Privacy Policy
How Smartfore Lending collects, uses and protects your personal information.
1. Who we are
Smartfore Lending is a DBA of Venture Vault Investments Limited, established in 2024 (company registration no. 120241001675). We are the data controller for the information described here.
Address: Shop No. 1, Snow White Complex, Chawama, Lusaka, Zambia
Email: info@smartforelending.com
Phone: +260 571 814 620 / +260 950 030 652
2. Information we collect
- Identity and contact: full name, ID number (NRC, passport or other ID), phone number, email and address.
- Loan and payment information: loan requests, amounts, repayment history, mobile money numbers and transaction references.
- Guarantor information (Payday Express): your guarantor's name, ID number, phone number and relationship to you.
- Asset information (Asset Based loans): photographs, descriptions, estimated values and ownership details of the asset offered as security.
- Auction information: registration details and bids if you use our auction site.
- Communications: messages, SMS and calls between you and us.
- Website data: device, browser and usage information, including cookies.
3. How we use your information
- To verify your identity and assess and decide on your application.
- To make and manage your loan, receive repayments and issue receipts.
- To send SMS messages about your application, approval, balance and repayment due dates.
- To value assets, hold them safely and, if a loan is not repaid, sell them through our auction site.
- To prevent fraud, money laundering and other misuse.
- To meet our legal and regulatory obligations.
- To improve our website and services.
- To send marketing messages only if you have agreed, and you can opt out at any time.
4. Guarantors
If you apply for a Payday Express loan, you may name a guarantor. You must have their permission before giving us their details. We use their details to confirm their role and to send them SMS reminders about your repayment dates. Guarantors have the same rights described in section 9 and can contact us at any time about their information.
5. Why we are allowed to use your information
We process personal information to carry out our agreement with you, because you have given consent (for example, for marketing and for contacting your guarantor), to comply with the law, and for our legitimate interests in running a safe and responsible lending business. We aim to comply with the Data Protection Act, 2021 of Zambia and other applicable laws.
6. Who we share it with
- Payment providers (mobile money operators and payment aggregators) to collect and send money.
- SMS and communication providers to deliver messages to you and your guarantor.
- Credit reference or fraud-prevention services, where applicable and permitted by law.
- Regulators, courts and law enforcement when the law requires or allows it.
- Hosting and technology providers who store data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations.
- Professional advisers such as lawyers and auditors.
- Google reCAPTCHA on our application form, to stop automated abuse. Google receives technical information such as your IP address, under its own Privacy Policy.
When we list an asset at auction, we show only the asset's details and photographs, never your personal information.
7. How long we keep it
We keep loan records for 7 years after your loan is closed, or longer if the law requires. Application information for declined or unfinished applications is kept for 12 months. After that we delete or anonymise it.
8. How we protect it
We use secure (HTTPS) connections, access controls, and private storage for identity documents and asset photographs. Only authorised staff can see your information. No system is perfectly secure, so please keep your SMS codes and mobile money PIN private. We will never ask for your PIN.
9. Your rights
You can ask us to give you a copy of your information, correct it, delete it where we are not required to keep it, restrict or object to certain uses, and withdraw consent you have given. To make a request, contact us using the details above. If you are unhappy with our response, you may complain to the Zambian data protection authority.
10. Cookies
Our website may use cookies to keep it working and to understand how it is used. You can control cookies in your browser settings.
11. Children
Our services are for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy and will post the new version here with the date above.
13. Contact us
Questions about privacy? Email info@smartforelending.com or visit us at Shop No. 1, Snow White Complex, Chawama, Lusaka.