Finding out you’re HIV-positive is never easy. It’s important to allow yourself time to process your feelings. Ask the nurse or doctor as many questions as necessary. Call the HIV/AIDS 24-hour helpline (0800 012 322) for information, counselling and emergencies.
Yes, you can have a baby. With the right ARV treatment and by being healthy, you can have an HIV-negative baby. Speak to your nurse at your local clinic to make sure you have all the right medications. Call the AIDS 24-hour helpline for information, counselling and emergencies (0800 012 322).
If your baby has a rash on his arm after an injection, make sure you clean the arm well to prevent infection. A rash can be normal, and you don’t need antibiotics just yet. If your baby develops a fever, is not eating or drinking fluids or you’re, please visit your clinic and ask them if any medicines are needed.
It is important to know your HIV status so that you can get the right medication to keep you healthy. Knowledge is power for yourself, your family and your partner. Knowing your status can prevent you from spreading the virus to your partner or unborn child if you are pregnant. Call the AIDS 24-hour helpline for more information, counselling and emergencies on 0800 012 322.
Yes, you can have more than one STD at a time. Remember that all STDs can be treated, but not all can be cured. For example, HIV/AIDS, which is very common in South Africa, has no cure and needs lifelong treatment. Speak to your nurse at your local clinic to get tested and treated for all STDs.
If your partner has an STD, get yourself tested and treated at your nearest clinic as soon as possible. Always wear a condom to help avoid spreading the infection. It’s important to discuss sexual health and responsibility with your partner to be aware of the risks of infecting each another.
Always use a condom to protect yourself from sexual diseases. If you have an STD, get it treated to prevent spreading it to your partner. If your partner has an STD, get yourself tested and treated at your nearest clinic. It is important to know the state of your sexual health.
Diabetes is a disease that happens when there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. A hormone called insulin helps our bodies use the sugar in the food we eat to make energy. If there is not enough insulin in our bodies, or if the insulin we have is not working properly, the blood has high sugar levels, but the body can’t use it which makes you sick.
Hypertension is when your blood pressure gets too high and can lead to serious health problems like stroke, heart attack, blindness or kidney failure. You can also feel very tired a lot of the time. Get your blood pressure checked regularly at your local clinic.
A vaccine is a medicine that protects you from diseases that can make you sick, disabled or can even kill you. A vaccine makes the body’s defense system (the immune system) stronger so it can fight disease. You can get vaccinations for diseases like Mumps, Influenza and much more. Vaccines are free at your local clinic.
No, vaccines are safe. Vaccines are the best defense we have against serious, preventable and sometimes deadly contagious diseases. Speak to your nurse at your local clinic about the different vaccines that are available to you for free.
There are many benefits of getting vaccinated; the main one is preventing the risk of serious disease. Vaccines are free at your local clinic and can help your immune system become stronger, keeping you and those around you healthy.
No, there are vaccines for teenagers and adults as well. These include vaccines for illnesses like HPV, chickenpox, hepatitis A and B and influenza. There are many more childhood illnesses that your baby will need a vaccination for. Speak to your nurse at your local clinic to make sure you and your children have had the right vaccines.
HPV could lead to cervical cancers, so the vaccination is important. It can also lead to warts (small bumps or rough areas on your skin) that can show up on your genitals, or other parts of your body. HPV is easy to get; you can get it from having sex with even just one person. Get yourself tested and treated for HPV at your local clinic.
Yes, boys and men can get HPV. Anyone can get HPV if they come into contact with someone who already has HPV. Intercourse (vaginal and anal) is the easiest way of getting HPV but you can also get infected through oral sex or skin-on-skin contact. Get yourself tested and treated for HPV at your local clinic.
Once you have HPV in your system there is no way of getting rid of it. The good news is that not all strains of HPV are dangerous and the symptoms and illnesses that come with HPV are treatable. Speak to your nurse at your local clinic about your symptoms.
Yes, the HPV vaccine works if you don’t have HPV in your system yet. The HPV vaccine will stay in your body forever once you have it, protecting you for the rest of your life. Speak to the nurse at your local clinic about getting the HPV vaccine.
When someone who is sick with TB coughs or sneezes, the TB germs are sprayed into the air. The germs can stay in the air for a long time. If you breathe some of these germs into your lungs, you will be infected too. Make sure you get yourself tested regularly for TB at your closest clinic, especially if people close to you have TB.
