Privacy policy

1. Who we are

Nkagothusa is an online marketplace that connects people and businesses who need goods moved (shippers) with independent drivers who move them (carriers) in Botswana. This policy explains what personal information the Nkagothusa app and website collect, why, who can see it, how long we keep it and the choices you have.

Nkagothusa is a product of Techempower Proprietary Limited, a company registered in Botswana under the Companies Act (registration number BW00009961679), of Plot 16979, Bobididi Ward, Molepolole, Botswana. Techempower Proprietary Limited is responsible for your personal information on Nkagothusa ("we", "us"). You can contact us about this policy or your data at support@nkagothusa.com.

2. Information you give us

• Account details: your name, phone number and/or email address, your password (stored only in encrypted form by our sign-in provider), and the town and country you operate from. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile photo from Google.
• Shipper details: an optional company name and registration number, and the pickup and delivery addresses, cargo description, weight, budget, pickup times and notes you enter when you post a load. You can also save addresses for reuse.
• Carrier details: your vehicle's type, make, model, year, colour and plate number; photos of your vehicle; and, for our safety checks, copies of the documents you hold (for example national ID, driver's licence, professional driving permit, vehicle insurance and vehicle registration) with their expiry dates.
• Payout details (carriers): the bank name, account holder name and account number you choose to add.
• Profile photo, bids and the messages that come with them, chat messages with the other party on a load, support conversations, ratings you give, and any dispute you raise.
• Reports and blocks: if you report another user, we receive your report, the reason and any details you add. A report made from a chat also includes a copy of that chat's most recent messages (up to 20), so our team can review what happened. If you block someone, we store that block so it can be enforced.

3. Information collected automatically

• Location: only while you're using the app. When you open Post a load, it reads your device's location to fill in your pickup address (you can change it), and on the carriers' loads list it is used to show how far each pickup is from you. We never track your location in the background, and we only keep the addresses you choose to save on a load.
• Live trip location (carriers): while a trip you were chosen for is booked or on the way, and only while the app is open, your device's location is shared about every 20 seconds with that trip's shipper, so they can see where their goods are and roughly when you'll arrive. Only that shipper, you and our admins can see it. We keep only your latest position for that trip, and delete it as soon as the trip is delivered, completed or cancelled. You can stop it at any time by closing the app or turning off location permission.
• Addresses and routes: pickup and delivery points are looked up with Google Maps so the app can show the route and distance.
• Notifications: if you allow notifications, we store a device token so we can send you alerts about bids, messages, trips and your subscription.
• Activity in the service: the loads, bids, trip status changes and confirmations you make, and whether a carrier is online, so the marketplace works and every trip has a record.
• Technical information: basic logs and error reports generated by our hosting provider to keep the service running and secure.

We do not use analytics or advertising-tracking tools, and we do not collect your contacts, files other than the ones you choose to upload, or your device's advertising ID.

4. How we use your information

• To run the marketplace: show loads and bids to the right people, let shippers and carriers contact each other about a load, and keep a record of each trip.
• To keep the platform safe: verify carriers' documents and vehicles, check eligibility to bid, investigate fraud, abuse or disputes, and enforce our Terms of Service.
• To send you service messages: verification and password-reset emails, notifications and replies from support.
• To process carrier subscription payments and issue receipts.

We do not sell your personal information and we do not use it for advertising.

5. Ads in the app

The app shows a small number of sponsored messages from Nkagothusa and from businesses we work with. They are chosen only by where they appear (the shipper or carrier home screen), not by your personal information. We count how many times each ad is shown and tapped in total, without linking those counts to you, and we do not share any of your information with advertisers.

6. Payments

Carrier subscription payments are processed by PayGate, our payment provider. You enter card details on PayGate's own secure page; they never pass through or get stored on Nkagothusa's systems. We keep the payment result (amount, date, status and PayGate's reference) to manage your subscription and give you a receipt.

Payment for a load is arranged directly between shipper and carrier. The app only records that both sides confirmed it happened.

7. Who can see your information

• Other users: a carrier viewing your load sees your name, rating and the load details. A shipper reviewing bids sees a carrier's name, photo, rating, vehicle details and vehicle photos. Once a bid is accepted, both sides can message each other about that load.
• Carrier documents and payout details are visible only to you and to Nkagothusa staff who review them, never to other users.
• Reports are visible only to Nkagothusa staff. The person you report is not told who reported them. A person you block can see that they can no longer message you or bid on your loads.
• Service providers that run parts of the service for us, only for that purpose: Google Firebase (sign-in, database, file storage, hosting, notifications and server functions), Google Maps Platform (maps, address search and routes), PayGate (payments) and Resend (sending our emails).
• Authorities, if required by law, or where needed to protect the safety, rights or property of our users, the public or Nkagothusa.

8. How long we keep information

We keep your account information for as long as your account is open. When you delete your account, your sign-in, profile, public profile, vehicle and document details, payout details, saved addresses and all photos and documents you uploaded are deleted.

Some records connected to other people are kept after you delete your account because the other party still relies on them: loads you posted or completed (no longer linked to your account), chat messages on those loads, ratings, and subscription payment records. We keep these only as long as needed for disputes, fraud prevention and our legal, tax and accounting obligations.

9. Deleting your account

You can delete your account at any time in the app: tap the menu button (three lines) at the top right, tap Settings, then tap Delete account and confirm. This happens immediately.

If you can't use the app, email support@nkagothusa.com from the email address or with the phone number on your account and ask us to delete it. We will confirm it's your account and complete the deletion within 30 days. More details: https://nkagothusa.web.app/delete-account

10. Your choices and rights

You can view and update most of your information in the app (Account and Settings), turn notifications off in your device settings, and deny or withdraw location permission at any time; you can still type addresses by hand. You may ask us for a copy of your information, to correct it, or to delete it, by emailing us. We handle personal information in line with Botswana's Data Protection Act.

11. Security

Your information is stored with Google Firebase, sent over encrypted connections (HTTPS), and protected by access rules: for example, carrier documents and payout details can only be read by their owner and by Nkagothusa staff. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information.

12. Children

Nkagothusa is for adults. You must be 18 or older to create an account, and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

13. Changes to this policy

If we make an important change, we will update the date at the top and, where appropriate, tell you in the app. Continuing to use Nkagothusa after a change means you accept the updated policy.

14. Contact us

Questions or requests about your information: support@nkagothusa.com, or write to Techempower Proprietary Limited, Plot 16979, Bobididi Ward, Molepolole, Botswana.