**Privacy Policy
**Effective Date:** \[2025/08/05]
At **Shades of Africa Guesthouse**, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with South Africa’s **Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)**. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you visit our website or use our services.
---## 1. **What Information We Collect**
When you visit our website, make a booking, or contact us, we may collect the following personal information:* Full name* Email address* Phone number* Home address (for invoicing or communication)* Payment information (when applicable via secure platforms)* Booking details (dates, preferences, special requests)We may also collect non-identifiable data through cookies (see Section 6 below).
---## 2. **How We Use Your Information**
We collect your information to:* Process and manage your booking* Communicate with you about your stay or enquiry* Improve our website and guest experience* Send you promotional offers or updates (only if you opt in)* Comply with legal and administrative obligations
---## 3. **Sharing Your Information**
We do **not** sell your information. We may share your data only with:* Trusted third-party platforms (like Airbnb, Booking.com) used to process your booking,* Payment processors (if booking directly),* Service providers under confidentiality agreements (e.g., for website hosting or marketing support). All third parties are required to comply with relevant data protection laws.
---## 4. **Your Data Rights**
Under POPIA, you have the right to:* Request access to your personal information* Correct or update your details* Withdraw consent for marketing communication* Request deletion of your personal information (unless we are legally required to retain it)You can exercise your rights by emailing us at **[info@shadesofafrica.co.za](mailto:info@shadesofafrica.co.za)**.
---## 5. **Data Retention**
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
---## 6. **Cookies & Tracking Technologies**
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve performance and user experience. You can choose to disable cookies via your browser settings, although this may affect how our site functions.
---## 7. **Security of Your Information**
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information using industry-standard safeguards. However, no system is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data.
---## 8. **Links to Other Websites**
Our website may include links to external websites (e.g., Airbnb, Booking.com, Instagram). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites.
---## 9. **Changes to This Policy**
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.
---## 10. **Contact Us**
If you have any questions or concerns about your privacy or how we handle your information, please get in touch with us at: **[info@shadesofafrica.co.za](liz.pelham@gmail.com)** **+27 \[82 880 2297]**.
