PAIA Manual

1. Purpose of this manual

PAIA gives effect to the constitutional right of access to information held by the State and by private bodies, where that information is required for the exercise or protection of any right.

Section 51 of PAIA requires every private body to compile a manual explaining how a requester can access the records it holds. This manual sets out what records YesChef holds, how to request access to them, and what happens once a request is made.

This manual is available free of charge on this page, and a copy will be provided on request.

2. Who we are

YesChef is a food ordering platform that connects customers with food vendors at markets, festivals, and pop-up events across South Africa. The platform is operated by YesChef Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a private company registered in South Africa, trading as YesChef.

Full legal name: YesChef Holdings (Pty) Ltd
Registration number: 2026/596253/07
Physical and postal address: 17 Warren Street, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, 8001
Website: yeschefapp.co.za

3. Contact details of the Information Officer

All requests for access to records, and all enquiries about this manual, must be directed to our Information Officer.

Information Officer: Matthew Reid
Email: privacy@yeschefapp.co.za
Postal and physical address: 17 Warren Street, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, 8001

4. The PAIA Guide by the Information Regulator

The Information Regulator has compiled a guide, in terms of section 10 of PAIA, containing information to assist a person who wishes to exercise a right under the Act. The guide is available in each official language.

A requester who needs help understanding their rights, or help completing a request, should consult the guide before submitting a request. It can be obtained from the Information Regulator:

Information Regulator (South Africa)
Telephone: +27 (0) 10 023 5207
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Website: inforegulator.org.za
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001

5. Records held by YesChef

The categories below describe the records we hold. Listing a category here does not mean the records in it are automatically available. Every request is assessed against the grounds for refusal in Chapter 4 of PAIA, and against our obligations under POPIA.

5.1 Records available in terms of other legislation

Certain records are made available in terms of other legislation, including the Companies Act 71 of 2008 where applicable, the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962, the Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993, the Unemployment Insurance Act 63 of 2001, the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, and the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.

5.2 Records automatically available

The following are published on our website and are available without a formal PAIA request:

• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• This PAIA manual
• Publicly listed vendor profiles, menus, and pricing

5.3 Records available on request

• Customer records: order history, contact details, notification preferences, marketing preferences, and payment transaction references associated with a customer.
• Vendor records: vendor account and onboarding records, menu and catalogue configurations, order and transaction records, billing and invoice records, staff roster records.
• Financial records: platform fee invoices, accounting records, tax records, and payment provider reconciliation records.
• Employment and personnel records: employment contracts, payroll records, and personnel files for our own staff.
• Operational and technical records: platform audit logs, security and access logs, incident records, and system configuration records.
• Contractual records: Vendor Agreements, supplier and service provider agreements, and data processing agreements.
• Statutory records: records required to be kept under the legislation listed in Section 5.1.

6. How to request access to a record

6.1 Form of request

A request must be made on the prescribed form published by the Information Regulator, and must be submitted to the Information Officer at the address or email in Section 3. A request must:

• Provide sufficient detail to enable us to identify the record and the requester
• Specify the form of access required
• Provide an address or email in the Republic to which we must send our decision
• State the right the requester is seeking to exercise or protect, and explain why the record is required to exercise or protect that right
• Indicate whether the requester wishes to be informed of the decision in any manner in addition to writing, and specify the necessary particulars

Where a request is made on behalf of another person, the requester must submit proof of the capacity in which they are making the request, to our reasonable satisfaction.

6.2 Fees

PAIA provides for two fees: a request fee, which may be payable before a request is processed, and an access fee, which covers the cost of searching for, reproducing, and preparing the record.

Personal requesters, being people requesting records about themselves, are not required to pay a request fee.

The applicable amounts are those prescribed by the Minister and published by the Information Regulator from time to time. We will inform a requester of any fee payable, and of their right to lodge a complaint against that decision, before processing the request. Where an access fee is payable, we may withhold the record until the fee has been paid.

6.3 Our decision

We will decide on a request within 30 days of receiving it, and will notify the requester of the decision in writing.

Where the request relates to a record that is voluminous, requires a search through a large number of records, or requires consultation with a third party, we may extend the period by a further 30 days. We will notify the requester of any extension and the reasons for it.

If access is refused, our notice will set out the reasons for the refusal, the provision of PAIA relied on, and the requester’s right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator or to apply to a court.

6.4 Grounds for refusal

We may or must refuse access to a record on the grounds set out in Chapter 4 of PAIA, which include:

• Mandatory protection of the privacy of a third party who is a natural person
• Mandatory protection of the commercial information of a third party, including trade secrets and financial, commercial, scientific, or technical information that could harm their commercial or financial interests
• Mandatory protection of confidential information supplied by a third party
• Mandatory protection of records privileged from production in legal proceedings
• Protection of our own commercial information, including trade secrets and research
• Protection of the safety of individuals and of property
• Records containing computer programs

Where a ground for refusal applies to only part of a record, we will grant access to the remainder.

6.5 Remedies

A requester who is dissatisfied with our decision, including a decision on fees or on an extension, may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator, or apply to a court for appropriate relief, within the periods prescribed by PAIA.

7. Requests for personal information under POPIA

A data subject who wants access to, correction of, or deletion of their own personal information does not need to use the PAIA process. Those requests are handled under our Privacy Policy, which sets out the rights available under POPIA and how to exercise them. Send those requests to the Information Officer at privacy@yeschefapp.co.za.

We will respond to a POPIA data subject request within 30 days of receipt.

8. Updates to this manual

We will update this manual whenever there is a material change to our records, our contact details, or the applicable law. The current version is always available on this page, and the version and date at the top reflect when it was last changed.