What SMJobs stores on your device, why we do it, and how to change your mind.
Last updated: 21 October 2026 · Version 1.0
SMJobs is operated by [LEGAL ENTITY NAME] ("we", "our", "us"), a company registered in South Africa with registration number [CIPC REGISTRATION NUMBER], of [REGISTERED STREET ADDRESS] (VAT number [VAT NUMBER]). This policy explains what we store on your device when you use smjobs.co.za (the "Platform").
Our Information Officer, who is responsible for how your personal information is handled, can be reached at info@smjobs.co.za or on +27 788 770 744.
A cookie is a small text file a website asks your browser to store, and it sends back with every request to that website. "Local storage" works the same way but stays on your device and is never sent to us automatically. We use both. Together they let the Platform remember you between pages, and let you tell us which optional technologies you are willing to accept.
Most of what we use is our own. The only third-party advertising technology on the Platform is Google AdSense, and it is optional: it loads only after you agree to the Advertising category.
We keep the list short and honest. Every item below is something the Platform actually uses today.
| Name | Type | Category | What it does | Who it covers | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHPSESSID |
Cookie | Essential | Keeps you signed in and stops the site losing what you were doing between pages. | Everyone who signs in | Until you close the browser or sign out |
smjobs_consent |
Local storage | Essential | Remembers the cookie choices you made, so we do not ask you again on every page. | Everyone | 180 days |
smjobs_visitor_id |
Local storage | Essential | A random identifier for this browser, so your consent record can be linked to you before you have an account. It does not identify you on its own. | Everyone | 180 days |
smjobs_saved |
Local storage | Essential | Remembers the job listings you saved, so you can find them again on your account page. | Signed-in job seekers | Until you clear it or delete your account |
smjobs_prefs |
Cookie | Functional | Remembers your job-search filters — location, job type, experience level — so the next search starts where you left off. | Everyone | 30 days |
__gads, __gpi, __eoi, IDE, test_cookie |
Cookies | Advertising | Set by Google AdSense to show and measure ads, limit how often the same ad is shown, and detect invalid traffic. They are only set after you allow Advertising. | Visitors who allow Advertising | Up to 13 months, depending on the cookie |
Analytics is not in use. We do not embed Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any similar measurement tracker. Advertising is optional and off by default. If you switch it on, Google AdSense may set the advertising cookies listed above to show and measure ads. The AdSense script does not load before you agree, and switching the category off removes it.
The first time you visit, a banner at the bottom of the screen asks you to choose. You have three options:
The essential items are set because the Platform genuinely cannot deliver its service without them — you cannot stay signed in, and we cannot remember your cookie choice or your saved jobs without them. They are not switched off by declining the optional ones. We ask you again after 180 days, or sooner if the list of technologies changes.
You can change your mind at any time, and you do not need to do it through your browser settings:
You can also delete cookies and site data through your browser's own settings. Clearing your browser data removes the saved-jobs list and the sign-in cookie, and you will be asked for your cookie choice again on your next visit.
So that we can show what you agreed to, and when, we write your choice to a consent ledger. Each entry records the categories you agreed to, the version of this policy in force at the time, the date and time, your IP address and your browser's user-agent string. If you sign in, the entry is linked to your account.
You can ask us for a copy of that record at any time, and you can ask us to remove it. We keep the record for five years after the last activity, so that we can demonstrate what was agreed to.
If you sign in with Google, Google sets its own cookies under its own policies, and your browser may load fonts, images or maps from third-party sites. Those are governed by those companies' privacy policies, not this one.
If you allow Advertising, Google AdSense loads from Google's servers and may set the advertising cookies listed in section 3. Google acts as an independent controller for that advertising data. You can read Google's explanation of how it uses information from partner sites at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites, and manage ad personalisation at adssettings.google.com.
If we add, remove or change anything on the list in section 3, we will update this page, change the version number, and — where the change adds a new optional technology — ask you again before it is used.
Questions about cookies, or a request to see or delete your consent record? Email info@smjobs.co.za or call +27 788 770 744. For anything more general about how we handle your personal information, read the Privacy Notice, or contact our Information Officer at the same email address.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your information is being handled in a way that does not comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013.