Privacy Policy

Who we are

This Privacy Policy applies to the Kanoka Home Appliances digital showroom at appliances.kanokagroup.com (the “Site”), operated by Kanoka Group from Lilongwe, Malawi. When we say “Kanoka,” “we,” or “us,” we mean that division of Kanoka Group.

Questions about this policy can be raised by telephone on +265 (0) 984 424 735, or in person at a Kanoka delivery station listed on the Site.

Information we collect

We collect only what we need to run an account, fulfil an order, register a warranty, or improve the showroom. Depending on how you use the Site, that may include:

• Identity and contact details: name, email address, phone number, and delivery district (Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, or Mangochi).
• Account details: password (stored by our authentication provider, not in readable form on our catalogue database) and sign-in method (email or Google).
• Order and delivery details: items purchased, quantities, prices in Malawi Kwacha, the public order number (KAH plus five digits), the deposit and balance, delivery district, dated order stages and any stage message, a proof-of-payment image for the balance, estimated collection date once goods have left the international warehouse, and a pickup photo when the order is ready.
• Warranty details: order number, product, serial number, and delivery date, if you register the 3-month technical cover.
• Reviews: the text and rating you submit, shown with your district for social proof.
• Technical data: cookies and similar session tokens needed to keep you signed in, remember your cart and wishlist on this device, and keep the Site secure.

How we use information

We use personal information to:

• Create and administer your customer account.
• Process orders, take the deposit through Paychangu Direct Charge, review the proof of payment you upload for the balance, and show the import stage, estimated date, and pickup photo.
• Take mobile-money payment on this Site (operator and mobile number only). We do not collect card numbers, and the PIN is entered only on your phone.
• Register and administer product warranties.
• Display verified reviews and operate the shopping assistant on the Site.
• Send transactional messages such as order confirmation when those emails are enabled.
• Protect the Site against abuse and to meet our legal obligations in Malawi.

Lawful basis

We process personal information as needed to perform a contract with you (accounts, orders, delivery, warranty), with your consent where you choose optional features (for example Google sign-in or a product review), and where we have a legitimate interest in operating and securing the Site. We also process information where Malawian law requires it, including the Data Protection Act, 2024 where it applies.

Payments

The 20% deposit is mobile money through Paychangu Direct Charge. On this Site you enter the mobile number that should receive the prompt. A number starting 08 is sent to TNM, and 09 to Airtel. Kanoka does not collect card numbers. The PIN is entered only on the prompt on your phone, and it never reaches this Site. Paychangu processes that payment under its own terms and privacy policy. We confirm the result with Paychangu so we can update your order. The mobile number is sent with the charge and is not kept as an account field. The remaining balance is not a second mobile-money charge. When the order is awaiting that balance, you upload a proof-of-payment image. We store that image and an optional review note, and show you whether it was approved or declined. The pickup photo is stored with the order so you can see it when collection is ready.

Who else sees information

We share personal information with service providers who process it on our instructions, not for their own marketing:

• Authentication and customer identity (currently Neon Auth / Stack Auth, including Google if you choose that sign-in).
• Hosting and database (currently Vercel and Neon).
• Mobile-money payment (Paychangu): the operator, mobile number, and charge result for the deposit.
• Email delivery for transactional messages (Resend, when enabled).
• Depot staff who need your name, phone, and collection district to hand over an order.

Storage and transfers

Some processors listed above host data outside Malawi. We use them because they are the platforms this Site is built on. By creating an account or placing an order you understand that your information may be stored on those systems, subject to the safeguards those providers offer and to Malawian data-protection law.

Cookies and local storage

The Site uses essential cookies and similar storage to keep admin and customer sessions, and may keep cart or wishlist contents on your device so the showroom still works if you are not signed in. We do not use advertising pixels on the Site today. You can block cookies in your browser; sign-in and checkout will not work without the session cookies.

How long we keep information

Account records are kept while the account is open and for a reasonable period afterwards if we need them for orders, warranty, tax, or dispute records. Order and warranty records are kept for as long as needed to honour cover and legal retention duties. If you ask us to delete an account, we will remove or anonymise profile data we no longer need, except where we must keep a record of a completed sale.

Your rights

Subject to Malawian law, you may ask to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold, or to restrict or object to certain processing. You may also withdraw consent where processing is based on consent (for example unlinking Google sign-in) without affecting a contract already in progress.

To make a request, call +265 (0) 984 424 735 and identify the email address on the account. We may need to verify that you are the account holder before we act.

Children

The Site sells home appliances and is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.

Security

We use HTTPS, role-gated admin access, and hosted authentication so passwords are not stored in plaintext in our catalogue database. No online service is perfectly secure. Please use a unique password and tell us promptly if you think an account was misused.

Changes

We will post updates on this page and change the “Last updated” date. Material changes that affect how we use existing account data will be highlighted on the Site where practical.