Privacy Policy

African Inspired Safaris (PTY) LTD, is a company registered in the Republic of South Africa under registration number 2022 / 455393 / 07. Our head office is located at 1 Church Square, Leisure Isle, Knysna, South Africa.

In this policy, “African Inspired Safaris” “we,” and “us” refer to Our Privacy Policy which outlines the types of data we collect, the reasons for collecting it, how we use it, and our approach to handling it.

African Inspired Safaris is committed to protecting your privacy and is of utmost importance to us. When you use our services, you trust us with your personal data, and we are dedicated to safeguarding it.

Please read this policy carefully. If you are making an enquiry or booking on behalf of others, you are responsible for ensuring that they are aware of this Privacy Policy and agree to their personal data being provided. By submitting your data while making an enquiry or booking, you consent to the transfer, storage, and processing of your data as necessary. We will take all necessary steps to ensure the security and confidentiality of your data and compliance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, we are not able to accept your enquiry or booking, and you should not use our websites.

At African Inspired Safaris our aim is to provide you with the experience you envision when you travel with us. To achieve this, we require some personal information. We understand the significance of safeguarding your data and promise to be transparent with you regarding its collection, sharing, and storage.

Information we may request includes your name, contact details, email address, passport details, dietary requirements, and medical conditions. 

We primarily gather your data to personalise your experience based on your interests and the devices that you make use of to contact you effectively, plan your trip efficiently, and share relevant holiday ideas with you based on your previous bookings and enquiries.

How your personal information might be shared

We will only collect personal information either directly from you or with your consent by monitoring your usage of our digital channels, including our website and mobile apps. We will not share your personal information with any third parties for marketing purposes. In instances where we do share your information, it is always to enhance your travel experience with us. More information on the sharing of your personal data is available in Section 3 of the policy outlined below.

Safeguarding your personal information

Your personal information is stored securely and is retained only for the duration required.

Your rights to your personal information

For any inquiries, feedback, requests, or grievances related to our privacy policy or your personal data, please feel free to contact us at info@africaninspiredsafaris.com To opt-out of our email marketing, click the ‘unsubscribe’ link in the footer of our email at any time. If you wish to modify or delete your personal information, kindly email us at info@africaninspiredsafaris.com. Should you feel that your personal information has been violated, complete the prescribed form and send it to POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za.

Changes to our privacy policy

There might be times we may evaluate our privacy policy and introduce changes to it. If this happens, we will always bring it to your attention by highlighting the changes on our website and, if necessary, by notifying you via email.

Our full privacy policy 

1. Who are we

1.1 African Inspired Safaris is dedicated to safeguarding and respecting your privacy, while endeavouring to offer you the finest possible experience while inquiring, booking, and travelling with us. We have established systems and procedures to guarantee that the personal information we collect and retain about you is precise, minimised, and only accessible by those who require it. We also acknowledge that it is essential for you to comprehend how we utilise your personal information.

1.2 This privacy policy, as well as any other documents mentioned within it, outlines how we will handle and utilise personal information about our clients, prospective clients, website visitors, mobile and/or tablet app users, and any other individuals whose data we process in the course of our business. Kindly read this privacy policy thoroughly to comprehend how and why we utilise your personal data.

1.3 Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) (section 14 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa), we are legally required to protect the personal information of our customers / clients. This includes the collection, use, storage, and processing of your personal information, as well as the disclosure of such information. The POPIA Act requires us to obtain consent before collecting your personal information, to only collect information that is necessary for our operations, to ensure the accuracy of personal information, and to take appropriate measures to secure personal information against loss or theft. In the event of a data breach or unauthorised disclosure of personal information, African Inspired Safaris is required to notify both the affected individuals and the Information Regulator, as outlined in the POPIA Act.

2. Personal information we collect, how we use it and our lawful basis for processing

2.1 Below is an overview of the types of personal information we may collect and use, along with the way we use it and the lawful bases for processing it in each case.

Enquiries and bookings

(a) We will collect personal information from you when you make an enquiry. This includes your:

• 1.Name
• 2. Contact information
• 3. Details about the destinations and countries that you are most interested in
• 4. Information about your geographic location
• 5. Any additional details of your travel plans which you voluntarily give to us

In addition, we may gather details on your preferred contact time and any face-to-face appointments you may request, as well as the reason behind your inquiry and any other remarks or requests you may have. This information will enable us to furnish you with the requested information or contact you as per your preferences. For instance, we may call you to discuss your destination preferences after you have reached out to us. We may also receive your personal information from our partners, agents, or affiliates, and we use this information to improve our understanding and response to your queries and requests

We believe it is in our legitimate interest to utilise your information to assist you in finding the ideal destination and to plan the perfect vacation for you. This enables us to contact you in the most efficient and appropriate manner for our business. We will always ensure that we protect your rights when relying on our legitimate interests.

(b) When you choose to book a trip through us, we will require certain information about your travel arrangements. This information may include details about your passports, emergency contacts, travel insurance arrangements, preferences and special requirements, frequent flyer club membership, visa requirements and flights (if you arrange your own flights). We may also need personal information about any additional passengers included in your booking. This data is collected to assist us in organising your trip, making bookings on your behalf, and ensuring that you and your fellow travellers receive the services and products outlined in your itinerary. Our collection of this information is necessary for fulfilling our contractual obligations and delivering the high level of service that we strive to provide.

If you are a regular client, we may retain some of this personal information so that we can enhance your experience with us the next time you book. We consider this a legitimate interest and an opportunity to improve our client journey and ensure the satisfaction of our regular clients.

Websites, apps, marketing and advertising

(c) To promote and advertise our services, we may gather information from various sources. This information could include your contact details and marketing preferences, which we may use to send you targeted marketing messages, such as marketing emails. Additionally, we may utilise data collected from you, either directly or through our website or advertising, to evaluate the effectiveness of our advertising efforts and to determine your interests.

