Sorted Automation

PAIA Manual

Last updated: 6 March 2026

This manual is published in terms of Section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA). It sets out what records Sorted Automation holds and how members of the public may request access to those records.

Voluntary publication notice: Sorted Automation is currently exempt from the mandatory publication of a PAIA Manual under Notice 1383 of 2021 (small private body exemption, fewer than 50 employees). This manual is published voluntarily as a matter of professional best practice and transparency.

1. Information Officer details

The Information Officer for Sorted Automation is the business owner, who is responsible for handling all PAIA access requests.

2. Guide on how to use the Act

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has compiled a guide explaining how to use PAIA to request access to records held by public and private bodies. The guide is available at:

Any person wishing to request access to records held by Sorted Automation should consult this guide before submitting a request.

3. Records available without a formal request

The following categories of information are publicly available and may be accessed without submitting a formal PAIA request:

  • Website content published at sortedautomation.co.za (service descriptions, pricing information, contact details)
  • Contact details of the business (email, phone, location)
  • This PAIA Manual
  • The Privacy Policy published at sortedautomation.co.za/privacy
  • Terms & Conditions published at sortedautomation.co.za/terms

4. Records available on request (subject to conditions)

The following categories of records are held by Sorted Automation. Listing a category here does not create any obligation to disclose those records — access to each category is subject to the grounds for refusal in Chapter 4 of PAIA. In practice, records relating to clients, finances, and business correspondence are refused under the commercial confidentiality and privacy protections in PAIA, and are only disclosed under court order or legal compulsion.

Category Description Access
Client records Engagement files, proposals, reports, process documentation, and correspondence relating to client engagements Refused — protected under PAIA ss. 63 (commercial information of third parties) and 64 (information supplied in confidence). Disclosure occurs only under court order, legal compulsion, or in the context of a business sale or merger.
Financial records Invoices, receipts, and financial correspondence Refused — protected under PAIA s. 66 (commercial information of the private body) and s. 63 where third-party financial information is involved. Disclosure only under legal compulsion.
Business correspondence Email and written communications relating to business operations and engagements Refused where it contains confidential or third-party information — protected under PAIA ss. 63, 64, and 65. Disclosure only under legal compulsion.
Personal information Information collected via website forms (name, email, phone, business name, message content) Subject to POPIA — data subjects may request access to their own information directly via our Privacy Policy

5. Automatically available records (Section 52)

In terms of Section 52 of PAIA, the following records are automatically available to any person:

  • All content published on sortedautomation.co.za
  • This PAIA Manual
  • The Privacy Policy
  • The Terms & Conditions

No formal request or fee is required to access these records.

6. Description of record categories

Category Subject matter Data subjects
Client engagement records Proposals, reports, process maps, SOPs, delivery notes Clients and their employees
Financial records Invoices, payment records, receipts Clients
Correspondence Email and written communications Clients, prospects, suppliers
Website enquiry data Contact and diagnostic form submissions Website visitors
Published content Website text, policies, this manual General public

7. Request procedure

To request access to records held by Sorted Automation:

  1. Obtain the prescribed form — complete Form C (PAIA Request Form), available from the Information Regulator at www.inforegulator.org.za.
  2. Submit your request — send the completed form to the Information Officer by email at hello@sortedautomation.co.za, or by post to the address listed in Section 1.
  3. Pay the request fee — a request fee of R50.00 (prescribed) must accompany your submission. Proof of payment should be included with the request. (See Section 8 for fee details.)
  4. Response timeline — Sorted Automation will respond to your request within 30 days of receipt, as required by PAIA. This period may be extended by a further 30 days in certain circumstances, with written notice to the requestor.
  5. Grounds for refusal — access may be refused on the grounds set out in Chapter 4 of PAIA, including where disclosure would unreasonably prejudice commercial confidentiality, the privacy of a third party, or is otherwise excluded by law.
  6. Appeals — if your request is refused, you may lodge an internal appeal with the Information Officer, or approach the Information Regulator or a court for relief, as set out in PAIA.

8. Fees

Request fee: R50.00 (prescribed). Payable at the time of submission.

Reproduction fees: Additional fees may apply for the reproduction of records (e.g., photocopying, printing), in accordance with the fee schedule published by the Information Regulator.

Fee waiver: A person who can demonstrate that they are unable to pay the prescribed fees due to financial hardship may apply for a fee waiver. The waiver is at the Information Regulator's discretion.

Current fee schedules are available from the Information Regulator at www.inforegulator.org.za.

Information Regulator contact details

If you are not satisfied with our handling of your request, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa: