POPIA Compliance

Herbal News SA is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA), South Africa’s primary data protection law. This page explains how we comply with POPIA and how you can exercise your rights as a data subject.

Scope and Applicability

Although Herbal News SA does not require user registration or maintain a database of personal information, we may automatically collect limited personal data through website analytics, server logs, and cookies. This includes IP addresses, browser types, and usage patterns. POPIA applies to this limited processing as it involves the handling of personal information in an automated manner.

Your Rights Under POPIA

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

Right to access your personal information held by us
Right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
Right to request deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary
Right to object to the processing of your personal information
Right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

How We Comply

We comply with POPIA by:

Minimizing data collection to only what is necessary for website functionality and analytics
Using secure, encrypted analytics tools that do not store identifiable data longer than required
Not sharing personal information with third parties except for essential service providers bound by confidentiality agreements
Regularly reviewing our data handling practices to ensure ongoing compliance

Data We Process

The personal information we may process includes:

IP addresses
Browser and device information
Pages visited and time spent on site
Cookie identifiers (for session and preference management)

This data is collected solely for website optimization and is not linked to any individual identity.

Legal Basis for Processing

Our processing of personal information is based on legitimate interest — specifically, to ensure the website functions properly, improves user experience, and delivers relevant content. We do not process sensitive personal information as defined under POPIA.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your rights under POPIA, please contact us by email at [email protected]. In your message, please include:

Your full name
A description of the information you wish to access, correct, or delete
Proof of identity (e.g., copy of ID or driver’s license)

We will respond to your request within 20 business days.

Response Timeframes

Under POPIA, we are required to respond to data subject requests within 20 business days. In exceptional circumstances, we may extend this period by an additional 20 days and will notify you if this occurs.

No Discrimination Policy

We will not deny you access to our website, charge you fees, or provide you with a different level of service because you exercised your rights under POPIA.

Updates and Changes

We may update this POPIA Compliance page periodically to reflect changes in law or our practices. The most recent version will always be posted here with an updated effective date.