Department of Basic Education

Administrative fine imposed. Information Regulator, 23 December 2024.

Record ID

za-ir-2024-0007

Jurisdiction

South Africa

Regulator

Information Regulator

Type

penalty notice

Date decided

23 December 2024

Respondent type

public

Sector

education

Violations

unlawful processing, publication without consent, breach of purpose limitation

Provisions cited

POPIA 2013

Outcome

administrative fine imposed

Penalty

ZAR 5,000,000 (≈ USD 272,000 at the decision date)

Status

appealed

Source

Official document ↗

Source integrity

SHA-256 67e68cfaadb5399b…

Record verified

30 July 2026

The facts

The Department of Basic Education was ordered by a November 2024 enforcement notice not to publish the 2024 matriculants' results in newspapers and to make the results available to learners by POPIA-compliant means. The department failed to comply, and the Information Regulator issued an infringement notice imposing an administrative fine of R5 million, only the second fine issued under POPIA after the 2023 fine against the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

Orders and outcome

Infringement notice ordering payment of an administrative fine of R5 million for non-compliance with the enforcement notice of 18 November 2024. Announced December 2024.

ADMINISTRATIVE-FINE · PUBLICATION · EDUCATION · CONSENT

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