Privacy policy

This policy explains what information ZiMINDEX (zimindex.co.zw) collects when you use it, why, and the choices you have. We collect as little as we can: you do not need an account to use any part of the site.

In short

• No account, no sign-up and no personal profile.
• No advertising, and no analytics or tracking cookies.
• We never sell your information.

1. Who we are

ZiMINDEX is operated by its founder, Knowledge Mhodi, who is responsible for the information described here. You can get in touch through knowledgemhodi.co.zw.

2. What we collect

When you browse. Like any website, our hosting provider automatically records technical information such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you request and the time of the request. It is used to deliver the site, keep it secure and fix faults.

When you report a price. We store what you enter: the item, price, pack size, town or city, and anything optional you add, such as the shop, a note or a link. We also store a one-way scrambled code made from your IP address and browser details. It cannot be turned back into your address; we use it only to stop spam and to recognise duplicate reports.

When you use Ask ZiMINDEX. We keep the text of the questions people ask, with no name, account or address attached, to understand what readers need and to improve answers. To produce an answer, your question is processed by third-party AI service providers, and may be used to run a web search. Please do not include personal information in your questions.

When you plan a month. The household details you enter, such as the number of adults and children, are kept in the page address, not on our servers. If you choose to have the site remember them, they are saved in a cookie on your own device (see below).

3. Cookies and local storage

We use only what the site needs to work:

• liz-situation: remembers your household size and the budget choices you made, only if you ask it to. It stays on your device for up to a year, and you can clear it at any time from the planner or your browser.
• liz-theme (local storage): remembers whether you chose light or dark mode.
• Staff sign-in: a session cookie used only by ZiMINDEX staff when signed in to the admin area.

We do not use advertising, analytics or third-party tracking cookies.

4. How we use information

• to run the site and its tools;
• to check, publish and improve the price data;
• to prevent spam, abuse and attacks; and
• to meet our legal obligations.

5. Who we share it with

We use trusted service providers to host the site, store data and power the assistant. They process information only on our behalf and only as needed to provide their service. We may also disclose information if the law requires it. We do not sell or rent information to anyone.

6. Where it is stored

Our service providers may store and process information on servers outside Zimbabwe. Where they do, we rely on providers that protect it with appropriate security measures.

7. How long we keep it

Price reports are kept as part of the price record for as long as they are useful to it. Questions asked of the assistant and technical logs are kept only for as long as they are needed for the purposes above.

8. Your rights

Under Zimbabwe’s Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07], you may ask to see the personal information we hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, and to object to how it is used. Because we collect so little, and none of it under a name, we may need details from you (for example, the report you submitted and when) to find it. You also have the right to complain to the Data Protection Authority (POTRAZ).

9. Security

The site is served only over encrypted connections, and access to stored data is restricted. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect what we hold.

10. Children

ZiMINDEX is intended for a general audience and does not knowingly collect personal information from children.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it last changed. See also our terms of use.