Jewel of Africa Safaris Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 11, 2025

This Privacy Policy outlines how Jewel of Africa Safaris (CC) (referred to as “JOAS,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, protects, and shares your personal information. As a luxury boutique safari operator, our commitment to “white-glove care” and transparent service extends to the protection of your personal data. We are dedicated to maintaining your trust and complying with all applicable data protection laws, including the South Africa Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. The Information We Collect

We collect various types of information from you to provide and manage our tailored safari experiences. This information is gathered through direct interactions, automated technologies, and third-party sources.

Identity and Contact Data: This includes your full name, contact information (email address, phone number), postal address, and nationality. We also collect passport information and details about all members of your travel party.
Sensitive Personal Data: To ensure a safe, comfortable, and personalized experience, we collect specific categories of sensitive personal data. This includes information about pre-existing medical conditions, allergies, physical disabilities, and dietary requirements. In rare cases, the information you provide may indirectly reveal your religious beliefs (e.g., specific dietary needs), ethnicity, or other sensitive attributes. We only collect and process this data with your explicit consent and for the express purpose of providing a safe and customized tour.
Financial Data: We collect financial data, such as your bank details for electronic transfers or payment through our secure third-party payment link (Flywire), solely for the purpose of processing your tour payments. We do not directly collect or store your credit card details. This data is handled with the utmost security as it is managed by a secure third-party processor or through direct bank transfers.
Booking and Transactional Data: This includes details about your booking history, itinerary preferences, accommodation choices, and special requests.
Communication and Preference Data: A record of your correspondence with us (e.g., emails, phone calls) is retained for service and quality assurance. This also includes your preferences regarding marketing communications.
Marketing Data: If you consent, we may use photographs, videos, or other media captured during your tour for marketing and promotional purposes. This also includes your consent to receive newsletters and other marketing materials.
Automated and Technical Data: When you visit our website, we may automatically collect technical data about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns. This information includes your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, and data gathered through cookies and other similar technologies. This data helps us improve our website functionality and understand user behavior.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal data for specific, legitimate purposes, each with a defined legal basis under applicable data protection laws.

Table 2: Data Processing Activities and Legal Basis

Category of Personal Data	Purpose of Processing	Legal Basis for Processing	Who We Share It With	Retention Period
Identity & Contact Data	To manage your booking, correspond with you, and verify your identity.	Contractual Necessity: Essential for performing our contract with you.	Third-Party Suppliers (lodges, airlines), governmental authorities (visas).	5 years for financial and record-keeping purposes.
Sensitive Personal Data	To ensure your health, safety, and well-being; to accommodate special medical or dietary needs.	Explicit Consent: We obtain your clear consent before processing this data.	Third-Party Suppliers (e.g., lodges and caterers) on a need-to-know basis.	For the duration of the trip; deleted promptly thereafter unless required for legal reasons.
Financial Data	To process payments for your safari booking.	Contractual Necessity: Required for financial transactions.	Secure payment processors or financial institutions as required.	Not stored, as payment is handled by a secure third-party processor or via direct bank transfer.
Transactional Data	To create and manage your itinerary; to provide personalized service.	Contractual Necessity: Required to deliver the services you purchased.	Third-Party Suppliers (e.g., activity operators).	5 years for financial and record-keeping purposes.
Marketing Data	To send you marketing communications and use promotional media.	Consent: Your explicit consent is required and can be withdrawn at any time.	Marketing and advertising partners, social media platforms.	Until you withdraw your consent or opt out.
Technical & Automated Data	To improve our website and services; to analyze user trends and enhance security.	Legitimate Interests: Our interest in operating and improving our business and services.	Website analytics providers and service providers.	Varies by cookie type and data volume; typically for a limited duration.

3. Who We Share Your Information With

JOAS acts as a booking agent, and the provision of your safari tour requires the transfer of your personal information to a variety of trusted partners.

Third-Party Suppliers: We share necessary personal information with the independent third-party suppliers (e.g., lodges, airlines, ground transportation providers) that provide the services for your tour. This sharing is essential to fulfill your travel arrangements.
Governmental and Regulatory Authorities: We may disclose your personal information to government authorities or third parties if required by law or a valid legal process, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our clients or the public.

We do not sell your personal information to any third parties. Any third-party service providers we employ are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which it was shared.

4. International Data Transfers

As our tours span Southern and Eastern Africa, your information, including personal data, may be transferred to—and maintained on—computers and servers located outside of your country of residence. By booking with us, you consent to this international transfer of information, as it is a necessary part of fulfilling your travel arrangements. We ensure adequate protections for these transfers through mechanisms such as EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent safeguards under POPIA and GDPR, particularly for transfers to countries without adequate data protection levels.

5. Data Security and Retention

We are committed to the security of your personal information. We have implemented robust security measures, including encrypted systems and secure networks, to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. We also take stringent measures to protect sensitive documents like passports from unauthorized access. We will not retain your personal data for longer than is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for financial compliance and record-keeping purposes, which is a period of up to 5 years.

In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant authorities (such as the Information Regulator under POPIA or supervisory authorities under GDPR) without undue delay, as required by law.

6. Your Data Protection Rights

Under POPIA and GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data. We are committed to honoring these rights:

Right of Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you to confirm that we are processing it lawfully.
Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you.
Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data when there is no legitimate reason for us to continue processing it.
Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where we are relying on a legitimate interest as the legal basis.
Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request a transfer of your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format to you or a third party.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we are processing your personal data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before you withdraw your consent.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by law.

7. Marketing Communications

By accepting our Terms & Conditions, you also consent to receive marketing communications from JOAS, including newsletters, promotional emails, and social media campaigns. You have the right to opt out of receiving these communications at any time. You may do so by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in our emails, replying “STOP” to text messages, or contacting us directly. We will process your opt-out request promptly, and this will not affect our ability to communicate with you about your booking.

8. Cookies and Other Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us understand how you interact with our site. This data is used to analyze trends, administer the site, and improve its functionality.

We use the following types of cookies:

Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly (e.g., for navigation and booking processes). These cannot be disabled.
Performance/Analytics Cookies: To collect anonymous data on site usage (e.g., via tools like Google Analytics) for improvements.
Marketing Cookies: To deliver personalized ads and track marketing effectiveness, only with your consent.

You have the ability to manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings (e.g., in Chrome via support.google.com/chrome), or via our cookie banner on the website. Disabling cookies may affect certain parts of the website's functionality. We respect “Do Not Track” signals where possible, but we do not alter our data collection practices based solely on them. For more details, refer to our separate Cookie Policy.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors without the consent of a parent or guardian (e.g., for family bookings). If a booking involves minors, the Lead Traveler is responsible for providing consent and ensuring compliance with age-related requirements in our Terms & Conditions. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without proper consent, we will delete it promptly. Parents or guardians can contact us to review, correct, or remove their child's data.

10. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of any material changes that may affect your personal data via email (if we have your address) or by posting the updated policy on our website. Continued use of our services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact Us

For any questions, requests, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact our Privacy Team:

Jewel of Africa Safaris CC
Physical Address: 284 Gouws Ave, 19 Villa Rustico, Centurion, 0157, South Africa
Email: travel@joasafaris.com
Telephone: +27 12 656 1831