1. Background to the Promotion of Access to Information Act

The Promotion of Access to Information Act, No. 2 of 2000 ("the Act" / "PAIA") was enacted on 3 February 2000, giving effect to the constitutional right of access to information held by the State and by another person where that information is required for the exercise or protection of any rights (section 32 of the Bill of Rights, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996).

In terms of section 51 of the Act, all private bodies are required to compile an information manual ("PAIA Manual"). Where a request is made in terms of the Act, the body to whom the request is made is obliged to release the information, subject to applicable legislative and regulatory requirements and the grounds of refusal set out in the Act.

2. Florida Thrift

Florida Thrift ("we", "our" or "us") operates a physical vintage and thrift retail store situated at 4 Madeline St, Florida, Roodepoort, 1709, Johannesburg. We sell pre-loved clothing, run a weekly Community Kettle feeding initiative, and manage local community outreach.

This PAIA & POPIA Manual is published on our official website: https://floridathrifty.co.za

3. Purpose of the PAIA Manual

The purpose of PAIA is to promote the right of access to information, to foster a culture of transparency and accountability, and to empower people to exercise and protect their rights.

Section 9 of the Act recognises that the right of access to information is not unlimited and is subject to justifiable limitations, including: the reasonable protection of privacy; commercial confidentiality; and effective, efficient and good governance — balanced against the rights contained in the Bill of Rights.

This Manual complies with the guide contemplated in section 10 of the Act. The Information Regulator is responsible for regulating compliance with PAIA and the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").

4. Contact Details of the Head of the Private Body [Section 51(1)(a)]

5. The Information Officer [Section 51(1)(b)]

The head of a private body fulfils the function of Information Officer in terms of section 51. Florida Thrift has designated an Information Officer to assess requests for access to information and to oversee compliance under the Act and section 55 of POPIA.

All formal requests for information must be addressed in writing to the Information Officer at floridathriftyshop@gmail.com.

6. Guide of the South African Human Rights Commission & Information Regulator

The Act grants a requester access to records of a private body where the record is required for the exercise or protection of any right. A guide on how to use the Act is available from the Information Regulator (South Africa):

7. Records Available Without a Formal Request

Records of a public nature — including our online catalog preview, community feeding program reports, trading hours, store policies, and location details — may be accessed on our website without submitting a formal application.

8. Subjects and Categories of Records Held

Florida Thrift retains records in the following categories:

• Statutory & Financial: Accounting records, till slips, banking records, supplier invoices, tax returns, and statutory filings.
• Personnel & Staff: Staff registers, attendance, contact details, remuneration, and basic employment records.
• Customer & Donor Records: Contact details provided for WhatsApp item reservations, volunteer sign-ups, and community feeding donation logs.
• Community Initiatives: ECD centre records, meal counts, and donation records for the Community Kettle initiative.

9. Detail to Facilitate a Request for Access

A requester must comply with all procedural requirements of the Act and must:

• Submit the prescribed Form C (available from the Information Regulator) to the Information Officer.
• Provide sufficient detail to identify the record and the identity of the requester.
• State the right to be exercised or protected and why the record is required.
• Pay the prescribed fee where applicable.

10. Protection of Personal Information (POPIA)

Florida Thrift is committed to protecting the privacy of our customers, donors, staff, and partners in terms of POPIA.