A private-body record must be required for the exercise or protection of a right.
Promotion of Access to Information Act
PAIA manual and access to records.
African Resolve Holdings makes this manual available under section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000. It identifies the records held by the company, the procedure for requesting access, the prescribed fees, the decision process and the remedies available to requesters and affected third parties.
The request must identify the record, requester, right relied upon and preferred form of access.
The period may be extended once, for no more than a further 30 days, where PAIA permits.
1. Status and scope of this manual
This is the section 51 PAIA manual of African Resolve Holdings. It applies to recorded information in the possession or under the control of African Resolve Holdings, regardless of whether the record was created by the company and regardless of whether it is held on paper, electronically, as an image, in an audio or video format, in a database, in correspondence or through a service provider acting for the company.
For access to a record of a private body, section 50 of PAIA requires the requester to show that the record is required for the exercise or protection of a right, comply with the prescribed procedure and establish that access is not excluded by a ground for refusal.
Listing a category does not make every record publicly available. Access remains subject to PAIA, POPIA, confidentiality obligations, legal privilege, third-party rights, contractual restrictions, security requirements and the existence and lawful retention of the record.
2. Information Officer and request channels
PAIA requests, requests for assistance and questions about this manual must be directed to the Information Officer.
| Responsible private body | African Resolve Holdings (Pty) Ltd |
|---|---|
| Registration number | 2026/619481/07 |
| Information Officer | Information Officer, African Resolve Holdings |
| info@africanresolve.com | |
| Telephone | +27 82 776 7668 |
| Physical or registered address | 1442 Cunningham Avenue, Waverley, Pretoria, Gauteng, Pretoria, Gauteng, 0135 |
A person who cannot complete the prescribed form because of a disability, limited literacy or another material barrier may request reasonable assistance from the Information Officer. Requests made through a representative must include proof that the representative is authorised to act.
3. Information Regulator guide and prescribed forms
The Information Regulator publishes a guide explaining how to use PAIA, the rights of requesters and third parties, the request procedure, fees and available remedies. The guide is available in South Africa's official languages from the Information Regulator.
The Information Regulator can be contacted through its published channels, including toll-free telephone number 0800 017 160 and enquiries@inforegulator.org.za.
4. Records available without a formal PAIA request
The following records are generally available through the African Resolve Holdings website or on ordinary business request, without completing Form 2:
- public website pages describing African Resolve Holdings, its capabilities, sectors, leadership and contact channels;
- the privacy notice, cookie policy, this PAIA manual and published company-compliance information;
- public insights, articles, announcements, brochures, capability statements and marketing material;
- publicly issued invitations, specifications, notices or forms intended for suppliers, partners, applicants or other stakeholders;
- contact details and other corporate particulars intentionally published by African Resolve Holdings; and
- records that African Resolve Holdings elects to provide through normal client, supplier, procurement or contracting processes.
A record that was previously public may be removed, archived, corrected or restricted where continued publication is no longer appropriate. Access to the underlying record may then require a formal request.
5. Subjects and categories of records held
African Resolve Holdings may hold records within the categories below. The categories reflect the company's corporate, commercial, engineering, technology, supply, project-delivery and administrative activities.
Corporate and governance
- incorporation, ownership, director and statutory registers;
- resolutions, delegated authorities and governance records;
- policies, registers, meeting records and organisational structures;
- company-secretarial and regulatory correspondence.
Finance, tax and banking
- management accounts, financial statements and audit records;
- budgets, costings, cash-flow and working-capital records;
- tax, VAT, payroll, banking, payment and invoice records;
- asset, insurance and financial-control records.
Procurement, suppliers and logistics
- requests for quotation, tenders, supplier quotations and evaluations;
- purchase orders, supply agreements and product records;
- import, freight, customs, warehouse and delivery records;
- supplier, subcontractor and due-diligence documentation.
Clients, contracts and projects
- proposals, bids, contracts, service levels and work orders;
- project plans, schedules, milestones, reports and correspondence;
- variations, approvals, acceptance, handover and close-out records;
- reference, performance and delivery-evidence records.
Engineering, energy and technical delivery
- specifications, drawings, bills of quantities and technical submissions;
- inspection, quality, test, maintenance and commissioning records;
- electrical, renewable-energy, electronics and equipment records;
- technical supplier, product and warranty documentation.
Software, systems and information technology
- requirements, designs, source code and technical documentation;
- system, database, hosting, integration and support records;
- licensing, access-control, audit-log and security records;
- incident, backup, change and continuity records.
Personnel, contractors and deployed teams
- employment, contractor, payroll and personnel records;
- qualifications, experience, training and competency evidence;
- workforce, event-staffing, attendance and deployment records;
- health, safety, performance and disciplinary records.
Marketing, stakeholders and communications
- campaign, event, media and promotional records;
- brand, website, photography and content records;
- enquiries, stakeholder correspondence and contact records;
- research, market and business-development records.
Legal, compliance and risk
- legal advice, disputes, claims and privileged communications;
- B-BBEE, CSD, tax, declarations and supplier-compliance records;
- risk, conflicts, anti-corruption and due-diligence records;
- POPIA, PAIA, security and information-governance records.
Historical and experience records
- leadership biographies and career records;
- prior-business, project and sector-experience evidence;
- reference material, photographs, invoices and delivery records;
- records used to substantiate capability or experience claims.
6. Records maintained under other legislation
African Resolve Holdings maintains records required by legislation applicable to the company, its personnel, projects and transactions. Depending on the activity and circumstances, this may include records under:
Corporate, commercial and tax
- Companies Act 71 of 2008;
- Income Tax Act 58 of 1962;
- Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011;
- Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991;
- Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008;
- Competition Act 89 of 1998;
- Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003.
Employment, safety and information
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997;
- Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995;
- Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, where applicable;
- Skills Development Act 97 of 1998;
- Unemployment Insurance Act 63 of 2001;
- Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993;
- Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993;
- Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013;
- Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002.
The inclusion of legislation in this manual does not imply that every provision applies to every African Resolve Holdings activity or that every statutory record is available to the public. Access is determined under the relevant legislation and PAIA.
7. How to request access to a record
A requester must complete the prescribed Form 2: Request for Access to Record and submit it to the Information Officer. The request must contain enough information to identify the requester, the record and the right for which the record is required.
Identify the record
Describe the document, correspondence, transaction, project, date range, people involved or other details that will allow a reasonable search.
Identify the right
State the right to be exercised or protected and explain why the requested record is required for that purpose.
Confirm identity and authority
Provide appropriate proof of identity. A representative must also provide written authority to act for the requester.
Select the form of access
State whether inspection, an electronic copy, a printed copy, a transcript or another available form of access is requested.
Provide contact details
Include an email address, telephone number and any other address required for notices, fee instructions and the outcome.
Submit Form 2
Send the completed form and supporting documents to the Information Officer using the contact details in this manual.
Request checklist
- completed Form 2;
- clear description of the record;
- right to be exercised or protected;
- explanation of why the record is required;
- proof of identity;
- proof of authority when acting for another person;
- preferred form of access and language, where relevant;
- contact details for notices and the decision.
Litigation and discovery: PAIA does not apply to a record requested for civil or criminal proceedings after those proceedings have commenced where access is provided for under another law.
8. Request assessment, decision and response periods
African Resolve Holdings applies the following process to a valid request:
- The request is logged and checked for sufficient detail, proof of identity or authority and the information required by Form 2.
- The Information Officer may request clarification or provide reasonable assistance where the request cannot be processed as submitted.
- Any prescribed request fee is communicated before further processing.
- Relevant locations, systems, archives, custodians and service providers are searched for the record.
- Applicable refusal grounds, third-party interests, privilege, confidentiality, security and severability are assessed.
- The outcome and any access fee are communicated using the prescribed notice or an equivalent written decision containing the required information.
Ordinary period
The decision is ordinarily communicated within 30 days after receipt of the request, subject to the prescribed fee process and the request containing the information required for it to be processed.
Extension
PAIA permits the 30-day period to be extended once, for no more than a further 30 days, where the request concerns a large volume of records, requires a search through records held away from the relevant office, requires consultation that cannot reasonably be completed within the original period or meets another statutory ground for extension. The requester will be notified of the extension and its reasons.
No response
If African Resolve Holdings does not issue a decision within the period required by PAIA, the request is treated as having been refused for purposes of the requester's remedies.
9. Prescribed private-body fees
The fees below reflect the Information Regulator's published private-body fee structure. African Resolve Holdings applies the prescribed fee schedule in force when the request is processed.
| Item | Prescribed amount |
|---|---|
| Request fee | R140.00 |
| Photocopy or printed black-and-white A4 page | R2.00 per page or part of a page |
| Electronic copy on requester-provided flash drive | R40.00 |
| Electronic copy on requester-provided compact disc | R40.00 |
| Electronic copy on compact disc supplied by the body | R60.00 |
| Transcription or copy of visual images | Actual outsourced service-provider quotation |
| Transcription of an audio record | R24.00 per A4 page |
| Audio copy on requester-provided flash drive or compact disc | R40.00 |
| Audio copy on compact disc supplied by the body | R60.00 |
| Search and preparation after the first hour | R145.00 per hour or part thereof, to a maximum of R435.00 |
| Deposit where the search exceeds six hours | One-third of the applicable amount calculated under the prescribed copying and reproduction items |
| Postage, email or other electronic transfer | Actual expense, if any |
A fee notice will identify the amount, payment method and basis of calculation. Access may be deferred until a lawfully payable fee or deposit has been paid. A requester may challenge a fee through the remedies available under PAIA.
