There is much discussion in South Africa at the moment
about the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which
will come into effect on 25 May 2018 and whether we all need to
comply. But what, realistically, is required for South African
businesses to comply, if at all?
GDPR is clearly not South African law, however, the
requirements contained in it will come into effect for all personal
data processed in relation to the offering of goods or services to
EU citizens or persons residing in the EU. Accordingly, if your
company sells products or services or processes personal data
pertaining to an EU citizen such as monitoring user's behaviour
via your website through the use of cookies, you will need to
adhere to the GDPR's requirements. Furthermore, if GDPR is
applicable to your company, you will also need to determine whether
a Data Protection Officer must be appointed within the
organisation.
