01Who we are
The African Circuit (“the Circuit”, “we”, “us”) is a pan-African conference platform operated by The Philanthropic Foundation, a foundation registered in Mauritius under the Foundations Act 2012 (Registration No. 679).
The Philanthropic Foundation is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. This means it decides why and how that data is used and is responsible for protecting it.
02Scope
This policy covers personal data we handle through:
- theafricancircuit.com, including the registration page (the “Site”);
- registrations, invoicing and attendance for each edition of the Circuit, including Mauritius and Nairobi;
- speakers, moderators, partners and sponsors we work with;
- emails and other correspondence with us.
It applies to anyone whose data we handle in these ways: visitors, delegates, speakers, partners and anyone who contacts us.
03What we collect
When you register for an edition
- Identity and role: name, job title, organisation, institution type and country.
- Contact details: work email, phone number and, if you provide it, your LinkedIn profile.
- Registration details: the access type you choose, the day (for one-day access), number of seats, the price release and the estimated total shown to you.
- Other delegates: names, titles and emails of colleagues you register with you. Please only include them if they are aware you are doing so.
- Invoicing details: billing entity, billing address, VAT or tax number and accounts email.
- Your preferences: the topics you are interested in and how you heard about the Circuit.
- Notes you choose to add, such as meeting requests.
If you tell us about dietary or accessibility requirements, this may reveal information about your health or beliefs. We use it only to cater for you and make the event accessible to you. We share it only with the venue or caterer where needed, and delete it after the edition. Providing it is always optional.
If you ask for an invitation letter
If you ask for a letter to support your travel or eTA application, the registration form asks for the details that need to appear on it: your full name as in your passport, nationality, passport number and expiry date, and your travel dates. These are optional and only requested if you tick the invitation letter box. We use them only to prepare the letter and, if you ask us to, to answer enquiries from immigration authorities about your attendance.
When you speak or moderate
We collect your name, title, organisation, biography and photograph, and we publish them on the Site and in event materials with your agreement.
When you contact us
We keep the content of your message and your contact details so that we can reply and keep a record of the exchange.
Collected automatically
When you send the registration form, we record the time you opened it. We use this only to filter out automated spam. The form also contains a hidden field that people never see; if an automated program fills it in, the submission is discarded. Our hosting and service providers also process technical data such as your IP address and browser type so the Site can be delivered to you (see section 07).
What we do not collect
We do not take card or other payment details on the Site. Payment is made against an invoice sent to you after your registration is confirmed.
04How we use it
- to process and confirm your registration and allocate your seat;
- to issue invoices, receive payment and keep accounting records;
- to send you practical information about the edition you registered for: programme, venue, timings and changes;
- to organise the event, including badges, delegate lists for access control, catering and seating;
- to shape introductions and sessions around the interests you share with us;
- to publish speaker profiles and programme information;
- to answer your questions and manage our relationships with partners;
- to protect the Site and our forms from spam and misuse;
- to meet our legal, tax and regulatory obligations.
We will only send you news about future editions or other Circuit activities if you have agreed to it, or if you are an existing delegate and have not opted out. Every such email lets you unsubscribe.
We do not sell or rent personal data, and we do not use it for automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
05Legal bases
We handle personal data in line with the Mauritius Data Protection Act 2017. Where other laws apply to you, such as the EU/UK GDPR or the Kenya Data Protection Act 2019, we apply their requirements too. We rely on the following legal bases:
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Registration, invoicing and delivering the event | Taking steps at your request before entering into, and then performing, a contract with you or your organisation |
| Accounting, tax and legal records | Legal obligation |
| Event organisation, security, spam prevention and partner relationships | Our legitimate interests in running a secure, well-organised event, balanced against your rights |
| Dietary and accessibility information | Your explicit consent, given when you provide it |
| News about future editions | Your consent, or our legitimate interest for existing delegates, with an easy opt-out |
| Speaker profiles and photographs | Your consent or our agreement with you |
Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect what we did before it.
06At our events
Photography and filming
We photograph and sometimes film our editions and use selected images on the Site, social media and in reports. Signage at the venue will tell you when this is happening. If you would prefer not to appear, tell our team on the day or email us before the event. If you ask us to remove an image that has already been published, we will do so where reasonably possible.
Closed-door sessions
Closed-door sessions are not recorded unless all participants are told in advance. Where a session is held under the Chatham House Rule, we do not attribute remarks to individuals in anything we publish.
Delegate lists
We do not publish delegate lists or give them to sponsors or other delegates. The exception is your name, title and organisation on your badge, and any introductions you ask us to make.
08International transfers
We are based in Mauritius and our editions take place in several African countries. Some of our providers, including Formspree, GitHub and Google, process data in the United States and elsewhere.
When personal data leaves the country where it was collected, we rely on appropriate safeguards. These include the provider's standard contractual clauses or equivalent commitments, and the transfer rules of the Mauritius Data Protection Act 2017 and other applicable law. You can ask us for more detail about these safeguards.
09How long we keep it
- Registration and invoicing records: for as long as accounting and tax law requires, then deleted.
- Dietary and accessibility information: deleted after the edition concerned.
- Passport details for invitation letters: deleted after the edition concerned. We keep a copy of the letter itself with the registration record.
- Form submissions stored with Formspree: deleted from Formspree once they have been transferred into our records.
- Contact for future editions: until you unsubscribe or ask us to stop.
- Speaker profiles: kept as part of the record of each edition, unless you ask us to remove them.
- General correspondence: for as long as needed to deal with it and for a reasonable period afterwards.
10Security
The Site is served over encrypted HTTPS connections, and form data is sent to Formspree over encrypted connections. Registration data is only accessible to the team members who need it. We use spam controls on our forms, and we choose providers with recognised security practices.
No system is completely secure. If a personal data breach is likely to put your rights at risk, we will notify the Data Protection Office of Mauritius and, where required, you, in line with the law.
12Your rights
Under the Mauritius Data Protection Act 2017, and other laws that may apply to you, you can:
- ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
- ask us to delete your data, where we no longer need to keep it;
- object to, or ask us to restrict, certain uses of your data, including marketing at any time;
- ask to receive your data in a portable format, where applicable;
- withdraw your consent where we rely on it.
To use any of these rights, email us (see section 16). We may need to confirm your identity first. We aim to respond within one month.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Data Protection Office of Mauritius, or to the data protection authority where you live or work.
13Under-18s
The Circuit is for professionals and is not directed at anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a minor has sent us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.
14Other websites
The Site links to third-party websites such as LinkedIn, hotel pages and map services. They have their own privacy practices, which this policy does not cover.
15Changes
We may update this policy as the Circuit and the law evolve. The date at the top shows the latest version. If we make significant changes that affect registered delegates, we will tell them by email.
16Contact
- Data controller
- The Philanthropic Foundation (Reg. No. 679), operator of The African Circuit, Mauritius
- admin@philanthropicfoundation.net
- Subject line
- “Privacy request”, so we can route it quickly
- Supervisory authority
- Data Protection Office, Republic of Mauritius