Treatment for TB lasts at least 6 months and includes more than one medicine. The treatment should be taken every day! Usually, after 1 month, most patients start to feel better and some stop taking the medication because they think they are no longer sick. Don’t stop treatment until your doctor or nurse tell you to stop.
TB is a disease that is usually found in the lungs. But TB can also be found in other parts of the body, such as the brain, bones, joints, heart, kidneys, stomach and lymph nodes (by your neck, crotch or elbow). No matter the location of the TB in your body, it is important to visit your clinic and test for TB immediately. TB is treatable.
The TB bacteria will grow and you will stay sick for longer, or even get worse. You can spread TB to family, friends, or anyone else you spend time with, making them sick too. This could happen even if you are not feeling sick. Make sure you get the right treatment for TB from your local clinic as soon as possible.
Yes, a person can get TB more than once. Even after someone has taken their treatment for 6 months and are cured. It is not known why it happens to some people and not others, but there many reasons why people could get TB again. So be sure to visit your local clinic regularly to keep yourself healthy.
Every time you take your ARVs, you top up the amount of ARV in your blood. Keep your ARV level in your blood high pushes the HIV in your body down, and stops HIV from attacking and killing your CD4 (soldier) cells. Your CD4 cells need to be able to fight other illnesses and infections so you stay healthy. The ARVs make your CD4 cells stronger, so it’s important to take your ARVs every day. Every time you miss or forget to take your ARVs, the HIV level in your body increases.
Yes, you can. If you take your ARVs every day, there will be less HIV in your body, but it is still there. So, it’s important to always wear condoms while having sex and to NEVER share a needle with someone. Call the AIDS 24-hour helpline for information, counselling and emergencies on 0800 012 322.
Yes. If you’ve had a healthy pregnancy, there’s no reason why you and your partner can’t have sex. The thick mucus plug that seals your cervix helps to guard your baby against infection. The amniotic sac and the strong muscles of your uterus (womb) also keep your baby safe.
Yes, because a condom does not just prevent pregnancy, it also protects both partners from a long list of sexually transmitted diseases. You and your partner can still become infected with these STDs even if she is pregnant.
You should avoid cheese, raw eggs, raw meat or fish in dishes like sushi, liver as well as high doses of Vitamin A. You should also avoid caffeine in coffee and energy drinks. Above all, try to cut out all alcohol during your pregnancy.
Lean meat like chicken is great for you. It supplies you and your baby with proteins that are needed to help your little one to grow. Lentils are packed with a B-vitamin called folic acid which is imperative for a healthy pregnancy.
If you have never exercised regularly before, you can safely begin an exercise program during pregnancy after checking with your doctor, but do not try a new, strenuous activity. Walking is a safe exercise to start when you are pregnant.
Obesity is a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems. Obesity occurs when a person’s body mass index is 30 or greater. The main symptom is excessive body fat. People may experience painful areas in the back or joints. Consult a doctor for medical advice.
Here’s what you can do to lose weight or avoid becoming overweight or obese: eat more fruit, vegetables, nuts and wholegrains. Exercise, even moderately, for at least 30 minutes a day. Cut down your consumption of fatty and sugary foods. Use vegetable-based oils rather than animal-based fats.
Weight and height are used to calculate a number called the “body mass index” (BMI). For most people, BMI is a good estimate of body fatness. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. Consult your nurse at your local clinic to help you calculate your BMI.
People who are overweight or obese have added pressure on their body’s ability to use insulin to properly control blood sugar levels and are therefore more likely to develop diabetes.
Obesity is also thought to trigger changes to the body’s metabolism. These changes cause fat tissue (adipose tissue) to release fat molecules into the blood, which can affect insulin responsive cells and lead to reduced insulin sensitivity.
You may become fertile within a month of stopping the pill, or it may take a little longer. By three months, most women find that their periods have returned, if they’ve not conceived already.
Save these three emergency numbers to your contacts: Nationwide Emergency Response 10111, alert emergency response from your cellphone 112 and Ambulance 10177.
For a suicidal emergency, call 0800 567 567. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group are there to help you.
If you suffer from substance abuse or alcohol addiction, phone 0800 12 13 14 for the Department of Social Development Substance Abuse 24-hour helpline.
Break the silence against domestic violence. If you are in an abusive relationship, reach out to LifeLine. Call the toll free 24-hour line 0800 150 15.
Click the Video AD below to access this content for FREE or choose a SUBSCRPTION option.
