The purpose of the Guidance Note is to guide responsible parties
when processing personal information of data subjects who have
tested or are infected with COVID-19, or who have been in contact
with such data subjects.
On 3 April 2020,the Information Regulator ('the
Regulator') published a Guidance Note on the Processing of
Personal Information in the Management and Containment of the
COVID-19 Pandemic ('the Guidance Note') in terms of the
Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act 4 of 2013)
('POPIA'). Certain sections of POPIA have been in effect
since 2014, but these all deal with procedural and formal matters.
There have been reports that the remaining sections of POPIA (those
that actually provide substantive protection to the personal
information of data subjects) were due to come into effect on 1
April and, had this occurred, they may have assisted with data
privacy guidance during this time.
