Privacy policy Solafrica
The careful handling of your data is important to us. We want to be transparent about what information we collect, how we use it and how you can retain control over your data.
1. introduction & scope of application
We, Solafrica, based at Bollwerk 35, 3011 Bern (hereinafter “we”, “us”), take the protection of your personal data very seriously and comply with all applicable data protection regulations in Switzerland (Federal Act on Data Protection, revDSG). Our offer is aimed exclusively at persons in Switzerland, which is why EU laws, in particular the EU General Data Protection Regulation, are not applicable.
This privacy policy informs you about what data we collect, how we process it and what rights you are entitled to.
2. responsible body / contact for data protection concerns
Solafrica
Bollwerk 35
3011 Bern
Tel: +41 31 312 83 31
E-Mail: info@solafrica.ch
You are welcome to contact us if you have any questions or comments about this privacy policy.
Rights of data subjects:
You have various rights under the applicable data protection law. These include in particular
- Right to information: You can request confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed and obtain information about this data.
- Right to rectification: Incorrect personal data can be rectified.
- Right to erasure: You have the right to have your personal data erased, provided there are no statutory retention obligations to the contrary.
- Right to restriction of processing and to object to processing, in particular in the case of direct marketing.
- Right to data portability: You can request the handover of your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
- Right of revocation: Consent given can be revoked at any time.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) if you believe that your rights have been violated.
The exercise of such rights generally requires that you clearly prove your identity (e.g. by providing a copy of your ID). To assert your rights, please contact us by e-mail at info@solafrica.ch or by post at the address given above.
If you would like to adjust your communication preferences, e.g. object to receiving letters with project information and appeals for donations, you can also contact us.
Please note that we reserve the right to assert the restrictions provided for by law, for example if we are obliged to store or process certain data.
3. which data we collect
We primarily process the personal data that you provide to us as part of our contractual relationship or that we receive from other business partners and other persons involved or that we collect automatically or manually from users when operating our websites, apps and other applications.
Where permitted, we also obtain certain data from publicly accessible sources (e.g. commercial register, press, Internet).
We primarily process personal data that you provide to us yourself when you contact us, donate or become a member, register for the newsletter, fill out a form or take part in an event.
This data includes in particular
- Title, surname, first name
- Address, place of residence, country
- Organization name (if specified)
- E-mail address, telephone number
- Donation or membership amount, payment method and payment details
- Communication processes and preferences
- if applicable, date of birth, website, subject interests or relationships between several persons (e.g. shared address in the same household)
- Details of purchases, sponsoring memberships or donations (amount, date, purpose)
Automatically collected technical data:
When you visit our websites, certain data is automatically transmitted for technical reasons and temporarily stored in log files, including
- Name of your internet service provider
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Operating system of your end device
- Website from which you are visiting us (referrer URL)
- pages accessed on our websites
- Date and time of access
This data is technically necessary to enable the use of our websites and to ensure their security.
Data from third-party sources:
In some cases, we receive additional information from publicly accessible sources (e.g. commercial register, media reports) or from partner organizations, insofar as this is necessary for the fulfilment of our association’s purposes or to maintain existing relationships.
In addition, Solafrica may, in rare cases, acquire address data from trusted third-party providers in order to inform potentially interested parties about our activities and donation opportunities. This data will only be used for the intended purpose.
4. purposes of data processing and legal bases
We process your personal data primarily for the purpose stated at the time of collection and in order to pursue the purpose of our association – e.g. to send our newsletter, answer your inquiry, process your donation (including solar vignette sales) or your supporting membership.
In addition, we process personal data, insofar as this is permitted by law and we deem it appropriate, also for the further development and improvement of our offers, projects, marketing activities and to pursue our association’s purpose. In particular, this includes sensitizing people to topics such as solar energy, energy poverty and climate protection and making our commitment accessible to a broad public.
We process your personal data in particular for the following purposes:
- Operation, security and optimization of our websites and online forms
- Processing of donations, sponsoring memberships and payment processes
- Issue of donation confirmations and acknowledgements
- Processing inquiries and communicating with donors, members and interested parties
- Information, communication and awareness-raising on our core topics such as solar energy, energy poverty and the climate crisis
- Organization and implementation of projects, events and campaigns
- Public relations and fundraising, including postal or electronic donation and information mailings
- Maintaining and updating our database for managing contacts and relationships
- Marketing purposes, statistical evaluations and analyses to improve our activities, campaigns and communication channels
- Ensuring IT and data security and preventing misuse or unlawful acts
Legal basis:
Depending on the situation, processing is based on
- Your consent (e.g. when registering for the newsletter),
- the fulfillment of a contract or pre-contractual measures (e.g. donations, sponsoring memberships),
- legal obligations (e.g. retention obligations under tax law) or
- our legitimate interests (e.g. IT security, public relations, fundraising, efficient association communication and the fulfillment of our association’s purpose).
5. forwarding and order processing
We may disclose your personal data to trusted third parties, including, but not limited to, the following categories of recipients, to the extent necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy:
- IT and hosting service providers (e.g. for the operation, maintenance and security of our systems)
- Newsletter and communication service providers (e.g. Brevo for sending e-mail newsletters)
- Marketing and data service providers (e.g. for the implementation of campaigns or to improve our fundraising and communication activities)
- Payment service providers (e.g. Payrexx, Twint, PostFinance, PayPal)
- Print shops and mailing service providers (e.g. for the production and dispatch of mailings or donation confirmations)
- Contractual partners and suppliers
- Authorities and public bodies if we are legally obliged to do so or if this is necessary to protect our rights
Our service providers may only process the data in accordance with our instructions and in compliance with data protection regulations. All processors, especially those based outside Switzerland, are contractually obliged to comply with data protection regulations.
6. cookies, embedded content and third-party tools
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to facilitate use, provide basic functions and continuously improve the website.
Your consent can be adjusted at any time in the cookie policy. You can find more information about the cookies used in our cookie policy: https://solafrica.ch/cookie-richtlinie
You can deactivate or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time. Please note that this may restrict individual functions of our website.
Our online offers may include content and services from third-party providers, such as videos, maps, forms or social media plug-ins. When such content is accessed, data (e.g. IP address or usage information) may be transmitted to the respective providers.
Details on the integrated services and their cookies and technologies can also be found in our cookie policy:https://solafrica.ch/cookie-richtlinie
7. data security
We use appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data from loss, misuse, manipulation or unauthorized access. This includes in particular
- the use of modern encryption technologies (e.g. SSL for forms and data transfers),
- Restrict access to our systems so that only authorized persons have access to personal data,
- regular security and software updates,
- internal directives and training on the careful handling of personal data.
Our security measures are regularly reviewed and further developed.
8. storage duration
We only store personal data for as long as is necessary for the respective purpose or as required by statutory retention obligations (e.g. tax regulations).
After the purpose has ceased to exist or the statutory retention period has expired, the data will be deleted or anonymized as far as possible, provided there are no overriding legitimate interests (e.g. evidence, IT security) to the contrary.
9. disclaimer for external links
Our website contains links to external websites. No illegal content was identified at the time of linking. As we have no influence on the design and content of linked sites, we accept no responsibility or liability for their content, offers or data protection practices.
The respective provider or operator of the linked website is solely liable for illegal, incorrect or incomplete content and in particular for damages resulting from the use or non-use of such information.
This privacy policy applies only to our own online offers and not to websites or services of third parties to which we link.
10. subject to change
We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy at any time so that it complies with current legal requirements or covers new services and offers.
The current version is published on our website. The version valid at the time of the website visit applies.