Silk Road Africa ("we", "us") operates a cross-border B2B marketplace that connects buyers in Africa with verified suppliers in China. This policy explains what personal and business data we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices you have.
1. Information we collect
We collect the following categories of information:
- Account data — name, email, phone, company name, country, role (buyer/supplier), language preference.
- Verification / KYC data — national ID or passport, business registration documents, tax ID, beneficial-owner details (suppliers and high-value buyers only).
- Transaction data — orders, quotations, RFQs, shipping addresses, invoice records, dispute history.
- Payment data — mobile-money numbers (MTN MoMo, M-Pesa, Airtel Money), bank-transfer references, escrow-release instructions. We do not store full card numbers; card payments are handled by Stripe.
- Device and usage data — IP address, browser type, pages visited, referral source, session identifiers.
- Communications — messages between buyers and our sourcing team, support tickets, inspection reports.
2. How we use your data
- Operate the marketplace: match buyer requests to suppliers, issue quotations, process orders, coordinate logistics and customs.
- Process payments, release escrow, issue refunds, and resolve disputes.
- Run sanctions / denied-party screening and comply with export, import, and anti-money-laundering obligations in China and in destination countries.
- Communicate order updates, shipment tracking, and service notices via email, SMS, or WhatsApp.
- Improve the platform, detect fraud, and secure accounts.
- Marketing — only with your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
3. How we share data
Silk Road Africa deliberately sits between buyers and suppliers: buyer identity is not exposed to suppliers by default, and supplier identity is not exposed to buyers. We share only the minimum necessary:
- Suppliers receive the shipping destination country, order specifications, and quantity — not your name, company, or contact.
- Logistics providers (freight forwarders, customs brokers, last-mile couriers) receive recipient name, address, phone, and commodity description as required to deliver.
- Payment processors (Stripe, mobile-money operators, banks) receive payment amounts and references.
- Authorities — customs, tax, law enforcement — when legally required.
- Service providers bound by confidentiality (cloud hosting, analytics, email, inspection agencies).
We do not sell personal data.
4. Cross-border transfers
Because our platform connects China and Africa, personal data is transferred across borders. We rely on contractual safeguards and, where applicable, standard contractual clauses. See our Trade Compliance page for additional export / import considerations.
5. Data retention
- Account data — kept while your account is active, plus 24 months.
- Transaction and invoice records — retained for 7 years to meet tax and accounting obligations.
- KYC documents — retained for 5 years after last activity.
- Support and communications — kept up to 36 months unless tied to an open dispute.
6. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or port your data, and to object to certain processing. To exercise these rights, email privacy@silkroadafrica.com. We will respond within 30 days.
7. Security
We use encryption in transit, encrypted storage, access controls, and audit logging. No system is perfectly secure — if you suspect a compromise, contact security@silkroadafrica.com.
8. Children
The platform is intended for businesses and their authorised representatives. It is not directed at children under 18.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the platform evolves. Material changes will be announced via email or in-app notice at least 14 days before taking effect.
10. Contact
Silk Road Africa · Kigali · Lagos · Guangzhou
Email: privacy@silkroadafrica.com