Why we ask for your ID number

Heritage & Co. is a dealer in precious metals and stones. Under South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FIC Act 38 of 2001), businesses like ours are accountable institutions and must help keep the financial system free of money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctioned persons. We are registered with the Financial Intelligence Centre on goAML under Reporting Entity ID 80405.

That is why every purchase asks for your 13-digit South African ID number at the cart. It is a legal requirement, not a marketing one.

What we collect

Your full name, ID number and delivery address, which you already provide at checkout. For purchases of a single item valued at R100,000 or more, the Act also requires us to verify your identity before the sale is concluded, and we may ask for a copy of your ID document, proof of address, and where you are buying on behalf of a company or trust, details of the people behind it.

What we do with it

We screen your details against the United Nations sanctions lists and politically exposed persons databases using a specialist compliance provider, and we record that the screening was done. Your piece goes into production once screening is complete, which in almost every case is the same working day. We do not run credit checks, and we never use these details for marketing or share them with anyone other than our compliance provider and, if the law requires it, the Financial Intelligence Centre.

How long we keep it

The FIC Act requires us to keep customer identification and transaction records for five years from the date of the transaction. After that they are deleted. Records are held securely and access is limited to the people responsible for compliance.

Your rights

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) you may ask us what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or object to processing that is not required by law. Because the FIC Act obliges us to collect and retain these records, we cannot delete them before the five-year period ends. To exercise any of these rights, or if you have a question about this policy, email heritage@heritageandco.co.za.

This page is a plain-language summary and does not replace the Act. The Financial Intelligence Centre can be reached on 012 641 6000.