PAIA Manual

Last updated: 4 August 2026 · Manual published in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000

The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) gives effect to the constitutional right of access to information held by the State, and to information held by a private body that is required for the exercise or protection of any right. This manual explains what records ARCH holds and how to request access to them.

1. Purpose of this manual

This manual is published by ARCH Impact Group (Pty) Ltd as a private body in terms of section 51 of PAIA, read with section 17 of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013. It is intended to help a requester identify the records ARCH holds and to follow the correct procedure when requesting access to one.

2. Particulars of the body

Name of private body	ARCH Impact Group (Pty) Ltd
Registration number	2018/526252/07
Physical and postal address	498 Cliff Avenue, Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Telephone	+27 (0) 12 347 2594
Email	info@archholdings.co.za
Website	www.archholdings.co.za

3. Information Officer

Requests under PAIA must be addressed to the Information Officer of ARCH Impact Group (Pty) Ltd, who may delegate the handling of a request to a Deputy Information Officer.

Designation	The Information Officer, ARCH Impact Group (Pty) Ltd
Postal address	498 Cliff Avenue, Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria, 0181
Email	info@archholdings.co.za
Telephone	+27 (0) 12 347 2594

4. Guide of the Information Regulator

The Information Regulator has compiled a guide in terms of section 10 of PAIA, in an easily comprehensible form, containing the information a person needs in order to exercise their rights under the Act. The guide is available from:

Body	The Information Regulator (South Africa)
Address	JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
PAIA enquiries	PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
General enquiries	enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Website	inforegulator.org.za

5. Records available without a request

Certain records are already publicly accessible and do not require a formal PAIA request. These include the content of this website, published ARCH insights and thought-leadership material, marketing and programme brochures, and information filed with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission that is available on request from that body.

6. Records held by ARCH

ARCH holds records in the following categories. Listing a category does not mean that access will automatically be granted; each request is assessed against the grounds for refusal in Chapter 4 of PAIA.

• Corporate and statutory — founding documents, share register, minutes of directors’ and shareholders’ meetings, statutory registers, B-BBEE certificates.
• Financial — annual financial statements, management accounts, banking records, tax returns and assessments, asset register.
• Clients and contracts — proposals, service agreements, memoranda of understanding, project files, correspondence.
• Programmes and learners — learner registrations, attendance and assessment records, accreditation and moderation records, SETA and QCTO submissions, certification records.
• Human resources — employment contracts, personnel files, payroll, employment equity and skills development reports, disciplinary records, policies.
• Suppliers and procurement — supplier agreements, purchase orders, invoices, vendor due diligence.
• Information and technology — system access records, backup and security records, data-processing agreements.
• Insurance, legal and compliance — policies, claims, legal opinions, regulatory correspondence.

7. How to request a record

1. Complete the prescribed request form for access to a record of a private body (Form 2 of the Regulations, as amended by the Information Regulator). The form is available on the Information Regulator’s website, or on request from our Information Officer.
2. Set out sufficient particulars to enable us to identify the record and the requester, and state the form of access required.
3. State the right that you are seeking to exercise or protect, and explain why the record is required for the exercise or protection of that right — this is a requirement of section 50 of PAIA.
4. Provide an address and contact details in the Republic to which our decision must be sent.
5. Where the request is made on behalf of another person, attach proof of the capacity in which you are acting.
6. Submit the completed form and the request fee to the Information Officer at the address in clause 3.

8. Fees

Two fees may apply. A request fee is payable by every requester other than a personal requester before the request is processed. An access fee may then be payable, calculated on the time taken to search for and prepare the record, the format in which it is provided, and reproduction and postage costs. The applicable amounts are those prescribed by regulation under PAIA from time to time, and the Information Officer will provide a written quotation before processing continues. Where a deposit is required it will not exceed one third of the access fee.

9. Decision and timeframes

The Information Officer will decide on the request and notify the requester in writing within 30 days of receiving it. That period may be extended by a further period of not more than 30 days where the request is for a large number of records, or where a search must be conducted across offices; the requester will be notified in writing of any extension and the reasons for it.

10. Grounds for refusal

Access to a record may be refused on the grounds set out in Chapter 4 of Part 3 of PAIA, which include:

• mandatory protection of the privacy of a third party who is a natural person (section 63);
• mandatory protection of the commercial information of a third party (section 64);
• mandatory protection of confidential information of a third party (section 65);
• protection of the safety of individuals and of property (section 66);
• records privileged from production in legal proceedings (section 67);
• protection of the commercial activities of ARCH, including trade secrets, financial and commercial information and information that could put ARCH at a disadvantage in negotiations or commercial competition (section 68); and
• protection of research information of ARCH or of a third party (section 69).

Access may nevertheless be granted where section 70 applies — that is, where disclosure would reveal a substantial contravention of the law or an imminent and serious public safety or environmental risk, and the public interest in disclosure clearly outweighs the harm.

11. Remedies

A requester who is dissatisfied with a decision of the Information Officer may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator in terms of section 77A of PAIA, or apply to a court with jurisdiction for appropriate relief in terms of section 78. There is no internal appeal procedure against a decision of the Information Officer of a private body.

12. Processing of personal information

The categories of personal information ARCH processes, the purposes for which it is processed, the recipients to whom it may be supplied, and any planned cross-border transfers, are set out in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of this manual for purposes of section 51(1)(c) of PAIA read with POPIA.

13. Availability of this manual

This manual is available on this website, at the registered office of ARCH during normal business hours, and by email on request to the Information Officer. It is reviewed annually and updated where necessary.