PAIA Manual

Manual in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA)

Effective Date: 17 July 2026

1. Introduction

This manual is published in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 ("PAIA") for Rapid Costing Solutions (Pty) Ltd, trading as Cost Consulting (the "Company"). It explains what records the Company holds, how to request access to them, and how the Company processes personal information in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").

2. Company and Information Officer Contact Details

Private Body: Rapid Costing Solutions (Pty) Ltd, trading as Cost Consulting
Information Officer: Tinus van Staden
Email: info@costconsulting.co.za
Location: Pretoria, South Africa
Registered address available upon request.

3. The Regulator's Guide on How to Use PAIA

The Information Regulator has published a Guide (in terms of section 10 of PAIA) on how to use the Act. The Guide is available in all official languages from the Information Regulator:

  • Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
  • Email: inforeg@inforegulator.org.za

4. Records Automatically Available

The following records are publicly available without a formal PAIA request:

5. Categories of Records Held by the Company

  • Company records: incorporation documents, statutory registers, governance records
  • Financial records: accounting records, invoices, banking records, tax records
  • Personnel records: records relating to employees and contractors
  • Subscriber records: user account details, subscription and payment history, support correspondence
  • Platform data: matter, billing and document data processed on behalf of subscribers (the subscriber is the responsible party for this data; the Company acts as operator)
  • Operational records: system logs, security records, email records

6. Records Held in Terms of Other Legislation

Records are kept in accordance with, among others: the Companies Act 71 of 2008, the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962, the Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, and POPIA.

7. Processing of Personal Information (POPIA)

As required by section 51(1)(c) of PAIA, the following summarises how the Company processes personal information. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

  • Purposes of processing: providing the Cost Consulting platform, account management, billing, communication, security and fraud prevention, analytics, and legal compliance
  • Categories of data subjects: subscribers and their users; personnel; suppliers; and (as operator on behalf of subscribers) subscribers' clients and litigation parties
  • Categories of personal information: names and contact details, authentication data, billing information, matter and document data entered or uploaded by subscribers, and usage data
  • Recipients: payment gateway (PayFast), analytics provider (Google), hosting providers, and - only for firms that accept the AI Data Processing Terms - the AI provider (Anthropic PBC, United States)
  • Cross-border transfers: limited transfers to service providers outside South Africa, subject to section 72 of POPIA
  • Security measures: encryption in transit, encrypted credential storage, access controls, session expiry, and secure backups

8. How to Request Access to a Record

Requests for access to records must be made on Form 2 (Request for Access to Record) prescribed under PAIA, available from the Information Regulator's website, and submitted to the Information Officer at the contact details in section 2 above.

  • Identify the record(s) requested and the right you seek to exercise or protect, and explain why the record is required for that right
  • Provide proof of identity, and proof of authority if you request on behalf of someone else
  • The prescribed request and access fees under PAIA may apply
  • The Company will respond within 30 days as required by PAIA, which period may be extended once by up to 30 days where permitted

9. Refusal of Access and Remedies

Access may be refused on the grounds set out in PAIA (for example, protection of the privacy of a third party, commercial confidentiality, or legal privilege). If your request is refused, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) (enquiries@inforegulator.org.za | https://inforegulator.org.za) or apply to a court with appropriate jurisdiction.

10. Availability of this Manual

This manual is available free of charge on this website and from the Information Officer on request. It will be updated as and when required.

Rapid Costing Solutions (Pty) Ltd © 2026 - All rights reserved.