Commencement of certain sections of the Protection of Personal Information Act
24 Jun 2020
Commencement of Certain Sections of the Protection of Personal Information Act – 01 July 2020
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday, 22 June 2020, that more provisions of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) will come into force on 01 July 2020.
The Presidency announced that sections 2 to 38; sections 55 to 109; section 111 and section 114 (1), (2) and (3) will come into force on 01 July 2020, with further sections of POPIA (mainly sections 110 and 114(4)) expected to come into force on 30 June 2021.
The sections that will come into force on 01 July 2020 regulate, amongst other things, the conditions under which personal information may be processed; the categories of, and requirements for processing, special categories of personal information; direct marketing by means of unsolicited electronic communications (such as emails); the enforcement of POPIA; and the processes and procedures for dealing with complaints.
The sections that will come into force on 30 June 2021, relate to the amendment of laws, and the effective transfer of functions of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA) from the South African Human Rights Commission to the Information Regulator.
In terms of section 114(1), following the commencement of these sections businesses will have a twelve month period within which to get their house in order and ensure compliance with the provisions of POPIA.
Non-compliance with POPIA may result in administrative fines of up to R10 million, imprisonment, civil damages and most importantly, reputational harm. It is important that all businesses ensure compliance with POPIA during the 12 month grace period (and preferably sooner, rather than later).
Should you require any assistance with POPIA presentations, training, assessments and implementation plans, please contact our offices.
Link to the Presidency’s announcement: https://bit.ly/2YoqZuy
See also:
- Is your organisation POPIA ready?
- PoPIA Regulations – Responsibilities of the information officer
- The search for your Information Officer begins now
Grant Williams
Grant Williams is a partner in our commercial group. He specialises in commercial law with an emphasis on media, telecommunications and IT. Grant’s recent experience includes assisting with the establishment... Read more about Grant Williams
Matthew Anley
Matthew is a senior associate in Eversheds Sutherland's commercial department based at the Campus Office in Bryanston. He has experience as both external counsel and internal legal counsel. Matthew obtained... Read more about Matthew Anley
