Privacy Notice

This notice is effective from 18 August 2026 and applies to the website at joycoaching.co.za and to the coaching services provided by JŌY Coaching.

1. Who we are

JŌY Coaching (Just Ōptimise Yourself) is a strengths-based life and leadership coaching practice based in Pretoria, South Africa. It operates as a sole proprietorship under Lody Serfontein (Jan-Lodewyk Serfontein).

We work with adult clients in one-on-one coaching engagements, with school-aged students (Grades 9, 11, and 12) through the Alignment Session (Die Belyningsessie), and with organisations through team and leadership coaching.

You can reach us at:

• Email: lody@joycoaching.co.za
• WhatsApp: +27 076 572 4282
• Website: joycoaching.co.za

2. What information we collect — and from whom

JŌY Coaching works with three categories of clients. What we collect differs for each.

2a. Adult one-on-one coaching clients

At intake we collect:

• Name and surname
• Email address
• Phone number
• City and country of residence

During a coaching engagement we may also hold:

• Session notes (handwritten and/or typed) recording observations, themes, and agreed actions from our sessions.
• A copy of your CliftonStrengths assessment results — only if you choose to share them with us. See Section 3 for how that arrangement works.
• Written summaries or reports sent to you after sessions, where these form part of the coaching process.
• Audio or video recordings of sessions — only with your explicit, prior consent. See Section 4.

2b. Alignment Session clients (minor students — Grades 9, 11 and 12)

Because the Alignment Session works with students who are minors, we collect information from both the parent or guardian and the student.

From the parent or guardian at intake:

• Name and surname
• Email address
• Phone number
• Billing address

From the student:

• Name and surname
• Date of birth
• School name (optional)
• Email address and phone number (optional — only if provided)

After the session, a written summary is shared with the parent or guardian. We do not share the full content of a student's session disclosures without the student's agreement, except where mandatory reporting obligations apply (see Section 10).

2c. Corporate and organisational clients

When we engage with an organisation, we collect:

• Organisation name and contact details (as required for invoicing).
• Name, surname, and email address of the individual we correspond with at the organisation — typically the person managing the engagement.
• Names and surnames of employees participating in team coaching, and copies of their CliftonStrengths assessment results — only where individual employees voluntarily share these with us as part of the engagement.

The coaching outputs we produce (team reports, debrief documents) are delivered to the organisation. JŌY Coaching retains the templates and frameworks used; the organisation receives the completed outputs.

2d. Calendly booking data

When you book a Discovery Conversation via our Calendly link, Calendly collects your name, email address, and an optional free-text pre-call note. This data is processed by Calendly, Inc. (United States). Calendly's own Privacy Notice applies to that transaction. The booking confirmation is also sent to our email inbox.

2e. Contact form

Our website contact form collects your name, surname, email address, and phone number. Submissions are stored on the xneelo server and forwarded to our email inbox.

2f. Technical server logs

Our hosting provider, xneelo, keeps standard access logs (IP address, browser type, pages visited, timestamps) for security and to keep the site running. We do not use these logs to identify individual visitors, and we do not link them to your other information.

3. The CliftonStrengths arrangement — Gallup

CliftonStrengths assessments are provided by Gallup, Inc. If you purchase an assessment code through JŌY Coaching, you enter a direct agreement with Gallup and complete the assessment on Gallup's platform. Your results are held on Gallup's servers and are visible to you through your Gallup account.

JŌY Coaching does not receive your results automatically and is not a data processor for Gallup. We only hold your CliftonStrengths results if you voluntarily share them with us — by emailing us the PDF, sending it via WhatsApp, or sharing access via the Gallup Access App.

If you share your results with us:

• We store the PDF in password-protected cloud storage (iCloud) and/or on a password-protected device.
• We use your results solely for the purpose of your coaching engagement.
• You may ask us to delete your results from our records at any time (see Section 13). If we delete your results, it may not be possible to continue the coaching engagement, as your report is central to the methodology. We will discuss this with you before taking any action.

4. Session recordings

We do not record coaching sessions as a default practice.

We may record a session — audio or video — only where you have given explicit, prior consent and the purpose of the recording has been explained to you.

Where a recording is made, it is stored on a password-protected device and/or in password-protected cloud storage. You may request deletion of a recording at any time.

5. Why we collect it

We collect and use your information for the following purposes only:

• To deliver coaching services to you and manage our coaching relationship.
• To book and confirm appointments (via Calendly).
• To process payment for services (invoicing, EFT reference tracking, PayPal).
• To communicate with you about your coaching engagement — by email, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams.
• To meet our legal and accounting obligations (invoices and payment records).
• To keep the website secure and working (server logs).

We do not use your information for any other purpose. We do not use it for advertising, profiling, or automated decision-making.

6. Legal basis under POPIA

We rely on the following lawful bases under POPIA:

• Your consent — when you provide your information through the contact form, Calendly, email, or WhatsApp; when you share your CliftonStrengths results with us; and when you consent to session recording.
• Performance of a contract — processing your information to deliver the coaching services you have engaged us for.
• Legal obligation — retaining financial records as required by South African law.
• Legitimate interest — basic server logs for website security.

