Root Solutions — Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 25 February 2026
Last Updated: 25 February 2026

Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains how A.H. Ernst en Seuns (Pty) Ltd ("Allesbeste", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use Root Solutions ("Root", "the Platform").

We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and are committed to protecting your information responsibly.

            🔒 The Short Version
            Your data is yours — we don't sell it, ever
We collect what we need — to provide and improve Root
You have rights — access, correct, delete your data
We protect it — with appropriate security measures

        

1. Who We Are

We are A.H. Ernst en Seuns (Pty) Ltd, trading as Allesbeste, the company behind Root Solutions.

Detail	Information
Responsible Party	A.H. Ernst en Seuns (Pty) Ltd
Registration	South African company
Address	Allesbeste Farm, R71 Magoebaskloof Road, Tzaneen, 0850
Email	privacy@rootsolutions.tech
Phone	+27 15 307 3076

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you register and use Root, you provide us with:

Account information: Name, email address, phone number, company/farm name
Profile information: Job title, preferences, settings
Business data: Farm data, financial records, employee information, operational data you enter into Root
Communications: Support requests, feedback, correspondence with us

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use Root, we automatically collect:

Device information: Device type, operating system, browser type
Usage data: Features used, pages visited, actions taken, timestamps
Location data: General location based on IP address; precise location only with your permission (for features like Clocking)
Log data: IP address, access times, error logs

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from:

Service Providers you've authorised to access your account
Integration partners (when you connect third-party services to Root)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for specific, lawful purposes:

Purpose	Legal Basis (POPIA)
Providing and operating Root	Contract performance
Processing payments	Contract performance
Customer support	Contract performance / Legitimate interest
Improving Root and developing new features	Legitimate interest
Security and fraud prevention	Legitimate interest / Legal obligation
Communicating service updates	Contract performance
Marketing (with your consent)	Consent
Legal compliance	Legal obligation

3.1 What We Don't Do

❌ We never sell your personal information
❌ We don't share your data for third-party marketing
❌ We don't use your business data to compete with you
❌ We don't make automated decisions that significantly affect you without human review

4. How We Share Your Information

We only share your information in limited circumstances:

4.1 With Your Authorisation

Service Providers you invite: Consultants, agronomists, or other professionals you grant access to
Authorised Users: People within your organisation you add to your account

4.2 Service Providers (Operators)

We use trusted service providers to help operate Root:

Cloud hosting: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Payment processing: As applicable for subscription billing
Email services: For transactional and support communications

These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and only process it on our instructions.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or to:

Comply with legal obligations
Protect our rights or property
Prevent fraud or security threats
Protect the safety of users or the public

4.4 Business Transfers

If Allesbeste is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We'll notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5. Where Your Data Is Stored

Your data is primarily stored in:

South Africa — AWS
Ireland — For backup and redundancy (AWS)

Both locations have data protection laws we consider adequate. Where data is transferred outside South Africa, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA.

6. How We Protect Your Data

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures:

Technical Measures

Encryption in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
Secure authentication systems
Regular security assessments
Access controls and monitoring
Regular backups with secure storage

Organisational Measures

Staff training on data protection
Access limited to authorised personnel
Confidentiality agreements
Incident response procedures

No system is 100% secure. If we discover a data breach affecting your personal information, we'll notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.

7. How Long We Keep Your Data

Data Type	Retention Period
Account information	Duration of account + 7 years (legal/tax requirements)
Business/operational data	Duration of account + 30 days for export
Usage logs	12 months
Support communications	3 years after resolution
Payment records	7 years (legal requirement)

After retention periods expire, we securely delete or anonymise your data.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

            Access — Request a copy of your personal information
Correction — Ask us to correct inaccurate information
Deletion — Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
Object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Withdraw consent — Where processing is based on consent
Data portability — Receive your data in a structured format
Complain — Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

        

How to Exercise Your Rights

Contact us at privacy@rootsolutions.tech with your request. We'll respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing requests.

Information Regulator

If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact:

Information Regulator (South Africa)
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Website: www.justice.gov.za/inforeg

9. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

Essential cookies: Keep you logged in, remember preferences (required)
Analytics cookies: Understand how Root is used, improve performance
Functionality cookies: Remember your choices and settings

We don't use advertising or tracking cookies. You can manage cookies through your browser settings, though disabling essential cookies may affect Root's functionality.

10. Children's Privacy

Root is not intended for children under 18. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn we've collected information from a child, we'll delete it promptly.

11. Third-Party Links

Root may contain links to third-party websites or services. We're not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their privacy policies before providing any information.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll notify you of material changes by:

Posting the updated policy on our website
Sending you an email notification
Displaying a notice in Root

Continued use of Root after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

Questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your personal information?

A.H. Ernst en Seuns (Pty) Ltd (Allesbeste)

Allesbeste Farm (M-2)

R71 Magoebaskloof Road

Tzaneen, 0850

South Africa

Privacy enquiries: privacy@rootsolutions.tech

General: support@rootsolutions.tech

Tel: +27 15 307 3076