We understand that your privacy is important, and therefore, we seek your consent before contacting you directly about our offerings. In situations where we are carrying out marketing and advertising activities for our services, we rely on our legitimate interests to ensure that our marketing efforts are efficient and appropriate, while still prioritising the protection of your rights.

You always have the option to withdraw your consent or opt-out of our direct marketing messages. You may do so by selecting the ‘unsubscribe’ option in any marketing email or by emailing us at info@africaninspiredsafaris.com.

(d) When you participate in competitions or promotions or complete surveys, we may gather your contact details. In these instances, we will either rely on your consent or our legitimate interests, depending on whether we are marketing our services or conducting market research. Regardless, we will always take care to safeguard your rights.

(e) If you engage with us on social media, either by tagging or mentioning us in a post or by contacting us directly, we may gather certain details about you, including your username. This allows us to respond to any questions or comments you may have.

To ensure that our clients have the best possible experience, we rely on our legitimate interests to collect this information. However, we always prioritise protecting your rights.

Administrative or other business purposes

(g) We may gather and utilise additional personal information when communicating with you, whether through email, telephone, or other means. This may include recording inbound and outbound calls, as well as collecting data when you use our WhatsApp function to communicate with our Specialists.

We collect this information to fulfil our legitimate business interests, which include ensuring that our Specialists are trained to the highest standards. This enables us to provide our clients with the best possible travel advice.

(h) We may gather other information that you provide us when contacting us for a specific purpose not mentioned earlier, such as reporting issues with our website.

We collect this information to fulfil our legitimate business interests, which include ensuring that our Specialists are trained to the highest standards. This enables us to provide our clients with the best possible travel advice.

2.2 As well as collecting personal information directly from you, we also collect some from third parties including Google Analytics.

2.3 We may gather and utilise sensitive (Special Category) personal information about you, which may include details of relevant health conditions, disabilities, mobility and access requirements, as well as special dietary requirements, including allergies. We collect this information directly from you to ensure that your trip is tailored to your specific needs and can be executed safely. This information will be shared with our overseas suppliers, so we may require your explicit consent to process it.

2.4 If you share information with us regarding third parties, such as other travellers or guests on your trips, we require you to verify that you have obtained their consent to do so. Additionally, please inform them of our privacy policy and provide them with our contact information should they have any inquiries. Please notify us if any of these third parties would like to communicate with us directly, either regarding the trip or our use of their data.

3. How we share personal information

3.1 To ensure our business runs efficiently and meets your expectations, we may need to share your personal information with certain third parties as required. These may include:

(a) Members of our group, which includes subsidiaries and ultimate holding companies, as we share operations with some members of our group.

(b) Selected trusted third-party partners (such as local businesses in the locations our clients travel to) and technology service providers who perform services related to the contracts we enter into with you.

(c) Prospective buyers of our business or assets, which may include your personal information.

(d) Any other third parties necessary to comply with legal obligations or enforce agreements. For example, we must provide airlines with a passenger’s mobile phone number and email contact details under IATA Resolution 830d for the airline to inform the passenger of any operational difficulties.

(e) Any other third parties if necessary to protect our or your rights, property, safety, and/or those of others.

(f) If applicable, we may share details of your enquiries and/or bookings with the partner, affiliate, or agent who referred you to us.

4. Security of your personal information

4.1 Protecting your personal information is of utmost importance to us, and we have implemented physical, technical, operational, and administrative measures to ensure its security from unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. These measures are in accordance with accepted industry practices and legal requirements. We regularly review and evaluate these measures to ensure their effectiveness and appropriateness.

5. Retention of personal information

5.1 We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary, and the retention periods will always be linked to the specific purposes for processing your personal information. Therefore, the retention periods will vary depending on the type of personal information. For instance, some transaction information will be kept for several years to comply with various financial and tax-related obligations. If you require more information on this matter, please reach out to us at info@africaninspiredsafaris.com.

6. Your rights in your personal information

6.1 You have certain rights regarding the personal information that we hold about you, and we outline these rights below. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the “Contact and Complaints” section of this privacy policy.

Your rights include:

(a) Access: Upon your request, we will confirm whether we are processing and using personal information about you, and if so, provide you with access to a copy of such information as well as other details to which you are entitled.

(b) Rectification: We will correct any inaccuracies and complete any incomplete personal data (including by providing a supplementary statement) that we hold about you.

(c) Prevention of processing likely to cause damage or distress: We will respect your rights to require us to stop or not begin processing your personal information for a specific purpose or in a specific manner that is likely to cause you or any third parties unwarranted damage or distress.

(d) Erasure: We will erase your personal information upon your request, without undue delay, where there is no valid reason for us to continue using it.

(e) Restriction: We will restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances if you request us to do so.

(f) Data portability: We will provide you or third parties on your behalf with a copy of any personal information that we hold about you, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

(g) Objection (including objection to direct marketing): We will respect your general right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, including for direct marketing purposes.

(h) Automated decisions and profiling: We will respect your rights to require us not to carry out decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you.

7. Changes to our policy

7.1 We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy from time to time — for example, if we need to reflect changes to the way that we use your personal information. Any changes we make in the future will be posted on the following website: www.africaninspiredsafaris.com/privacy-policy and, where appropriate, notified to you by email. You should check back frequently to see any updates or changes to our privacy policy.

8. Contact and complaints

8.1 If you have any questions, concerns, comments, requests or complaints regarding this privacy policy, our website and/or our use of your personal information. Please contact info@africaninspiredsafaris.com

8.2 If you have any complaints regarding this privacy policy or the way that we use your personal information, you may also contact: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za.