Please recharge to start accessing premium Mum and Baby content. Remember to keep a positive airtime balance so that the subscription fee can be deducted.
By pressing confirm button you agree to subscribe to
The terms of this agreement ("Terms and Conditions") govern the relationship between you and Vodacom and its affiliates (hereinafter "Vodacom" or "Us" or "We") regarding your use of the Mum & Baby service and related features (the "Service"). Use of the Service is also governed by Vodacom's Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Mum & Baby service is a South African stage-based maternal and health support service. The Service offers customers health related and stage-based information for you and your family, for educational purposes only that come in a broad range of Tools, Tutorials and Health Topics. The Mum & Baby Service is available to Vodacom and Non-Vodacom subscribers. There are no data charges for all Vodacom customers who access the Mum & Baby Service and/or platform (the Service is zero-rated). For all non-Vodacom subscribers data will be charged at their pre-existing data plans with their network operator(s). There are 2 types of the Mum & Baby service. Customers who register for the free Mum & Baby service will have the option to register for the Mum & Baby Premium service at a subscription cost. However, customers on the Siyakha Tariff Plan will have access to both the Free and Premium Mum & Baby service at no cost. The Mum & Baby Premium Service is not available to non-Vodacom subscribers.
1. Your Acceptance of these Terms and Conditions
Please read these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy carefully before using the Service or submitting information through the Service. By using the Service or submitting information through the Service, you are agreeing to these Terms and Conditions.
If you do not agree, please do not use this Service or submit any information through the Service. We reserve the right, at any time, to modify and update these Terms and Conditions from time to time by posting such updated Terms and Conditions on USSD, Mobi and Vodacom.co.za. Any such updates shall apply to you and your use of the Service and by continuing to use the Service, you shall be deemed to have accepted such changes.
2. Registration to Use the Service
a. All Vodacom subscribers can register to use the Service.
b. We are committed to protecting the privacy of children. You should be aware that this Service is not intended or designed for persons under the age of 18 years. We do not collect personally identifiable information from any person we actually know is under the age of 18.
c. This Service is available to all Vodacom subscribers (subject to clause (a) and (b) above) via USSD for prepaid customers and Mobi for all Vodacom subscribers.
d.To be a user of the Service you will be required to register and doing so accordingly binds you to these Terms and Conditions. On registration, you will be asked to submit the following information to us:
i. Name
ii. Age group
iii. Province where you are located
iv. Preferred language
e. We are committed to ensuring responsible practices in the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with applicable law. If you do not agree with our Privacy Policy and these terms and conditions (specifically clauses 8 Privacy and Data Protection of these Terms and Conditions), Please do not provide us with any personal information, and please do not register to use the Service.
f. By registering, you agree to the following:
i. Only one registration is permitted per mobile number. Only Vodacom subscribers may register.
ii. You give us consent to provide you with various notifications and messages about / based on your subscription to the Service. These notifications will be delivered to you in the form of text messages sent to your mobile device using the MSISDN identifying you as a user of the Service.
3. Medicine Check, Due Date Calculator, Medicine Reminder & Immunisation Tool Disclaimer
a. The information provided in the Tools listed above has been specifically compiled for purposes of providing non-diagnostic or professional health information about medication or related matters. Neither Vodacom nor its service provider(s), from whom Vodacom obtained the data comprising the information, have performed any independent analysis or investigation to determine the correctness or accuracy of the data, and do not warrant that data is correct or accurate.
b. By making this information available, neither Vodacom nor its service provider(s) are endorsing or advocating the use of any medication described, nor are we responsible for misuse of a medication due to, or other consequence of, any typographical error or other inaccuracy. Additional information on any medication may be obtained from the manufacturer.
c. It is strongly recommended that you independently verify any interpretation of this information. Where you use this information, you shall be fully responsible for your interpretation of the information and shall rely on your own professional judgement [independent medical advice you may obtain] in using this information. It is also strongly recommended that you independently verify the information to ensure it is appropriate for your purposes.
d. This information is provided on an "as is" basis. Neither Vodacom nor its service provider(s) make any representations, conditions, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that this information is accurate, complete, up-to-date or fit for any particular purposes. Any statements made to the contrary are void.
e. Your reliance upon information obtained by you by accessing our products and services is solely at your own risk. Neither Vodacom nor its service provider(s) assume any liability or responsibility for damage or injury to you, other persons, or property airing from any use of the information.
f. It is important to note that the all Mum & Baby services will not work whilst you are roaming outside of South Africa.