10. Grounds for refusal, public-interest override and partial access
African Resolve Holdings must or may refuse access where PAIA protects another person's rights or another legally recognised interest. Depending on the record, this may include:
- unreasonable disclosure of a third party's personal information;
- trade secrets, financial, commercial, scientific or technical information of African Resolve Holdings or a third party;
- information supplied in confidence or protected by a contractual duty of confidence;
- records whose disclosure could endanger a person's life or physical safety, prejudice security measures or expose property or systems to risk;
- legally privileged communications and records prepared for legal proceedings;
- research information whose premature disclosure could cause serious disadvantage;
- records restricted by another law or by binding confidentiality, privacy, intellectual-property or security obligations;
- requests that do not establish that the record is required for the exercise or protection of a right.
Public-interest override
Where PAIA's public-interest override applies, a protected record may nevertheless have to be disclosed if it would reveal evidence of a substantial contravention of, or failure to comply with, the law or an imminent and serious public-safety or environmental risk, and the public interest in disclosure clearly outweighs the harm protected by the refusal ground.
Severability
Where protected material can reasonably be separated from information that may be disclosed, African Resolve Holdings will consider granting access to the severable portion rather than refusing the entire record.
11. Third-party records and consultation
A requested record may contain personal information, confidential commercial information, trade secrets or other protected interests belonging to a client, employee, supplier, subcontractor, professional adviser, technology provider or other third party.
Where PAIA requires third-party notification, African Resolve Holdings may notify the affected party, describe the request without improperly disclosing the requester's protected information, allow representations and consider those representations before deciding the request. A decision to disclose may be delayed for the period during which the affected party may complain to the Information Regulator or approach a court.
12. Access to personal information and POPIA-related records
A person may request access to personal information held about that person under PAIA and section 23 of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013. African Resolve Holdings verifies identity and authority before disclosing personal information.
| Data subjects | Information and purposes | Recipients and safeguards |
|---|---|---|
| Clients, prospects and project stakeholders | Contact, requirement, contract, billing, project, technical and correspondence records used to assess, contract, deliver, report and support work. | Authorised personnel, professional advisers, delivery partners, suppliers, financial institutions and contracting authorities where necessary and lawful. |
| Suppliers, subcontractors and business partners | Identity, ownership, compliance, banking, pricing, capability, performance and contractual information used for due diligence, procurement and delivery. | Authorised procurement and project personnel, clients or authorities requiring verification, advisers and service providers under appropriate controls. |
| Employees, contractors, applicants and deployed personnel | Identity, contact, employment, qualification, payroll, performance, health-and-safety and deployment records used for workforce administration and legal compliance. | Authorised management, payroll and benefits providers, clients where deployment evidence is required, regulators and statutory bodies. |
| Website users and correspondents | Contact submissions, communications, security logs, cookie and analytics information used to respond, secure, operate and improve the website. | Authorised personnel and website, hosting, security, analytics and communications providers. |
Personal information may be stored or processed through service providers or infrastructure outside South Africa where the transfer is permitted under POPIA and appropriate contractual, organisational and technical safeguards apply. Security measures include access control, role-based permissions, authentication, backup, logging, secure transmission, supplier controls and incident-response procedures appropriate to the information and risk.
Further details appear in the African Resolve Holdings privacy notice.
13. Complaints and court remedies
There is no internal PAIA appeal against the decision of a private body. A requester or affected third party who is dissatisfied with a refusal, fee, extension, form of access, non-response or decision to disclose may use the external remedies provided by PAIA.
Complaint to the Information Regulator
A complaint must be made in writing on prescribed Form 5 and should be lodged within 180 days of the decision or non-response. Where the complaint is late, the complainant may request condonation and explain the delay.
Complaints may be submitted through the Information Regulator's published complaint channels, including PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za.
Application to court
A requester or third party may apply to a competent court for appropriate relief in accordance with PAIA and the applicable court rules. Legal advice should be obtained where court proceedings are contemplated.
14. Availability, inspection and updates
This manual is available electronically on the African Resolve Holdings website and from the Information Officer without a PAIA request. A copy may be requested by email.
Inspection at 1442 Cunningham Avenue, Waverley, Pretoria, Gauteng, Pretoria, Gauteng, 0135 may be arranged during normal business hours by prior appointment with the Information Officer.
African Resolve Holdings maintains this manual to reflect its record categories, request channels and the PAIA framework applicable to the company. The version displayed on the website is the current public version.