Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy is issued by Sallys Boutique (Pty) Ltd, trading as Salty Tides Trading (“we”, “us”, “our”).

Registered name: Sallys Boutique (Pty) Ltd

Trading name: Salty Tides Trading

Address: Unit 12 Bay View Storage, Cnr of 1st & 6th Avenue, St Francis Industrial, Sea Vista, St Francis Bay, 6312, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Email: info@saltytidestrading.co.za

Company Registration No: 2023/145253/07

VAT Registration No: 4130315759

We are the “responsible party” as defined under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”). This means we determine the purpose of and means by which your personal information is processed.

2. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly, lawfully, and transparently, in accordance with POPIA and all applicable South African law.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, who we share it with, and what rights you have over your information. Please read it carefully.

By using our website or purchasing from us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

3. What Personal Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information that is necessary to provide our products and services to you. This includes:

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

Full name
Email address
Delivery and billing address
Phone number
Payment information (processed securely via our payment provider — we do not store card details)
Order history and product preferences
Any messages, enquiries, or feedback you send us

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

IP address and approximate location
Browser type and device information
Pages visited and time spent on our website
Referring website or search terms used to find us
Cookie identifiers (see Section 8 — Cookies)

3.3 Information From Third Parties

We may receive limited information from third-party service providers such as our payment processors and courier partners, where necessary to fulfil your order or operate our business.

4. Why We Collect Your Information (Purpose)

Under POPIA, we may only collect and process your personal information for a specific, explicitly defined, and lawful purpose. We collect your information for the following purposes:

To process and fulfil your orders, including arranging delivery and sending order confirmations
To communicate with you about your order, including updates and after-sales support
To process payments securely
To comply with our legal obligations under POPIA, the Consumer Protection Act, and the ECT Act
To send you marketing communications about our products and promotions — only where you have given your consent (see Section 7)
To improve our website and customer experience through analytics
To detect and prevent fraud or misuse of our website

We will not use your personal information for any purpose other than those listed above without first obtaining your consent or having another lawful basis to do so.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

In terms of Section 11 of POPIA, we process your personal information on the following lawful grounds:

Contract: Processing is necessary to fulfil your purchase order and deliver your goods.

Legal obligation: We are required to retain certain records under South African tax, company, and consumer protection law.

Consent: For direct marketing communications, we rely on your explicit, opt-in consent.

Legitimate interest: For fraud prevention, website security, and improving our services, where these interests do not override your privacy rights.

6. Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share your information only where necessary, with the following categories of third parties:

Our website platform (WordPress/WooCommerce): Our online store is built on WordPress with WooCommerce. These platforms may process data necessary to operate our website and store.

Payment processors: Your payment details are processed securely by our payment gateway provider. We do not receive or store your full card details.

Courier and logistics partners: Your name, address, and contact number are shared with our courier to arrange delivery of your order.

Legal or regulatory authorities: We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights.

Where any third party processes your information on our behalf (as an “operator” under POPIA), we ensure appropriate agreements are in place to protect your data.

6.1 International Data Transfers

Our website hosting provider and any third-party plugins or services we use may process data on servers located outside South Africa. Where your information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is protected to a standard consistent with POPIA, in accordance with Section 72 of the Act.

7. Direct Marketing

In terms of Section 69 of POPIA, we will only send you marketing communications by electronic means (email, SMS) if you have given us your explicit, opt-in consent to do so.

If you are an existing customer, we may contact you about similar products or services to those you have purchased from us, provided you have not opted out.

You may withdraw your consent or opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

Clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in any marketing email
Emailing us at info@saltytidestrading.co.za

Withdrawing your marketing consent will not affect our ability to communicate with you about your existing orders or legal obligations.

8. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to help us operate the website and improve your experience. Under POPIA, cookies that process identifying information require your consent.

8.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Strictly necessary cookies: Required for the website to function (e.g. shopping cart, checkout, login). These do not require consent.

Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (e.g. Google Analytics). These require your consent.

Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertising and track campaign performance. These require your consent.

Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences (e.g. language, currency). These require your consent.

8.2 Your Cookie Choices

When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You may accept or decline non-essential cookies at any time. You can also manage or withdraw your cookie consent through your browser settings.

Please note that declining certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

9. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Specifically:

Order and transaction records: retained for 5 years to comply with South African tax and accounting requirements
Customer account information: retained for as long as your account is active, or up to 3 years after your last interaction with us
Marketing consent records: retained for as long as we have your consent, and for a reasonable period thereafter as evidence of compliance
Website analytics data: retained in aggregated, anonymised form

When your information is no longer required, we will delete or anonymise it securely.

10. How We Protect Your Information

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, theft, unauthorised access, misuse, or damage, in accordance with Section 19 of POPIA.

These measures include secure HTTPS encryption on our website, access controls limiting who can view your information, and working only with reputable third-party service providers who maintain appropriate security standards.

In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required under Section 22 of POPIA.

11. Your Rights Under POPIA

POPIA gives you the following rights in respect of your personal information:

Right to be notified: You have the right to know when and why your personal information is being collected.

Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Right to correction: You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information where we no longer have a lawful reason to hold it.

Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing at any time.

Right to data portability: You may request your personal information in a structured, commonly used format.

Right to lodge a complaint: If you believe we have handled your personal information unlawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@saltytidestrading.co.za. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with POPIA.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our website and products are not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete it.

13. The Information Regulator

The Information Regulator is the independent authority responsible for enforcing POPIA in South Africa. If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information that we have been unable to resolve, you may contact the Information Regulator:

Website: www.inforegulator.org.za

Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za

Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, legal requirements, or technology. We will post the updated policy on our website and, where the changes are material, notify you by email.

The date at the bottom of this policy reflects when it was last updated. We encourage you to review it periodically.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us: