Privacy Policy

At a glance

Effective date: 16 Sept 2026
Location: Centurion, ZA
Contact: info@layerevo3d.com
Information Officer: Orryn McDonald / LayerEvo3D

3

Your POPIA rights

Access, correct, delete or object to the processing of your personal information.

01

Introduction

At LayerEvo3D, we provide on-demand 3D printing services, custom prototypes, functional parts, and an e-commerce store for 3D printed products and related accessories from Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa.

We respect your privacy and process personal information lawfully, reasonably, and in a manner that does not infringe your privacy, as required by the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (“ECT Act”).

By using layerevo3d.com, placing an order, uploading a 3D file, or contacting us, you consent to the processing described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

02

Who We Are — Responsible Party & Information Officer

For purposes of POPIA, LayerEvo3D is the Responsible Party that determines the purpose and means of processing your personal information.

Information Officer

Orryn McDonald / LayerEvo3D
Email: info@layerevo3d.com
Website: layerevo3d.com
Location: Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa
Regulator: Information Regulator (South Africa)

Appointed per POPIA Section 55. Contact for any data subject requests, complaints, or Form 1/2/4 submissions.

03

What Personal Information We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to provide our 3D printing services:

• Identity & Contact: Name, surname, email address, phone/WhatsApp number, company name if provided.
• Shipping & Billing: Delivery address, billing address, postal code, VAT number (if B2B).
• 3D Files & Project Data: STL, 3MF, OBJ, STEP files you upload, plus print settings, tolerances, material/colour choices, notes and support conversations.
• Transaction Data: Order history, invoices, PayFast payment reference, transaction status, amount, date. We do NOT store full card numbers.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device, approximate location, pages visited, referrer — via cookies/analytics.
• Communications: Emails, support tickets, quotes, feedback, reviews you submit.

We do not knowingly collect special personal information (religious, political, health, biometric) unless you voluntarily provide it in a print description. You should not include such information in your uploads.

04

Legal Basis & Purpose (POPIA Section 11)

We process your information only where we have a lawful basis:

• Contract: To quote, print, finish, and deliver your order; process PayFast payments; provide support.
• Consent: When you tick opt-in for marketing, upload files, or agree to cookies.
• Legitimate Interest: To improve our print quality, prevent fraud/abuse of uploads, secure our site, and analyse store performance.
• Legal Obligation: To comply with POPIA, ECT Act, Consumer Protection Act, tax and accounting laws.

Purposes: order fulfilment, communication about your print, shipping via courier partners, invoicing, customer support, quality assurance, legal compliance, and (if consented) occasional product updates.

05

The 8 Conditions of POPIA — How We Comply

1. Accountability: We ensure POPIA compliance across all processing, with policies and training.
2. Processing Limitation: Processing is lawful, minimal, and with consent where required.
3. Purpose Specification: We collect for explicit 3D printing service purposes and retain only as needed.
4. Further Processing: We do not reuse data for unrelated purposes without further consent.
5. Information Quality: We take reasonable steps to keep information accurate and updated.
6. Openness: This policy documents what we process and why.
7. Security Safeguards: Technical and organisational measures (see Section 12) protect confidentiality and integrity.
8. Data Subject Participation: We uphold your rights to access, correction, deletion and objection (Section 13).

06

How We Use 3D Files / STL Files You Upload

Intellectual Property Guarantee: Uploaded 3D models, STL, 3MF, OBJ, STEP files and related designs remain your intellectual property. LayerEvo3D claims no ownership. We only use them to provide the printing service you requested and do not distribute, share, sell, publish, or use them to create derivative products for other customers.

• Confidentiality: Your files are treated as confidential. Access is limited to staff and trusted operators who need to slice, orient, support, and print your parts.
• No Distribution: We will never upload your files to public repositories, marketplaces, social media, or share with third parties except a sub-processor print partner under NDA if required for fulfilment (you will be notified).
• Pre-print Checks: We may run automated repair, wall-thickness and orientation checks. These are local and do not create a copy for other uses.
• Deletion Policy: Unless you request storage for re-orders or provide written consent for portfolio use, files are automatically deleted from active production storage within 30–90 days after delivery. Backups are purged within 6 months.
• Portfolio Use: We will only photograph or showcase your printed part if you give explicit written consent. You can withdraw at any time.
• Illegal Content: We reserve the right to refuse prints that infringe IP, violate law, or involve weapons regulated under South African law.

07

Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use essential and functional cookies to operate layerevo3d.com. Non-essential analytics/marketing cookies are only set with consent via our cookie banner.

• Essential: Cart, login, PayFast checkout, security.
• Functional: Remember material preferences, upload state.
• Analytics (opt-in): Aggregate usage to improve print flow & UX.

You can disable cookies in your browser. This may affect checkout or file upload functionality.

08

PayFast & Online Payments

• All online payments are processed securely through PayFast (Pty) Ltd in compliance with PCI-DSS and POPIA.
• We do not store your full credit/debit card number, CVV, or expiry date on our servers. Card data is transmitted directly to PayFast via encrypted TLS.
• PayFast may process Instant EFT, credit card, Mobicred, and other local methods. PayFast acts as independent responsible party for payment data.
• This disclosure is made in terms of Section 43 of the ECT Act — full payment terms, pricing (incl. VAT), and delivery arrangements are displayed at checkout.
• Refunds and disputes follow our Store Policy and PayFast's dispute process.

09

Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share only with:

• Courier / Logistics partners (e.g., Courier Guy, Pargo, BobBox) — name, phone, address to deliver your prints.
• PayFast & financial institutions — to process payments and prevent fraud.
• IT & hosting providers — website hosting, email, cloud storage — bound by data processing agreements and POPIA obligations.
• Professional advisors — accountants, auditors, legal counsel where required by law.
• Legal & regulatory authorities — if required by South African law, court order, or to protect rights and safety.

All operators and processors are required to keep information confidential and secure and to process only on our instructions.

10

International Transfers

Our primary processing occurs in South Africa. Some service providers (e.g., hosting, email, analytics) may store data in other jurisdictions. Where international transfers occur, we ensure the recipient is subject to laws or agreements that provide an adequate level of protection similar to POPIA (Section 72), including contractual safeguards.

11

Data Retention

• Orders & invoices: 5 years for tax compliance per South African Tax Administration Act.
• 3D files: Deleted within 30–90 days after fulfilment unless you opt for re-order storage or portfolio consent (see Section 6).
• Support communications: Up to 2 years for quality assurance.
• Marketing consents: Until you unsubscribe or object.
• Cookies/logs: Up to 12 months aggregated.

After retention periods expire, data is deleted or de-identified securely.

12

Security Safeguards (POPIA Section 19)

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures:

• TLS/HTTPS encryption for all website traffic and uploads.
• Access controls, least-privilege staff access to STL files, and MFA where possible.
• Secure hosting, firewalls, malware scanning, and regular updates.
• No local storage of full payment card data — PayFast handles PCI-DSS scope.
• Staff confidentiality obligations and training on POPIA.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. If we suspect a breach, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA Sections 22 and 26.

13

Your Rights as Data Subject

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access (Form 1): Request confirmation and access to your personal information we hold.
• Correction / Deletion: Request correction, updating, or deletion (right to be forgotten) where applicable.
• Objection (Form 2): Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
• Opt-out / Unsubscribe: Withdraw consent for marketing at any time.
• Restriction & Complaint: Request restriction and lodge complaints with us or the Regulator (Form 4 / Form 5).
• Portability & Not Subject to Automated Decision: Request records in reasonable format; we do not make solely automated decisions with legal effect.

To exercise rights, email info@layerevo3d.com with “POPIA Request — [Your Right]” in the subject. We may need to verify your identity. We will respond within a reasonable time, generally within 30 days. Forms referenced are those prescribed under POPIA Regulations: Form 1 (Access), Form 2 (Objection), Form 4 (Correction/Deletion).

14

Direct Marketing Opt-Out

We will only send you marketing about 3D printing offers, new materials, or tips if you have consented per POPIA Section 69 and Section 45 of the ECT Act. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. You can also opt-out by emailing info@layerevo3d.com with “UNSUBSCRIBE” or using Form 4 (Objection). Opt-out will be processed within 10 business days and does not affect transactional emails about your orders.

15

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

16

Third Party Links

layerevo3d.com may contain links to third-party sites (e.g., filament suppliers, PayFast, social media). We are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

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Complaints to Information Regulator

If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with:

Information Regulator (South Africa)
Email: complaints@inforegulator.org.za / inforegulator.org.za
Physical: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Form 5 — Complaint regarding interference with personal information

18

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in law, technology, or our 3D printing services. The “Last Updated” date at the top will be revised. For material changes, we will notify you via email or a prominent notice on layerevo3d.com. We encourage you to review periodically.

19

Contact Us

For any privacy questions, requests, or to exercise your rights:

LayerEvo3D — Privacy & Data Protection
Email: info@layerevo3d.com
Website: layerevo3d.com
Location: Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa

Disclaimer: This privacy policy template is provided for transparency and general information. It is not legal advice. LayerEvo3D has drafted this policy to align with POPIA, the ECT Act and industry practice for 3D printing e-commerce, but we recommend periodic legal review. By using our site you acknowledge you have read this policy.

POPIA ready • ECT Act §43 disclosure • PayFast secure • Doc v1.2 · 16 Sept 2026