Bush Tales Tours Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The following privacy policy sets out how we collect, store, use and process your personal information (“Personal Information“) (as defined in the Protection of Personal Information Act No. 4 of 2013 (“POPIA“). We update this policy from time to time, so kindly refer to it, once in a while. Should you wish to talk to us or ask any questions about this policy, then please contact us on cell phone number: 076 824 2169 and/or contact us via email at: david@bush-tales.com

2. Who We Are:

Our full, registered name is Bush Tales Tours & Safaris (Pty) Limited Registration No: 2024/256835/07, a private company with limited liability incorporated in accordance with the laws of South Africa (“Bush Tales Tours“). Our registered address is Portion 58 Farm Boven Lange Valley No. 183 Rondevlei Road Wilderness Western Cape 6560. If you contact us, via phone/email/website/WhatsApp/any messaging service and/or any social media platform and/or you are referred to us by any other travel consultant or third party, your Personal Information is collected, used, processed and stored in accordance with this privacy policy and the applicable rules, as set out in POPIA.

3. How to change the way Bush Tales Tours contacts you:

3. 1 We will not contact you unless you have given us your permission to do so. [cite: 3, 4] However, if you’d like to change how you hear from us, or no longer want us to contact you at all, then please contact us telephonically on cell phone number: 076 824 2169 and speak to David Lewis or via email at david@bush-tales.com

3. 2 If you tell us that you no longer wish to hear from us, please be aware that we may still need to contact you for a follow up instruction(s), explanation(s), refunds, administration issue(s), debt collection of outstanding monies owing to us, or to provide you with information that you have requested.

4. How does Bush Tales Tours collect your Personal Information?

4. 1 Directly from you:

When you interact with us: such as when you contact us via telephone, WhatsApp, any messenger service, email(s), our website, Facebook, Instagram and/or any of the social media platforms we make us of, attend an event organized by Bush Tales (or any tour operating group, etc). [cite: 5]
When you visit our website: we may gather information, such as which pages you visit or how long you spend reading a page. [cite: 6, 7] This data helps us to improve your on-line experience(s), for example; [cite: 7, 8] by adding a new feature(s) or removing elements that makes the website easier for users/clients to navigate. [cite: 8, 9] We may also use data and insights derived from users/clients, to help inform the choice of words and images that appear on the site, in order to improve users/clients’ response to our tours, events newsletters, campaigns etc. You can find out more about how this works in our cookie policy (on the website). [cite: 9]

4. 2 Indirectly from you:

When you interact with third parties such as any referring travel and/or tour operators, specialists etc. and give your permission for your Personal Information to be shared with us. [cite: 10] Similarly, if you engage with us on social media and messaging services including but not limited to Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Tik-Tok YouTube and X etc., you may give us permission to access your Personal Information from those accounts. [cite: 11, 12] The data we are given access to by social media services varies however, but it should always be in line with the terms and conditions pertaining to those platforms’ services. [cite: 12]

5. What Personal Information does Bush Tales Tours collect and what is it used for?

The Personal Information that is collected, processed and stored will depend on how you interact with us and which information you choose to supply. [cite: 13, 14] It’s likely to include but is not limited to your name(s), surname, contact number(s), identity number/date of birth, passport number, marital status, occupation, email address(es), postal address(es), physical address(es), contact preference(s), existing medical conditions, etc. in order for us, to render the necessary legal services to you. [cite: 15] We may also collect Personal Information about your feedback on the service(s) you received from us. [cite: 16]

5. 3 We will always only process and store your Personal Information within certain criteria, some examples of which are as follows:

To reach you and identify you. [cite: 17, 18] To keep an accurate record of yourself.
To contact you with a query or information you have requested. [cite: 18, 19, 20] To Process (as defined in POPIA) your Personal Information, so we can render the necessary services to you. [cite: 19, 20] To communicate with you.
To analyse and improve our services, website or information, we provide to you. [cite: 20, 21] To measure the effectiveness of our communication with users/clients.
To provide you with the services or information you have requested, or that we feel would be of interest to you, and reasonably expected by you. [cite: 21, 22, 23] To analyse and report on trends in our users/clients’ behaviour, that helps us to understand our users/clients better, and predict future behaviour, so that we can engage with you, in an appropriate and efficient manner. [cite: 22, 23, 24] To carry out the necessary administration services pertaining to yourself as a user/client and collect payments from you. [cite: 23, 24] To send you an email(s) from time to time, to check if there if there are any tours you may be interested in and/or any further services we can render to you. [cite: 24, 25] To reach you with our latest news and information and important legislation updates that we think may have an impact on you. [cite: 25, 26] If you wish to change how we use your Personal Information, please contact us on cell phone number:076 824 2169 and/or email us at david@bush-tales.com

6. Keeping Your Personal Information Safe

6. 1 We make sure that appropriate controls are in place, to ensure that we take good care of your Personal Information, and we never share it with, or sell it to, any unrelated and unauthorised third parties. [cite: 27]

6. 2 However, the transmission of information over the Internet is never completely secure and as a result, while we strive to protect your Personal Information, Bush Tales cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. [cite: 27, 28, 29] Once we receive your Personal Information, we make every effort to try to ensure its security, by having strict technical and technological measures that accord with POPIA, in place. [cite: 28, 29, 30]

6. 3 All staff who have access to your Personal Information, understand the importance of:

keeping your information safe and secure at all times. [cite: 30, 31]
strictly adhering to internal privacy and security policies. [cite: 31]
ongoing training to support them, in keeping your Personal Information safe and secure at all times. [cite: 31]

We cannot be held responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other websites, even if you access them by using links from our website(s) and we recommend, that you check the policy of each site that you visit. [cite: 32, 33]

7. Sharing of Personal Information

In order to give you the best tour services and any related administrative services, we have to share your Personal Information with the applicable travel consultants, suppliers, airport transfers, hotels, game lodges, etc and all authorised Operators (as defined in POPIA), to allow them to perform services on our behalf and/or to help us to get a better understanding of your needs as a client. [cite: 33, 34] The aforesaid partners and/or Operators may only act under our written authorised instruction and will not use your Personal Information for their own purposes. [cite: 34]

8. What are your rights?

8. 1 You have the right(s) to:

Request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you, and to ask us to confirm how we use your Personal Information. [cite: 35, 36]
Request that we correct the Personal Information we hold about you, if it’s not accurate, complete and up to date. [cite: 36, 37]

8. 2 Depending on why we have and use your Personal information, you may also have the following rights:

8. 2.1 Ask us for the Personal Information we hold about you to be erased from our record, subject however, to applicable legislation makes it mandatory for Bush Tales to retain your file(s), personal information, payment invoices for a period of at least 5 (five) years.

8. 2.2 Withdraw consent for us to use your Personal Information to contact you. [cite: 38]

8. 2.3 You can contact us at any time on 076 824 2169 to request a copy of any of your Personal Information or to update your details, preferences, etc. [cite: 39]

8. 2.4 If you don’t want to hear from us on social media, please refer to the instructions provided by the specific social media website or app, for example on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Google. [cite: 39]

8. 3 We may disclose your Personal Information if required to do so by law, or if we believe that such action is necessary to protect and defend the rights, property or personal safety of Bush Tales, its directors, employees, any of our clients and for any other lawful purpose(s). [cite: 40]

9. Bush Tales & Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device(s) that help us improve our website and help provide you with the best experience when you visit our site and when we communicate with you. [cite: 41, 42] They allow us to deliver Bush Tales news that may be relevant and of interest to you, when you visit other websites. [cite: 42, 43] We may use 1st party and $3^{rd}$ party cookies. [cite: 43, 44] 1st party cookies are set by Bush Tales. [cite: 43, 44]

Cookies and similar technologies help us to:

Personalise the website to your requirements. [cite: 44, 45]
Avoid asking you to register or complete details twice. [cite: 45, 46]
Estimate the number of visitors/clients to our site, including the source and patterns relating to this traffic. [cite: 45, 46]
Understand how clients and visitors use the site, and how we can enhance this experience. [cite: 46, 47]
Measure the effectiveness of our marketing communications, for example by telling us, if you have opened an email that we have sent you. [cite: 47]

Please refer to our on-line Cookie Policy. [cite: 48] You are able to set your device(s) to accept all cookies, to choose the types of cookies you want to accept, to notify you when a cookie is issued, or not, to receive cookies at any time. [cite: 48, 49] For instructions on how to delete cookies, please go to https://usqassist.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3188/~/how-do-i-clear-my-cache%2C-cookies-and-history-in-google-chrome%3F