4. Mum & Baby Premium Services
a. Registered users are given exclusive access to premium services listed in clauses (d) to (f). Most of these involve the pushing of content to your phone via SMS on a once off or subscription basis. Others also involve the unlocking of additional content on the mobi-site.
b. All Mum & Baby Premium service subscribers will still receive the usual Free SMS' in addition to their subscription content. Users are afforded the option to unsubscribe from the Mum & Baby Premium service at any time and the cancellation/un-subscription can be effected by accessing the Mobi-site on https://mumandbaby.vodacom.co.za and on USSD by dialing *117*6862#
c. Mum & Baby Premium service carries a subscription charge. Depending on the service chosen, users are billed daily, weekly or monthly. Whether to subscribe and use Mum & Baby Premium Service is voluntary and occurs via the Service menu on USSD and/or on the Homepage of the mobi-site. This subscription charge is subject to change at Vodacom's discretion. Any changes to the subscription fee will be communicated to subscribed users with reasonable notice and you will be afforded an option to unsubscribe from the Mum & Baby Premium service should you wish to do so.
i. Users will always be advised of the subscription fees payable for Mum & Baby Premium service and such users must first accept the subscription fee prior to subscribing.
ii. Users can only subscribe to one Health Topic at a time when subscribing whether on USSD or Mobi and would have to either wait for their existing subscription to a topic/ category to 'expire' or unsubscribe from their current topic before they can subscribe to other topics and/or categories Please note that this clause only refers to the Health Topics offered on both USSD and Mobi, users are at Liberty to enjoy all other Premium offerings on Mum & Baby within the same Subscription.
iii. You may unsubscribe to Mum & Baby Premium Service at any time, while still remaining registered for the Mum & Baby Free Service.
iv. You acknowledge that the Mum & Baby Premium Service messaging relating to your chosen Health topic / category (Health SMS, Health Education Tutorial) are delivered on weekdays, Monday – Friday, between 08h00-17h00. Should you not be in agreement with these conditions regarding the Mum & Baby Premium service messaging, you are advised to unsubscribe from the alerts at any time through the Service menu on USSD or on the mobi-site as stated on clause (b) above.
d. The 'Am I Sick' tool is NOT to be used as a Self-Diagnostic tool. It is intended to guide a user on possible conditions that they may have, based on the symptoms they may have entered on the tool. Users are advised to consult their nearest Health Practitioner for a diagnostic as the guide does not provide any diagnostic and cannot be taken to provide accurate information. Vodacom will not be held liable for any health complications, death or any underlying chronic illnesses that may be diagnosed by your Health Practitioner. Please also refer to our disclaimer in clause 5 below.
e. The Medicine Reminder is to be used as advised on the portal. The Medicine Reminder tool only allows you to enter the time of the first dose. All other times are worked out by an algorithm in the tool. It is your responsibility to ensure that you take your medication as per the instructional provided by your medical doctor if different from what is suggested in the Medicine Reminder tool. Please note that by subscribing to receive reminders from this service you are agreeing to receive messages between 06h00 – 21h00, with the option of extending the times to 06h00 – 02h00 the next day. Vodacom will not be held liable for any missed or over doses that may lead to any health complications and death. Vodacom cannot be held liable for the incorrectness and/or loss of any Information provided or undelivered reminders or the delay in delivery thereof. Including the non-availability of the service or access, for any reason whatsoever.
f. The Health Centre is a directory tool that assists you in locating health services, of your choice, around your area or near you. In order to be able to use this service you must activate your GPS (Global Positioning System) by switching on your location services on your mobile device. The information on this tool should only be used as a guide and users should call their nearest Emergency Services as soon as possible when need be. Vodacom cannot be held liable for the incorrectness and/or unavailability of the information required. Vodacom will not be held liable for any health complications and death of any nature.
g. It is important to note that the all Mum & Baby services will not work whilst you are roaming outside of South Africa.
5. General Disclaimer
a. We grant you permission to use the Service, in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, provided that: (i) your use of the Service is only for your personal, non-commercial purposes; (ii) you do not copy or distribute any part of the Service in any medium without our prior written authorization; (iii) you do not alter or modify any part of the Service other than as may occur during your proper use of the Service for their intended purpose; and (iv) you comply with these Terms and Conditions.
b. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to restrict, suspend or terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time for any reason on prior notice to you and without any liability to you for doing so. We may change, suspend or discontinue all or any aspect of the Service at any time, including the availability of any specific features or content.
c. We do not permit copyright infringing activities or the infringement of intellectual property or other proprietary rights (including privacy and publicity rights) in connection with the Service, and we will remove all content if properly notified that such materials infringe on a party's intellectual property right.
d. We hereby grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited license to access the Service for your own non-commercial, information or educational purposes. You may not: (i) modify, disassemble, edit, decompile, reverse engineer or copy the Service; (ii) rent, lease, loan, resell, sublicense, distribute or otherwise transfer the Service to any third party ; (iii) remove, circumvent, disable, damage or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the Service, features that prevent or restrict use or copying of any content accessible through the Service, or features that enforce limitations on use of the Service; or (iv) delete the copyright and other proprietary rights notices on the Service.
e. You acknowledge that from time to time, the Service's availability may be limited due to maintenance, upgrade or other technical reasons as relevant.
f. We do not warrant that the Service will be compatible with your mobile device. We reserve the right to stop offering and/or supporting the Service or a particular part of the Service at any time, at which point your license to use the Service or a part thereof will be automatically terminated. In such event, we shall not be required to provide refunds, benefits or other compensation to users in connection with such discontinued Services, or any discontinued parts thereof.
g. To the extent allowed by law, the Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis for your use, without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Whilst every effort has been made by Vodacom and its service providers, to ensure the proper performance of the Service, the accuracy of the information/images and the reliability of the binary data on the Service, Vodacom, its affiliated companies, suppliers, or any of their employees, do not, to the full extent permitted by law, guarantee the availability or accuracy of the Services, content and/or information offered on the Service. We do not warrant that you will be able to access or use the Service at the times or locations of your choosing; that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free; or that defects will be corrected. We thus make no representations or warranties, whether express or implied, and assume no liability or responsibility for the proper performance of the Service and the Service is thus used at your own risk.
h. You acknowledge that we may appoint third party companies and individuals to facilitate the Service (e.g. maintenance, analysis, audit, marketing and development). These third parties have limited access to your information only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated to us not to disclose or use it for other purposes.
i. You acknowledge that certain existing or future aspects of the Service, including notifications and rewards may be provided for free to you though both the charges and/or the exclusivity thereof is subject to change at any time at Vodacom's discretion. Any change in this respect will be communicated to you via applicable means to inform you of any applicable change.
j. The Service includes the provision of both factual information and editorial content for educational purpose only. Vodacom's appointed 3rd party maintains and owns the relevant licenses and rights to display and provide such content via the Service. Neither Vodacom nor the 3rd party appointed to provide this content may be held liable for any harm or consequences arising as a result of any unintended inaccuracies or discrepancies in the content.
6. General Disclaimer
a. THE CONTENT AVAILABLE VIA THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT NEITHER VODACOM NOR ITS SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE ENGAGED IN RENDERING MEDICAL, COUNSELING, LEGAL, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OR ADVICE.
b. SUCH CONTENT IS INTENDED SOLELY AS A GENERAL EDUCATIONAL AID. IT IS NOT INTENDED AS MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE ADVICE, OR TO BE USED FOR MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT, FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL PROBLEM. IT IS ALSO NOT INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND SERVICES FROM A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FAMILIAR WITH YOUR UNIQUE FACTS. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER REGARDING ANY MEDICAL CONDITION AND BEFORE STARTING ANY NEW TREATMENT.
c. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MEDICAL PRACTITIONER OR CLINIC FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY LINE ON 082112.
7. Ownership
a. All rights, title and interest in and to the Service including, but not limited to, titles, computer code, themes, objects, stories, dialogue, concepts, artwork, animations, sounds, musical compositions, audio-visual effects, methods of operation, moral rights, documentation are owned by us and our service providers. We reserve all rights, including, but not limited to, all intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights, in connection with the Service.
b. We own, have licensed, or otherwise have rights to use, or provide all of the content that appears in the Service.
c. You acknowledge that we own or have been granted licenses for the intellectual property rights in and to all content contained in the Service, and that the unauthorised use thereof is expressly prohibited. The word or mark "Mum & Baby", however represented, including stylised representation, all associated logos and symbols and combinations of any of the aforegoing with another word or mark, used on the Service, are our trademarks or that of our service providers.
8. Limitation of Liability
a. You agree that your use of the Service shall be at your sole risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we and our officers, directors, employees, and agents disclaim all warranties, express or implied, in connection with the services and your use thereof. We make no warranties or representations about the accuracy or completeness of the Services' content or the content of and assume no liability or responsibility for any (i) errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies of content; (ii) personal injury or property damage of any nature whatsoever resulting from your access to and use of the services; (iii) any unauthorized access to or use of our servers; (iv) any interruption or cessation of transmission to or from the Service; (v) any bugs, viruses, trojan horses or the like which may be transmitted to or through the services by any third party; or (vi) any errors or omissions in any content or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any content posted, emailed, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the services. We do not warrant, endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for any information provided as part of the Service by a third party.
b. To the extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall we or our subsidiaries and affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, owners, agents, employees, representatives and licensors be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, consequential, punitive or exemplary losses or damages whatsoever or for loss of profits (including, without limitation, damages for loss of revenue, loss of data, failure to realize expected savings, interruption of activities, or any other pecuniary or economic loss) and whether arising from breach of contract, damages (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising out of the use of or inability to use the Services or its content.
c. Save to the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Vodacom and its partners, subsidiaries and affiliates from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, liability, losses, costs and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) arising from or related to: (i) any use or alleged use of the Service by any other person, whether or not authorized by you; (ii) your breach of these Terms and Conditions, including any breach of your representations and warranties herein; and (iii) your violation of any law or (iv) your use of or inability to use the Service, the contents made available on the Service.
10. Rewards
a. From time to time we may randomly offer rewards on the platform and these rewards will only be available to all Mum & Baby Subscribers unless otherwise specified.
b. Please read the disclaimers on all rewards offered in the Rewards page the Mum & Baby service carefully as Vodacom will not be held liable for any loss or damage relating to the use and/or redemption of the vouchers awarded to users.
c. Rewards are available for the duration that is stipulated on the Rewards page and the relevant terms and conditions therein shall apply.
10. Privacy and Data Protection
a. This clause explains how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information. This clause should be read with the Vodacom's Privacy Policy. If we update this clause and our privacy policy, we will post any changes on our website.
Collecting your personal information
b. We can get your personal information when you use this Service. In the case of the use of the Service your personal information is collected for the purpose of being used and processed in:
• personalising the Service to your respective preferences;
• for the serving of appropriate, tailored advertising to you via the Service;
• for the purpose of tracking the Service's performance;
• troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research and service improvement and/or to identify any technical issues that may occur from time to time;
• for use in devising additional enhancements or improvements to the Service; and
• statistical tracking, redundancy and audit purposes.
c. The above data will not be shared with other users of the Service. However, Vodacom further may collect your information in terms of clause 9 (h) and (i) below.
d. We may also collect information about you from other organisations, if this is appropriate. These include fraud-prevention agencies, business directories and credit reference agencies. We may also collect information about you from other companies, our business, or joint venture partners.
Understanding what you want
e. We might also use cookies (small text files stored in your browser) and other techniques such as web beacons (small, clear picture files used to follow your movements on our website). These collect information that tells us how you use our websites, web-related products and services.
f. This, in turn, helps us make our website relevant to your interests and needs. We may use a persistent cookie (a cookie that stays linked to your browser) to record your details so we can recognise you if you visit our website again. See the next section for more details.
g. You can choose to refuse cookies, or set your browser to let you know each time a website tries to set a cookie.
The personal information we collect
h. The information we collect about you depends on the Vodacom and Vodafone products and services you use and subscribe to. It may include (but is not limited to) the following:
i. your name, age group home language;
ii. your preferences for particular products, services or lifestyle activities when you tell us what they are – or when we assume what they are, depending on how you use our products and services;
iii. your contact with us – such as a note or recording of a call you make to one of our contact centres, an email or letter you send to us or other records of any contact you have with us;
iv. your account information – such as phone number, handset type, handset model,, whether you are a post or prepaid customer, dates of payment owed and received, TopUp information, the subscription services you use or any other information related to your account.
i. We will also get information on how you use our products and services, such as:
i. Where applicable, the phone numbers that you call or send messages to (or the phone numbers that you receive these calls and messages from);
ii. the date, time and length of the calls and messages you send or receive through our network, and your approximate location at the time these communications take place;
iii. the level of service you receive – for example, network faults and other network events which may affect our network services;
iv. your website browsing information (which includes information about the websites you visit, and about how you use our website or other Vodafone Group websites on your mobile or a PC;
v. the date, time and length of your internet browsing, and your approximate location at the time of browsing;
vi. your brand preference, preferred video categories, related preferences (e.g. team choice); and type of services you typically access.