7. What we don't do

• We don't sell your information.
• We don't share it with third parties for marketing.
• We don't add you to a mailing list without your consent. We don't currently operate a newsletter or broadcast list.
• We don't use tracking cookies, advertising pixels, retargeting, or analytics that identify individuals.
• We don't profile you or make automated decisions about you.
• We only feature your name, image, or testimonial on social media if you have given explicit consent first.

8. Who sees your information

Lody Serfontein (founder) is the only person who accesses your personal information. No staff members, virtual assistants, or third parties have access to your coaching session notes, CliftonStrengths results, or personal correspondence.

The following service providers process data on our behalf in the course of delivering the service:

• Calendly, Inc. (USA) — processes booking information (name, email, pre-call note) when you schedule a Discovery Conversation.
• Microsoft Corporation (USA) — Microsoft Teams is used to deliver online coaching sessions. Session metadata (participant names, timestamps) is processed by Microsoft under its own privacy terms.
• Apple, Inc. (USA) — iCloud is used to store session notes, CliftonStrengths PDFs, and related coaching documents. Storage is encrypted by Apple under its own privacy terms.
• PayPal Holdings, Inc. (USA) — used for international payment processing. PayPal's own privacy terms apply to that transaction. JŌY Coaching retains only the payment reference and amount.
• xneelo (Pty) Ltd (South Africa) — provides WordPress hosting for joycoaching.co.za and processes contact form submissions and standard server logs.
• WhatsApp (Meta Platforms, Inc., USA) — used for direct communication and, in some cases, for clients to share CliftonStrengths PDFs with us. WhatsApp's own privacy terms apply.

We do not share your information with anyone not listed above.

9. Where your information is stored

Your information is stored across the following locations:

• Session notes: in a physical notebook (secured on Lody's person or in locked premises) and on a password-protected laptop and iCloud account (Apple, USA).
• Coaching documents and CliftonStrengths PDFs: on a password-protected laptop and in iCloud (Apple, USA).
• Invoices and payment records: in Excel files stored in iCloud (Apple, USA).
• Booking records: on Calendly's servers (USA).
• Contact form submissions: on xneelo's South African servers and in our email inbox.
• WhatsApp messages: on WhatsApp's servers (Meta, USA/international).

Some of these providers store data outside South Africa. Where this happens, we rely on the provider's own privacy protections and internationally recognised data-transfer safeguards. The providers concerned (Calendly, Apple, Microsoft, PayPal, Meta) each operate under established data protection frameworks.

10. Minor clients — Alignment Session

The Alignment Session (Die Belyningsessie) is offered to students in Grades 9, 11, and 12. These are individuals under 18 years of age. The following additional protections apply:

• We obtain parental or guardian consent before delivering a session to a minor.
• We collect only the minimum information needed from the student.
• Session content is treated with strict confidentiality. Post-session summaries shared with parents or guardians describe themes and outcomes — not the full content of the student's disclosures.
• Mandatory reporting: if a student discloses information that suggests they are at risk of harm to themselves or others, we are required to escalate that concern — to the parent or guardian, and where required by South African law, to the relevant child-protection authority or the South African Police Service. Confidentiality does not override a duty of care.

11. How long we keep your information

Retention periods by client type:

• Adult 1:1 coaching clients — all coaching records (session notes, reports, CliftonStrengths PDFs) are deleted within one month of the coaching relationship ending, unless you ask us to retain specific materials.
• Alignment Session (minor clients) — records are retained for six months after the session, to allow for any follow-up coaching that may be engaged. After six months with no further engagement, records are deleted.
• Corporate and organisational clients — engagement records are retained for one year from the last contact with the organisation. After one year with no contact, records are deleted.
• Financial records (invoices, payment references) — retained for the period required by South African tax and accounting law (typically five years).

If you would like your information removed sooner, email lody@joycoaching.co.za and we will action your request within seven working days, unless we are required by law to retain specific records.

12. Cookies

This site uses only essential cookies — the small pieces of information a browser needs to display pages correctly. We do not use tracking, advertising, retargeting, or third-party analytics cookies.

Full details are on our Cookie Policy.

13. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct any information that is wrong.
• Ask us to delete your information.
• Object to us using your information.
• Withdraw your consent for us to process your information at any time.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe we have mishandled your information.

The Information Regulator is the body responsible for enforcing POPIA. You can contact them at inforeg@justice.gov.za or via their website: inforegulator.org.za

14. How to exercise your rights

Email lody@joycoaching.co.za or WhatsApp +27 076 572 4282. Every request is acknowledged within two working days and actioned within seven working days, unless we are required by law to keep specific information.

Lody Serfontein acts as the Information Officer for JŌY Coaching and handles all privacy requests personally.

15. Changes to this notice

If our data practices change — for example, if we add a newsletter, start using analytics, add new platform tools, or engage additional team members — this notice will be updated before those changes take effect. The current version is always at joycoaching.co.za/privacy.

16. Contact

For anything on this page — a question, a correction, a concern — contact Lody Serfontein directly.

• Email: lody@joycoaching.co.za
• WhatsApp: +27 076 572 4282
• Full policy document: Download PDF