NSTF - Technical Overview

NSTF Awards Management System - Technical Overview

Platform Architecture

Technology Stack

Frontend: React.js (responsive, mobile-friendly)
Backend: Node.js / Python (configurable based on NSTF preference)
Database: PostgreSQL (relational, ACID-compliant)
File Storage: AWS S3 / Azure Blob Storage (encrypted, versioned)
Hosting: South African data centers (POPIA-compliant)

System Architecture

[User Layer]
  ├── Nominator Portal (Public Web Interface)
  ├── Adjudicator Portal (Authenticated Access)
  └── Admin Dashboard (Role-Based Access Control)
       ↓
[Application Layer]
  ├── API Gateway (RESTful APIs)
  ├── Authentication Service (JWT Tokens)
  ├── Business Logic Layer
  └── Workflow Engine
       ↓
[Data Layer]
  ├── PostgreSQL Database (Structured Data)
  ├── File Storage (Documents, CVs, Images)
  └── Cache Layer (Redis - Performance Optimization)
       ↓
[Integration Layer]
  ├── Everlytic API (Email Campaigns)
  ├── NSTF Database Connector
  └── Third-Party Services (Payment, Analytics)

Security & Compliance

POPIA Compliance

Data minimization (only collect necessary information)
Consent management (explicit opt-ins)
Right to access (nominators can view their data)
Right to deletion (data purging workflows)
Data breach notification procedures (24-hour SLA)

Data Security

Encryption in Transit: TLS 1.3 (HTTPS)
Encryption at Rest: AES-256 (database and file storage)
Access Controls: Role-based access control (RBAC)
Audit Logging: All data access logged and monitored
Backup & Recovery: Daily backups, 30-day retention, 4-hour RTO

Authentication & Authorization

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for admins
Password policies (complexity, expiration, history)
Session management (timeout after inactivity)
API security (OAuth 2.0 / JWT tokens)

Penetration Testing

Annual security audits
Vulnerability scanning (automated, continuous)
Third-party security assessment available

Integration Capabilities

Everlytic Integration

API-based connection (RESTful)
Automated email triggers (nomination confirmation, status updates)
Campaign management (bulk communications)
Analytics sync (track email engagement)

NSTF Database Integration

Direct database connection OR API-based (based on NSTF infrastructure)
Bi-directional sync (nominees → NSTF database, updates ← NSTF)
Scheduled sync (hourly, daily, or real-time)

Future-Ready Integrations

Zoom/Teams (event management)
Payment gateways (membership fees, event registration)
Analytics platforms (Google Analytics, Power BI)
CRM systems (if NSTF adopts in future)

Performance & Scalability

Performance Targets

Page Load Time: <2 seconds (95th percentile)
API Response Time: <500ms (average)
Concurrent Users: Support 500+ simultaneous users
File Upload: Support files up to 50MB

Scalability

Horizontal scaling (add servers as load increases)
Auto-scaling during peak periods (awards deadline days)
CDN for static assets (fast global access)
Database optimization (indexing, query tuning)

Uptime & Availability

SLA: 99.5% uptime (excluding planned maintenance)
Monitoring: 24/7 automated monitoring, alerts
Incident Response: 1-hour acknowledgment, 4-hour resolution SLA

Data Residency & Hosting

South African Hosting

Data centers in Johannesburg/Cape Town
Compliant with POPI Act Section 72 (data doesn’t leave SA)
Redundant infrastructure (multi-AZ availability)

Disaster Recovery

Offsite backups (geographically distributed)
Recovery Point Objective (RPO): 1 hour (max data loss)
Recovery Time Objective (RTO): 4 hours (max downtime)

Support & Maintenance

Ongoing Support

Business hours support (8am-5pm SAST, Mon-Fri)
Email and phone support channels
Ticketing system (priority-based SLAs)
Escalation path (critical issues escalated to senior engineers)

Maintenance Windows

Planned maintenance: Monthly (Sunday 2am-6am SAST)
Emergency patches: As needed (with advance notification)
Zero-downtime deployments (where possible)

Software Updates

Security patches (applied within 48 hours of release)
Feature enhancements (quarterly releases)
Technology stack updates (annual major upgrades)

Technical Owner: iSu Technologies CTO / NSTF IT Manager Last Updated: December 2, 2025