Last updated: 26 March 2026
WeTow ("we", "us", "our") is a roadside assistance platform operated by WeTow (Pty) Ltd, a company registered in South Africa. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other applicable South African laws.
By using the WeTow mobile application or website, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy.
We collect the following categories of personal information:
Account Information: Full name, email address, phone number, SA ID number (for driver verification), and profile photo.
Location Data: GPS coordinates during active service requests and jobs. For drivers, background location is collected while on active duty to enable real-time tracking for customers.
Vehicle Information: Vehicle make, model, registration number, colour, and transmission type.
Payment Information: Payment method selection and transaction details processed through PayFast. We do not store credit card numbers — all card data is handled by PayFast's secure payment gateway.
Service Data: Job history, service types requested, ratings, reviews, receipts, and communication logs between customers and drivers.
Device Information: Device type, operating system, push notification tokens, and crash reports for app improvement.
Identity Verification Data: For drivers, we collect ID documents, driver's licence, PDP (Professional Driving Permit), selfie photos for facial verification, and vehicle documentation. These are verified through third-party services including VerifyNow.
Emergency Information: Emergency contact details, blood type, allergies, medical aid information, and insurance details — provided voluntarily by users for safety purposes.
We use your personal information to:
- Provide and operate the WeTow roadside assistance service
- Match customers with nearby available drivers
- Enable real-time GPS tracking during active service jobs
- Process payments securely through PayFast
- Verify driver identity, qualifications, and vehicle compliance
- Send push notifications about job status updates
- Generate digital receipts and service records
- Enable in-app communication between customers and drivers
- Respond to emergency panic alerts and notify emergency contacts
- Improve our services through anonymised analytics
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
We share your information only in the following circumstances:
Between Users: During an active job, customers can see their assigned driver's name, photo, vehicle details, rating, and live location. Drivers can see the customer's name, phone number, pickup location, and vehicle details.
Payment Processor: PayFast processes all payments. Your payment details are shared with PayFast under their own privacy policy.
Identity Verification: Driver identity data is shared with VerifyNow and/or VerifySA for verification against government databases (Department of Home Affairs, Department of Transport, SAPS).
Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government regulation.
Emergency Services: In the event of a panic alert or crash detection, your location and emergency contact details may be shared with emergency services.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
Your data is stored on Firebase (Google Cloud Platform) servers. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:
- Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
- Firebase Authentication for secure login
- Firestore security rules restricting data access by role
- Server-side API key management (never exposed in client code)
- Audit logging for all verification and administrative actions
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Specifically:
Account data: Retained while your account is active, deleted within 90 days of account deletion request
Job history and receipts: Retained for 5 years for tax and legal compliance
Location data: Real-time location data is not stored permanently — only the pickup and dropoff coordinates are retained as part of the job record
Verification documents: Retained for the duration of the driver's active status plus 1 year
Payment records: Retained for 5 years per SARS requirements
As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:
- Access your personal information held by us
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request deletion of your personal information
- Object to the processing of your information
- Withdraw consent at any time
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@wetow.co.za or support@wetow.co.za.
WeTow is not intended for use by persons under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child, we will delete it promptly.
The WeTow website may use cookies for basic functionality. The mobile app uses Firebase Analytics for anonymised usage statistics. You can opt out of analytics in your device settings.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through the app or by email. The "Last updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised.
WeTow (Pty) Ltd
Email: support@wetow.co.za
Privacy enquiries: privacy@wetow.co.za
Website: https://wetow.co.za
Information Regulator (South Africa)
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za