Protecting your privacy

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) is a key piece of legislation that protects and upholds our right to privacy. Fundamentally, POPIA aims to protect people’s personal information.

POPIA came into effect on 1 July 2021. The Fund has already had a Privacy Policy in place for some time, in anticipation of POPIA being promulgated. The Trustees therefore feel comfortable that the Fund has the necessary POPIA-compliant policies and procedures in place for collecting, receiving, recording, organising, retrieving, processing, storing, protecting, and disseminating members’ personal information where relevant. A typical example of this that you would have noticed, is the password protection of many Fund electronic documents that contains personal information sent directly to you. (If you are having problems accessing these password-protected documents, see the additional information below.)

Staff members have also received comprehensive training on the requirements of POPIA and how to safeguard your information at all times.

You can view the Fund’s Privacy Policy, which deals with how we process your personal information, by clicking here.

Tips for potential issues you may experience when trying to open password-protected PDF documents

Problem: The document does not open after you have entered your password on your cell phone.
Solution: : Install Adobe Acrobat Reader App on your mobile: Go to Google Play. In the “Search” area, type “Acrobat Reader”, then tap “Search”. Once the list appears, tap on the icon, and follow the instructions.

Problem: The document does not open after you have entered your password on your desktop or laptop.
Solution: Install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to get the latest version.

Problem: When you enter your password, you get the following message: The password is incorrect.
Solution: Check that Caps Lock is not on and try again. If the issue persists, make sure that your ID number is exactly the same as the one the Fund has captured on your records. If you are not sure, please forward a copy of your ID together with your member number to benefitpost@dbbs.co.za so that we can update your records with the correct information.

Problem: You cannot print your PDF document after you have opened it.
Solution: Please contact your IT service provider… Alternatively, a young member of your family will probably be able to help you!

Stanley Mathonzi

PRINCIPAL OFFICER