Using your personal information
j. We may use and analyse your information to:
i. process the goods and services you have bought from us, and keep you updated with your order progress;
ii. keep you informed generally about new products and services (unless you choose not to receive our marketing messages);
iii. provide the relevant service or product to you. This includes other services not included in this terms and conditions, and services that use information about where you are when using your mobile equipment (location information) and to contact you with messages about changes to the service or product;
iv. you with offers or promotions based on how you use our products and services. These include your calling and messaging activities, location information and browsing information (unless you choose not to receive these messages – see below on 'How to opt-out';
v. send you targeted and relevant messages, based on your behaviour, permission and preferences. From time to time, we will send you a range of different messages, from Vodacom as well as brands, to keep you informed or simply for you to tell us what you are into. These are not just offers and promotions but messages from your favourite brands including new products, discounts, limited offers, gifts and more. It works by using information about you to send you targeted messages relevant to you;
vi. bill you for using any additional products or services, or to take the appropriate amount of credit from you;
vii. respond to any questions or concerns you may have about using the Service, our network, products or services;
viii. let you know about other companies' products and services we think may interest you (including offers and discounts we've specially negotiated for our customers);
ix. protect our network and manage the volume of calls, texts and other use of our network. For example, we identify peak periods of use so we can try and ensure the network can handle the volume at those times
x. understand how you use this Service, our network, products and services. That way, we can develop more interesting and relevant products and services, as well as personalising the products and services we offer you;
xi. carry out research and statistical analysis including to monitor how customers use this Service, our network, products and services on an anonymous or personal basis;
xii. prevent and detect fraud or other crimes, recover debts or trace those who owe us money;
xiii. provide aggregated reports to third parties (such reports do not contain any information which may identify you as an individual).
k. The information we use will be your approximate location, based on the nearest mobile cell site. As a result, this will change as you move around with your mobile phone.
l. We will store your information for as long as we have to by law. If there is no legal requirement, we will only store it for as long as we need it.
Sharing your personal information
m. We may share information about you with:
i. companies in the Vodacom and Vodafone Group (Vodafone Group Plc and any company or other organisation in which Vodacom owns more than 15% of the share capital);
ii. Mondia Media, partners or agents involved in delivering the Services;
iii. companies who are engaged to perform the Service for, on behalf of Vodacom (Pty) Ltd including Mondia Media (Pty) Ltd;
iv. where applicable, credit reference, fraud prevention or business scoring agencies, or other credit scoring agencies;
v. where applicable, debt collection agencies or other debt recovery organisations;
vi. law enforcement agencies, regulatory organisations, courts or other public authorities if we have to, or are authorised to by law;
vii. emergency services (if you make an emergency call), including your approximate location.
n. We will release information if it's reasonable for the purpose of protecting us against fraud, defending our rights or property, or to protect the interests of our customers.
o. If we are reorganised or sold to another organisation, we may transfer any personal information we hold about you to that organisation.
p. We will transfer your information to Mondia Media our service provider. Mondia Media servers are based outside South Africa in Germany where adequate data protection laws exist to protect the privacy and security of your information. We have also signed a contract with Mondia Media with data protection provisions to ensure the security and protection of the privacy of your information.
q. At your option, we may also share your information with partner organisations we've chosen carefully, so they can contact you about their products and services.
Keeping your personal information secure
r. We have specialised security teams who constantly review and improve our measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, accidental loss, disclosure or destruction.
s. If we have a contract with another organisation to provide us with services or a service on our behalf to process your personal information, we will make sure they have appropriate security measures and only process your information in the way we've authorised them to. These organisations will not be entitled to use your personal information for their own purposes. If necessary, our security teams will check them to make sure they meet the security requirements we have set.
t. Communications over the internet (such as emails) are not secure unless they have been encrypted. Your communications may go through a number of countries before being delivered – as this is the nature of the internet. We cannot accept responsibility for any unauthorised access or loss of personal information that's beyond our control.
How to opt-out
u. If you want to opt out of Mum & Baby notifications, alerts or messages, you may do so via the relevant prompts through the short code *117*6862# or by visiting https://mumandbaby.vodacom.co.za. You can choose to opt out of partner communications by sending an SMS with STOP to 30881.