HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
Secure by design
How to Use
Privacy Chat
AI-powered chat that automatically strips personal information before it ever reaches a model — POPIA-compliant, built for South African professionals.
Auto
PII Redaction
6+
Action Prompts
PDF
Form Filler
POPIA
Compliant
Auto PII Masking Document Upload Voice Input PDF Form Filler PDF Export Redaction Log Read Aloud POPIA Compliant
Built for
  • Legal, medical, and HR professionals working with sensitive client data
  • Organisations that must comply with POPIA and cannot send raw PII to external AI
  • Anyone who wants AI assistance without compromising personal data
chat.ikhaka.com Page 1 of 10
HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
Overview
What is
Privacy Chat?
Ikhaka Privacy Chat is an AI assistant with one critical difference from ordinary chat tools: it never sends your personal data to the AI model. Before your message reaches the model, a redaction layer scans for any personally identifiable information (PII) and replaces it with anonymous placeholders.
How it works in plain language: You type a message containing real names, ID numbers, or addresses. The system finds and replaces them with tokens like [PERSON_1] or [SA_ID_1]. The AI sees only the anonymised version. The real values never leave your browser session.
The problem it solves
⚠️
The risk with ordinary AI tools
When you paste a client's ID number, medical record, or home address into a standard AI chat, that data is processed and potentially stored by a third-party service — a direct POPIA compliance risk.
🛡️
How Privacy Chat solves it
Every message is screened before sending. PII is replaced with neutral tokens. The AI responds in terms of those tokens. Your sensitive data never leaves your control.
Who needs this?
Any South African professional who works with client data and wants to use AI assistance — lawyers reviewing contracts, doctors summarising patient files, HR managers drafting correspondence, insurance administrators processing claims, or financial advisers preparing loan documentation.
Important: Privacy Chat protects against accidental PII exposure to AI models. It is not a substitute for your organisation's data governance policy. Always verify that your use of AI tools complies with your internal POPIA obligations.
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HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
Getting Started
Your first
conversation
Getting started takes under a minute. You need an Ikhaka account — the same one you use for Ikhaka Learn.
1
Sign in at chat.ikhaka.com
Visit chat.ikhaka.com and sign in with your Ikhaka account. If you don't have one, click "Sign up" — it's free and takes under 60 seconds. No credit card required.
2
You'll see the chat interface
After signing in, you'll land on the main chat screen. The centre column is your conversation. The right panel is the Redaction log — it shows what personal information has been masked in real time.
3
Try one of the starter prompts
You'll see pre-loaded action chips above the input bar — "Audit a contract", "Summarise medical history", "Draft insurance claim", and more. Click any one to load a realistic example prompt with real-looking PII already embedded, so you can see the redaction in action immediately.
4
Send and watch the redaction log
Hit Send. As the message is processed, the right-hand panel updates to show exactly which items were masked — names, ID numbers, addresses, phone numbers — and the placeholder tokens that replaced them.
💡 Tip: The starter prompts use realistic but entirely fictional South African names, ID numbers, and addresses. They're safe to send and are designed to give you an instant demonstration of the redaction system at work.
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HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
Redaction Engine
How PII masking
actually works
Every message you send passes through the redaction engine before reaching the AI. Here is the full sequence:
1
Detection
The engine scans your text for recognisable PII patterns: names, SA ID numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, dates of birth, medical record numbers, bank details, and more.
2
Replacement
Each detected item is replaced with a typed placeholder — [PERSON_1], [SA_ID_1], [EMAIL_1], [ADDRESS_1]. The same entity is consistently replaced with the same token throughout the conversation.
3
AI sees only tokens
The anonymised version is sent to the AI model. The model reasons about [PERSON_1], not about "Sipho Mokoena". Its response refers to the tokens, not the real values.
4
You see the full picture
The Redaction log on the right shows your original values alongside their tokens. You can cross-reference the AI's response — when it says [PERSON_1], you know that means your client.
