking requests and scheduling;
  3. enable messaging, voice notes, and file sharing between users;
  4. verify Provider identities and operate trust-and-safety, fraud prevention, and content-moderation processes;
  5. send you transactional communications and push notifications (e.g. new messages, booking status, reviews, verification outcomes);
  6. provide customer support and respond to your reports and requests;
  7. personalise and improve the Services, and measure performance and stability using analytics;
  8. show advertising within the App (see Section 7);
  9. with your consent, send you marketing or promotional messages (you can opt out at any time);
  10. detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security incidents, and violations of our Terms; and
  11. comply with legal obligations and enforce our agreements.

Our lawful bases. Where required by POPIA or GDPR, we rely on: performance of our contract with you (to provide the Services); your consent (e.g. marketing, location, verification documents); our legitimate interests (e.g. keeping the platform safe, preventing fraud, and improving the Services); and compliance with legal obligations.

6. How we share your information

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

  • With other users — your public profile (name, photo, bio, ratings, location at city/suburb level), your gigs, and your reviews are visible to other users. Messages and attachments are shared with the users you communicate with. Your phone number is only shared according to the visibility setting you choose.
  • With service providers (sub-processors) who help us run the Services, under contractual confidentiality and data-protection obligations — see the table below.
  • For legal and safety reasons — with law enforcement, regulators, or other parties where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with the law, enforce our Terms, or protect the rights, safety, or property of Lancer, our users, or the public.
  • In a business transfer — in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred subject to this policy.
Provider Purpose
Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Storage, Cloud Messaging) Account sign-in, secure storage of uploaded images and documents, and push-notification delivery.
Google Cloud Platform Hosting of our backend application and infrastructure.
Supabase Managed PostgreSQL database hosting.
Expo (EAS) Mobile app delivery and push-notification routing.
Google AdMob Serving advertising within the App.
Google Maps / Places Address search and autocomplete.
Resend Sending transactional emails (e.g. verification, notices).

7. Advertising and analytics

The App displays ads through Google AdMob. AdMob may use device and advertising identifiers to serve and measure ads. Depending on your choices, ads may be personalised or non-personalised:

  • On iOS, we will request your permission through Apple’s App Tracking Transparency prompt before any tracking across apps or websites owned by other companies. If you decline, you will still see ads, but they will be non-personalised.
  • On Android, you can reset or delete your advertising ID and opt out of ad personalisation in your device settings.

We also use analytics (including Google/Firebase Analytics) to understand usage and improve the Services. You can learn how Google uses information from apps that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

8. International transfers

Lancer operates from South Africa, but some of our service providers store and process information in other countries (including data centres in the European Union and Switzerland). Where we transfer personal information across borders, we take reasonable steps to ensure it remains protected by recipients who are subject to laws, binding agreements, or safeguards that provide an adequate level of protection consistent with POPIA and, where applicable, the GDPR.

9. How long we keep your information

We keep your personal information for as long as your account is active and for as long as needed to provide the Services. After you delete your account, we delete or de-identify your personal information, except where we need to retain certain information to: comply with legal, tax, or regulatory obligations; resolve disputes and enforce our agreements; or prevent fraud and abuse. Identity verification documents are retained only for as long as necessary for the verification and safety purposes described above and are then deleted.

10. Your rights and choices

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to access, correct, update, or delete your personal information; to object to or restrict certain processing; to withdraw consent; and to request a copy of your information in a portable format.

Managing your information in the App

  • Update your details — edit your profile and account information at any time in the App.
  • Delete your account — you can permanently delete your account in the App under Profile → Privacy & Security → Delete Account. Deletion is permanent and removes your gigs, messages, and bookings. You may also request deletion by emailing lancersoftwares@gmail.com.
  • Marketing — opt out of promotional emails using the unsubscribe link or by contacting us.
  • Location — enable or disable location access in your device settings.
  • Notifications — turn push notifications on or off in your device settings.
  • Advertising — control ad personalisation via your device settings and the App Tracking Transparency prompt (iOS).

To exercise any right, contact us using the details in Section 14. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. We will respond within the time required by applicable law. If you are in South Africa and believe we have not handled your information lawfully, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa). If you are in the EU/UK, you may complain to your local data-protection authority.

11. Data security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including encryption of data in transit, encrypted credential storage, access controls, and restricted access to sensitive verification documents. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a security breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

12. Children’s privacy

The Services are intended for users who are at least 18 years old and able to enter into a binding contract. They are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, notify you through the App or by email. Your continued use of the Services after an update means you accept the revised policy.

14. Contact us

For any privacy questions, requests, or complaints, or to reach our Information Officer: