PAIA Manual

Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000  ·  Section 51  ·  5 September 2026

This manual is published in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 ("PAIA"). It tells you what records KISS Consulting holds, how to ask for access to them, what it costs, how long it takes, and what happens if a request is refused.

1. The private body

In the case of a sole proprietorship, the head of the private body is the natural person who owns it. KISS Consulting has no employees and no deputy information officers.

2. The Regulator's guide on how to use PAIA

The Information Regulator has compiled a guide, in terms of section 10 of PAIA, on how to use the Act. It is available free of charge from the Regulator:

3. Records held by KISS Consulting

The records below are described by category. Listing them by category, rather than individually, is what PAIA requires and does not itself entitle anyone to access.

3.1 Records held on our own account

• Engagement letters, operator agreements and correspondence with clients
• Quotations, invoices, credit notes, statements and time records
• Our own accounting records, bank statements and tax records
• Enquiries received through the website, by email, telephone or WhatsApp
• Business insurance, registration and compliance records
• Templates, working papers, checklists and methodologies developed by us

3.2 Records held on behalf of clients

• Accounting and transactional records processed as part of a client engagement
• Debtor and creditor records, statements and ageing analyses
• Supplier quotations, purchase orders and procurement records
• Payroll records, where payroll is within the scope of an engagement
• Asset registers and supporting documentation

3.3 Records held under other legislation

Records are kept in accordance with, among others, the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011, the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002.

4. How to request access

1. Complete the prescribed request form (Form 2 of the PAIA Regulations, available from the Information Regulator's website).
2. Send it to the Information Officer at tinika@kissconsulting.co.za, or to the postal address in section 1.
3. Provide enough detail to identify the record, and identify yourself and your contact details.
4. State the form of access you want, and the way you want to be informed of the decision.
5. If you are requesting the record in order to exercise or protect a right, say which right and explain how the record would help you do so — PAIA requires this of a request to a private body.
6. If you are acting on someone else's behalf, provide proof of your authority.
7. Pay the request fee where one is payable (section 5).

5. Fees

Fees are those prescribed in the PAIA Regulations, and are subject to change when the Regulations are amended. Two fees may apply: a request fee, payable before the request is processed, and an access fee, payable before the record is released, covering the cost of reproduction, search and preparation.

A deposit of not more than one third of the access fee may be required where search and preparation is expected to exceed six hours.

6. How long a decision takes

A decision will be made within 30 days of receiving a properly completed request, and you will be notified in writing. That period may be extended by a further 30 days where the request is for a large number of records, or requires a search through records held elsewhere, and you will be told if it is extended.

7. Grounds on which access may be refused

PAIA requires or permits refusal in a number of cases. The ones most likely to arise here are:

• Protection of another person's privacy — where disclosure would unreasonably reveal personal information about a third party (s63).
• Protection of commercial information of a third party — trade secrets, financial, commercial, scientific or technical information whose disclosure could harm that party, or information supplied in confidence (s64). This applies to records held on behalf of clients.
• Protection of confidential information whose disclosure would breach a duty of confidence owed to a third party (s65).
• Protection of our own commercial information — our methodologies, templates, pricing structures and working papers (s68).
• Legal privilege, where the record is privileged in legal proceedings (s67).
• Research information of a third party or of KISS Consulting (s69).
• Where the record cannot be found or does not exist, we will notify you by affidavit or affirmation.

Access may still be granted 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 — the public interest override in section 70.

8. If your request is refused

There is no internal appeal against a decision of a private body. If your request is refused, in whole or in part, you may:

1. Complain to the Information Regulator in the prescribed form, at PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za; or
2. Apply to a court with jurisdiction, within 180 days of the decision.

Reasons for any refusal will be given in writing, together with the provisions relied on.

9. Records available without a formal request

KISS Consulting has not published a notice under section 52(2) of PAIA, and there is no category of record automatically available without a request. The following are available on request at no charge, and need no PAIA application: this manual, our privacy notice, and our standard engagement terms.

10. Availability of this manual

This manual is available:

• on our website at kissconsulting.co.za;
• by email on request to tinika@kissconsulting.co.za; and
• for inspection at our address during normal business hours, by prior arrangement.

It is reviewed annually and whenever our operations change materially. An annual report on PAIA requests received is submitted to the Information Regulator between 1 April and 30 June each year.