Privacy Notice

Origen, as a responsible Underwriting Management Company in South Africa, respects the right to privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. We’re committed to protecting your privacy by collecting and using your personal information in a proper, lawful, and transparent manner in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

Purpose of this Notice

This privacy notice aims to help you understand the types of personal information Origen collects and how we collect, use, share, and protect it. We adhere to the principles of POPIA to ensure your personal information is always protected when you supply it to us.

What is Personal Information?

According to POPIA, personal information is any information that relates to an identifiable, living, natural person, and where applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic person (like a company).

What Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal information:

  • Identity and Contact Data
    This includes your name, surname, email address, telephone number, and physical address. We collect this when you fill out forms on our website, such as contact or quote request forms.

  • Technical Data
    We automatically collect information about how you use our website, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, and a record of the pages you visit. This helps us to improve our website and services. We use cookies and similar technologies for this purpose.

  • Marketing and Communications Data
    We collect your preferences in receiving marketing materials from us.

  • Special Personal Information
    In some instances, for the purpose of providing an accurate insurance quote or policy, we may need to collect special personal information as defined by POPIA, such as health information, criminal records, or biometric information. We will only do so with your explicit consent or where permitted by law.

How We Collect and Use Your Personal Information

The type of information we collect depends on the purpose for which it’s collected. We only collect the information we need for that specific purpose. When we collect your personal information, we’ll let you know why we need it and whether providing it is compulsory or optional.

We collect information either directly from you, your employer, or through intermediaries such as brokers. In some cases, we might use third parties to collect information on our behalf. The source of the information will be disclosed to you if it wasn’t collected directly from you.

The personal information we collect, and hold may be used for:

  • Underwriting purposes: To assess risk and issue insurance policies.

  • Assessing and processing claims: To handle and settle claims efficiently.

  • Providing administration services: To manage your policy for its duration.

  • Responding to inquiries: To address your questions and complaints.

  • Verifying your identity: For security and fraud prevention.

  • Detection and prevention of fraud, crime, and other malpractice.

  • Any other purpose related to your policy or required by law.

Your personal information will be retained for the period necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected and as required by law. You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information, especially for direct marketing, unless you have given us your consent.

Disclosure of Your Information

We only share your personal information with third parties if you have consented to it. If we have your consent, we may share your information with third parties who are involved in delivering services to you, such as other insurers or service providers. We have agreements with these third parties to ensure they also comply with POPIA. We may be obligated to share your personal information to comply with legal requirements, to protect your interests to prevent fraud, or to give effect to an agreement.

Securing Your Personal Information

Origen processes data using appropriate security measures. We take all reasonable technical and organizational steps to prevent the loss, damage, or unauthorised access to your personal information. Your data is stored in secure environments, such as protected data centres and secured servers.

Your Rights to Access and Rectify Personal Information

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to ask for corrections or updates. If the purpose for which your personal information was collected no longer exists (for example, your policy has ended), you may request its removal. However, we may decline your request if other laws require us to keep the information or if it has been de-identified.

To obtain a copy of your personal information, please review our information manual available on our website.

Website Disclaimer and Use of Cookies

Using this website is entirely at your own risk. We take reasonable precautions to secure your transactions, but we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of all information you submit. Origen is not legally responsible for any personal information you reveal to a third party whose website is linked from ours. Always review a third party’s privacy notice before sharing your personal information.

Our website may use cookies to improve your experience. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by the website you’re visiting. This technology helps us recognise you on your next visit and understand how visitors use our site. Cookies don’t collect personal information.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but please note that some of our website’s functions may not work correctly if you do.

How to Contact Us

This Privacy Notice applies to Origen. If you have any questions, complaints, or concerns regarding this notice or how we handle your personal information, please contact us at privacy@oums.co.za or on our telephone number 0112147640 alternatively, we will contact you, investigate your request, and work to address your concerns.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The updated version will be posted on our website, and the “Last Updated” date at the top will be revised.