Example
Before (what you type)
Please review the contract for Thabo Nkosi (SA ID: 8203155012089), residing at 14 Jacaranda Street, Hatfield. His email is thabo.nkosi@webmail.co.za.
↓ redacted before sending ↓
After (what the AI sees)
Please review the contract for [PERSON_1] (SA ID: [SA_ID_1]), residing at [ADDRESS_1]. His email is [EMAIL_1].
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HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
What gets masked
PII types
detected
The redaction engine is trained on South African data formats — it recognises SA-specific identifiers that generic tools miss.
PII TypeExamples detectedPlaceholder
Full nameSipho Mokoena, Fatima Ismail, Lerato Dlamini[PERSON_N]
SA ID number8203155012089, 7906220423086[SA_ID_N]
Phone number071 234 5678, 082 555 0134, +27 11 807 6600[PHONE_N]
Email addressthabo.nkosi@webmail.co.za, sipho.m@fastmail.net[EMAIL_N]
Physical address14 Jacaranda Street, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0083[ADDRESS_N]
Date of birth22 June 1979, 1979-06-22[DOB_N]
Medical record / file no.MRN-00412, file number 4521[MRN_N]
Tax / VAT reference8723456901, VAT 4560123890[TAX_REF_N]
Vehicle / VIN / registrationCA 456 789, AHTFR22G201234567[VEHICLE_N]
Bank / policy / case numberPOL-2024-77821, CAS 214/02/2025[REF_N]
Professional registrationHPCSA no. MP0234891[REG_N]
Consistent within a session: If you mention [PERSON_1] in your first message and again three messages later, the system uses the same token — the AI retains context about who you're referring to throughout the conversation.
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HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
Starter Prompts
Built-in
action chips
When no conversation is active, six pre-loaded action chips appear above the input. Each one inserts a realistic, fully-formed prompt — with fictional but realistic South African PII — so you can see the redaction engine working instantly.
📋
Audit a contract
Loads a service agreement scenario with client name, SA ID, address, and company tax reference. Asks the AI to flag POPIA compliance gaps and one-sided termination terms.
🏥
Summarise medical history
Loads a patient file scenario with date of birth, SA ID, GP HPCSA number, and medication history. Asks for a clinical summary and drug interaction notes.
📄
Draft insurance claim
Loads a motor vehicle claim with VIN, registration, policy number, and police case number. All personal details are auto-masked before the AI drafts the claim document.
🏦
Review loan application
Loads a home loan scenario with income, employment history, and ID details. Asks the AI to assess affordability and flag missing compliance documentation.
⚖️
Prepare legal brief
Loads a litigation scenario with plaintiff/defendant names, case numbers, and dates. Asks the AI to draft a structured legal brief from the facts provided.
📧
Write referral letter
Loads a medical referral scenario with patient name, GP details, and diagnosis. Asks for a formal referral letter to a specialist with appropriate clinical detail.
💡 Tip: These chips are starting points. After clicking one, you can edit the loaded prompt before sending — replace the fictional values with your real client data and Privacy Chat will mask them all automatically.
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HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
File Features
Document upload
& form filler
Privacy Chat can work with files — not just typed text. The paperclip icon in the input bar opens an upload menu with two options.
📁
Upload a document
Accepts PDF, DOCX, and TXT files. The document content is extracted, PII is redacted, and you can ask the AI to summarise, analyse, or answer questions about it. Useful for contracts, reports, policies, and correspondence.
🖼️
Upload an image
Accepts PNG, JPG, JPEG, and WEBP. The AI can read text in images, describe diagrams, or analyse photographs — all with the same PII protection layer applied to any extracted text.
📝
PDF Form Filler
Upload a fillable PDF, DOCX, or image of a form and Privacy Chat will walk you through completing it field by field — conversationally.
  • 1.Click the paperclip → select a form file
  • 2.Privacy Chat detects the form fields automatically
  • 3.It asks you for each value conversationally
  • 4.All values you provide are redacted before processing
  • 5.Download the completed form as a filled PDF or DOCX
After uploading a document
🔍AnalyseSummarise and extract key points from the document
💬Summarise & chatGet a summary, then ask follow-up questions
✏️Custom instructionType your own instruction about what to do with the file
Supported formats: PDF · DOCX · TXT · PNG · JPG · JPEG · WEBP. Maximum file size follows standard browser limits. For large PDFs, the system extracts the most relevant content automatically.
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HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
Input & Output Tools
Voice, export
& read aloud
Beyond typing and uploading, Privacy Chat has tools to speed up how you input queries and share AI responses.
🎙️
Voice input
Click the microphone icon to the left of the send button. Speak your message — it is transcribed in real time. The transcribed text is then redacted exactly like typed text before being sent to the AI. Useful when you're dictating from notes.
🔊
Read aloud
Every AI response has a speaker icon. Click it to have the response read aloud using your browser's text-to-speech. Use the pause / stop controls that appear below the message. Ideal for hands-free review of long documents.
📥
Download response as PDF
Every AI response also has a Download PDF button. Click it to export that specific response as a formatted PDF document — branded with the Ikhaka AI Privacy Chat header and footer, and marked as POPIA-compliant. The PDF is generated entirely in your browser; no data is sent to a server. Use this to share AI-drafted documents with colleagues or keep on file.
Input bar at a glance
ElementWhat it does
📎 PaperclipUpload a document, image, or fillable form
🎙️ MicrophoneToggle voice input — speak instead of typing
Text areaType or paste your message — PII is auto-detected
↑ Send buttonSend message (also submits form filler answers and batch fill)
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HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
Use Cases
Who uses
Privacy Chat?
Privacy Chat is designed for any South African professional who works with sensitive client information and wants AI assistance without the POPIA compliance risk.
⚖️
Legal professionals
Draft contracts, review agreements, flag compliance gaps, summarise case files — with client names and case numbers masked throughout.
🏥
Healthcare workers
Summarise patient histories, check drug interactions, draft referral letters — with patient ID numbers, dates of birth, and medical records fully masked.
🏦
Financial advisers
Review loan applications, assess affordability, draft client correspondence — with income details, ID numbers, and account references protected.
🚗
Insurance administrators
Draft motor and home insurance claims, fill claim forms, and summarise incident reports — with policy numbers, VINs, and claimant details redacted.
👥
HR professionals
Draft employment contracts, disciplinary letters, and performance reviews — with employee ID numbers, addresses, and personal details masked.
🏢
Compliance officers
Audit documents for POPIA gaps, review data processing agreements, and draft data subject notices — all within a POPIA-compliant AI environment.
The bottom line: If your work involves client data that falls under POPIA — and most South African professional work does — Privacy Chat lets you use AI assistance without compromising your compliance obligations. The redaction layer is automatic. You don't need to remember to remove anything.
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HOW TO USE PRIVACY CHAT · 10 PAGES
AI that works with your data — without exposing it. POPIA-compliant by design. Built for South African professionals.
Start now
Visit chat.ikhaka.com and sign in with your Ikhaka account. Try one of the pre-loaded action chips to see redaction working in under 30 seconds.
Your data, your control
PII is masked before leaving your session. The AI never sees raw personal information. Redaction happens automatically — no settings to configure.
Quick reference
  • →Redaction log — right panel shows masked items and their tokens in real time
  • →Action chips — pre-loaded prompts for common SA professional tasks
  • →File upload — PDF, DOCX, TXT, and images all supported
  • →PDF Form Filler — upload any form and complete it conversationally
  • →Voice input — speak your message, it will be transcribed and redacted
  • →PDF export — download any AI response as a POPIA-compliant branded PDF
  • →Read aloud — have any response read out via text-to-speech
→ chat.ikhaka.com → ikhaka.com → ikhaka.ai01@gmail.com
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