Data privacy is a serious and legitimate concern when handing over a failed drive. Your device may contain personal documents, financial records, business data, client information, or private media. You need to know it’s handled responsibly.

How SouthBit handles your data

SouthBit operates as a Responsible Party under South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). All client data is handled exclusively within our Claremont lab in Cape Town. It is never transmitted to third parties, outsourced offshore, uploaded to cloud services, or stored beyond the agreed recovery period.

Only Nick Parsons — SouthBit’s owner and sole technician — accesses your data during the recovery process. Front office staff do not have access to client data.

Chain of custody

From the moment your drive arrives at our lab, it is logged, labelled, and stored securely. We maintain a clear chain of custody throughout the recovery process. Your original drive and the destination drive containing your recovered data are returned to you directly — or securely disposed of at your request.

What about business and corporate clients?

We regularly handle recoveries for law firms, accounting practices, medical professionals, and corporate IT departments where confidentiality is non-negotiable. If your organisation requires a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or specific data handling procedures, we’re happy to accommodate.

Can I watch the recovery?

Due to the sensitive nature of the equipment and the controlled environment required, we don’t offer observation during the technical process. However, we keep you informed at every stage via email, WhatsApp, or phone — and you’re welcome to visit our Claremont office to drop off or collect your drive in person.

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