Privacy Policy

The Zululander is a digital news and advertising publication serving the Zululand region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We are the Responsible Party as defined in POPIA — meaning we determine the purpose and means of processing your personal information.

In terms of Section 55 of POPIA, every responsible party must designate an Information Officer who is responsible for ensuring compliance with POPIA and handling requests for access to information under the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA).

We collect personal information only when necessary and only to the extent required to provide our services. The categories of personal information we may collect include:

Under POPIA, we may only process personal information if at least one of the following conditions is met. We rely on the following legal bases for processing your personal information:

• Consent: You have given us specific, informed consent to process your information (e.g., newsletter subscription, form submission).
• Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary to fulfil a contract with you (e.g., processing a paid advertising order).
• Legitimate interest: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests as a news publisher, provided these interests do not override your rights.
• Legal obligation: Processing is required to comply with a legal obligation applicable to us.

We use personal information strictly for the purposes for which it was collected. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. Specific uses include:

• Sending our newsletter and editorial updates to subscribers who have opted in
• Processing and fulfilling advertising orders and enquiries
• Publishing business directory and property listings submitted by users
• Investigating and publishing news tips (sources are kept confidential)
• Improving the functionality and content of our website
• Complying with legal obligations and responding to lawful requests from authorities
• Sending transactional communications (e.g., order confirmations, payment receipts)

We do not share your personal information with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We may share information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating our website (e.g., hosting providers, email delivery services such as Beehiiv, payment processors such as PayFast). These providers are contractually bound to protect your information and may not use it for their own purposes.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or lawful request from a government authority.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to equivalent privacy protections.
• With your consent: We may share information in any other circumstances where you have given explicit consent.

Cross-border transfers: Some of our service providers may be located outside South Africa. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we ensure that adequate protections are in place in accordance with POPIA Section 72.

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights:

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyse site traffic, and understand user behaviour. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Necessary for the website to function correctly. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website (e.g., page views, traffic sources). We use anonymised data only.
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences to improve your experience.

You can control cookies through your browser settings or through our cookie consent banner. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or disclosure. These measures include:

• Secure HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted to and from our website
• Access controls limiting who can access personal information within our organisation
• Regular security assessments of our systems and infrastructure
• Secure, encrypted database storage for all personal information

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected data subjects as required by POPIA Section 22.

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our retention periods are:

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact our Information Officer immediately and we will delete such information promptly.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

For any privacy-related queries, requests to exercise your rights, or concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact: