Okay, maybe it’s not MC-Hammer-pants-level exciting, but we’ll be damned if we aren’t going to make it fun! If you feel like you need a refresher – or perhaps a fresh perspective? – on POPIA, join us for our crash course on 8 June and 9 June 2022. (Here's [...]
Ever seen a toddler on one of those child leashes? They’re straining as hard as their little sausage legs allow, desperate to run free, talk to strangers and create a crayon masterpiece on the nearest wall (or lick a squirrel – one never can tell). That’s kind of how [...]
Warning: the following article contains explicit language. That should be fairly apparent by the title but we’re legally obliged (we think) to put it into plain language. If you’re easily offended or don’t have a sense of humour, we suggest skipping this one. Consider yourself warned. If you’ve spent any time [...]
Okay, we fibbed. While we will be sharing the theories of how jokes work, we can’t actually promise to teach you to be funny. Because, despite the hypotheses, philosophies, rules and formulas, a joke shared between two brains, much like love, is essentially intangible. It’s hidden alchemy. The truth [...]
There is no better way to introduce our book, Over-Thinking the Protection of Personal Information Act: The Last POPIA Book You Will Ever Need, than by reciting the Dunning-Kruger* prayer: ‘Let me be smart enough to know how dumb I am and give me the courage to carry on [...]
The octopus has become something of a theme here at Novation since we put one on the cover of our new POPIA book. This got us thinking about how information officers (IOs) and octopuses have more in common than you might imagine. Here are the top 5 ways IOs [...]
“Humour is a superpower in business, now more than ever,” says Naomi Bagdonas, a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in her class on the benefits of leading with laughter. It’s not a new concept to Novation; we’ve had years of practice honing our funny bones and [...]
The Information Regulator’s doomsday clock hit 0, life as we knew it changed. 1 July 2021 finally came. The re-consent pigeons were sent out and organisations joined in the communications assault with their weaponised bulk emails telling us that they respect our privacy. Oh, but the irony...as many people [...]
30 June 2021. Unless this is your birthday, this date probably fills most of you with some trepidation. No need – let’s turn the anxiety into excitement that POPIA is finally here (after TEN. YEARS). If you still feel like you’re lagging behind, stop panicking and be cool. Get [...]
It’s week 5 000 of the national lockdown, so we reckon everyone will appreciate a change of focus (since we can’t change the scenery). From what we can tell, most people’s pace during lockdown is either crazy-busy or bored-to-tears. So, for those of you leaning towards the bored spectrum, here [...]
Many of our projects begin with a similar story from new clients, ‘We made our first attempt to become POPIA compliant in 2015, but nothing changed. We asked ABC to help us in 2017 and we wrote 1000 policies and sent the whole company on training, but we are [...]
My recent talk at the IAPP CapeTown/Johannesburg KnowledgeNet was around privacy, ethics and trust in the time of COVID-19. Here is some additional reading. 1. I feel like I am stuck in a movie ‘We're working very hard to find out where this virus came from. To treat it and [...]
We all know the announcement at the beginning of a flight (remember those?): ‘In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will automatically drop from the ceiling. To start the flow of oxygen, pull the mask towards you. Place it firmly over your nose and mouth, [...]
Why the face? The Information Regulator asked the President to announce 1 April 2020 as the commencement date for the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). 1 April is also an auspicious date widely known as April Fools Day. It is lesser known as Sourdough Bread Day. On 1 April [...]
We *heart* policies. Done well they can increase efficiency, improve teamwork, establish culture and protect everybody. Check out how we approach policies. Disclaimer: these slides are not for box tickers. And no, we don't have templates - one size fits all fits no one.
The minimality requirement The requirement of minimality is one of the conditions for processing personal information in the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). The POPIA provides that personal information can only be processed ”if, given the purpose for which it is processed, it is adequate, relevant and not excessive”. [...]