PAIA access-to-records manual
Last updated
Status and purpose
This private-body access-to-records manual is for Serenity Guest House on Plover (Pty) Ltd, trading as Serenity on Plover, registration 2025/223972/07, at 6A Plover Road, Heatherlands, George, Western Cape, South Africa. It explains the records-request process under section 51 of PAIA and provides contact details for exercising applicable information rights.
Requests and business contact
Our Information Officer contact is Hermanus Bouwer (Manager). Direct access-to-records requests to enquiries@serenityguesthouse.co.za or +27 63 159 8539, or deliver them to 6A Plover Road, Heatherlands, George, Western Cape, South Africa, marked for the Information Officer.
How PAIA can help
For a private body, access is subject to PAIA’s requirements, including identifying the right you seek to exercise or protect and why the requested record is required for that purpose. Disclosure is subject to applicable protections and grounds for refusal; the manual does not make every record publicly available.
Guide and request forms
The Information Regulator publishes a guide, prescribed forms and fee information. Use the Regulator’s PAIA resources (opens in a new tab) to obtain Form 2 (request for access to a record) and current guidance. Identify the record, preferred form of access, your contact details, the right concerned and, if applicable, your authority to act for someone else. Ask the business for reasonable help if needed.
Publicly available material
Website descriptions, public photographs, contact details and these published notices can be viewed without a formal PAIA request. For other records, contact the Information Officer or use the request process below. Publication of this manual does not imply that a separate section 52 notice has been filed.
Subjects and categories of business records
- Corporate and registration records; statutory filings and governance records, where held.
- Guest enquiries, reservations, communications and service arrangements, where created.
- Financial, accounting, tax, supplier and contract records, where held.
- Employment and personnel records, where applicable and subject to privacy protections.
- Website, hosting, security and marketing records; on-site CCTV records only where such a system is in use.
- Availability depends on the record actually held, applicable legal duties and PAIA’s access and refusal provisions. A listed category does not make every record automatically available.
Processing overview
Potential data subjects include guests, enquirers, staff and suppliers. Processing purposes include responding to enquiries, administering agreed accommodation, supporting operations and meeting applicable duties. Categories may include contact/booking details and relevant transaction/employment records. Website enquiry data is composed locally before guest-chosen WhatsApp/email handoff; the privacy notice explains current limitations.
Recipients, transfers and safeguards
Recipients may include authorised business personnel and hosting, email, communication, accounting or reservation service providers where actually used. Email and external communication services may process information outside South Africa. Contact the Information Officer for the recipients and transfer arrangements relevant to a particular record. Applicable safeguards include access limited to authorised personnel, appropriate technical and organisational security measures and lawful handling of international transfers. No security certification is claimed.
Other legislation
Records may be maintained to meet applicable company, tax, employment, consumer, electronic-communications and data-protection obligations, depending on the record and operations involved. Relevant legislation includes the Companies Act 71 of 2008, Income Tax Act 58 of 1962, Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, POPIA and PAIA, where applicable. Ask the Information Officer to identify the legislation relevant to a requested record. Access remains subject to PAIA and other applicable protections.
Fees and decisions
Prescribed request/access fees, exemptions and deposits may apply. The business must give any notices required by PAIA; use the Regulator’s current forms and fee information rather than an invented tariff. Decisions are generally due within 30 days, subject to a permitted extension and required notice. A refusal must rely on lawful grounds and explain available remedies.
If your request is refused or unanswered
For private bodies, a public-body internal appeal is not a compulsory step. See the Regulator’s complaint guidance (opens in a new tab) and PAIA Form 5 for the applicable process and deadlines. Statutory remedies, including court remedies where available, remain open.
Availability and maintenance
This manual is published as accessible HTML and can be read or printed without JavaScript. A copy can be requested from the Information Officer at the contact details above or at the business address. The revision date appears on this page. The manual is reviewed when responsible people, operations or processing change.
Legal sources
- Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000: ss50–56, refusal and complaint provisions
- Information Regulator: current private-body manual template, PAIA guide/forms and complaint guidance, checked 1 November 2026