PRIVACY POLICY

Privacy Policy

Stories of Cape Town's soul and skyline

Cape Town Bulletin — Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 11, 2026

Welcome to Cape Town Bulletin (capetownbulletin.com). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect personal data in connection with our news and magazine services. We aim to process personal data lawfully, transparently and with respect for your rights under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and relevant South African data-protection law (POPIA).

Data controller

The data controller for personal data collected through this website and our services is: - Cape Town Bulletin
- Location: Cape Town
- Website: capetownbulletin.com

For privacy requests or questions, please use our contact form at /contact/ and also email [email protected].

Personal data we collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services and operate the site. Typical categories include: - Contact details you provide (name, email address) when subscribing to newsletters, registering, commenting or contacting us. - Technical data (IP address, browser type/version, device identifiers, operating system). - Usage data (pages viewed, time on site, referrer, interactions) collected via analytics. - Payment and transactional data (only where you purchase a subscription or make a donation). - Content you post publicly (comments, profile information). - Cookies and similar tracking technologies (described below).

We do not sell personal information.

Lawful bases for processing

We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases under GDPR to process personal data:

  • Performance of a contract: to provide paid subscriptions, deliver newsletters you requested, or otherwise fulfil services you have contracted with us.
  • Consent: for optional cookies, direct marketing by email where you have opted in, and other optional features that require your explicit consent.
  • Legitimate interests: to operate, secure and improve the website, detect and prevent fraud, personalise content and advertising, and perform analytics to understand and improve reader engagement — balanced against your rights and interests.
  • Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws, such as recordkeeping requirements for tax or regulatory purposes.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time (see Your rights).

How we use personal data

We use personal data to: - Provide and maintain the website and user accounts. - Deliver newsletters, alerts and other communications you sign up for. - Process payments and manage subscriptions or donations. - Moderate and publish reader comments and contributions. - Improve our journalism and site experience through analytics and testing. - Prevent abuse, detect fraud, and enforce our terms and policies. - Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities.

Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet legal or regulatory requirements. Typical retention periods include: - Newsletter and subscription account data: for the duration of your subscription or account, and for up to 5 years after termination where needed for tax, accounting or legal defence. - Transactional and billing records: 5 years to meet South African recordkeeping obligations. - Analytics and usage data: aggregated or anonymised where possible; raw analytics data retained for up to 26 months. - Cookies: session cookies expire at end of session; persistent cookies typically expire between 1 month and 2 years depending on purpose. - Comments and user-generated content: retained until removed by you or us; may be kept for archival or legal purposes.

When we no longer need personal data, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

Cookies and tracking technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site and provide features. Categories include: - Essential cookies: required for site functionality and security. - Performance/analytics cookies: to measure and improve site performance (e.g., Google Analytics). These are retained for up to 26 months by default. - Preference cookies: to remember choices such as language or display preferences. - Advertising and social cookies: used by third parties to deliver personalised advertising or social media features. These require consent.

You can manage cookie preferences through the cookie banner, your browser settings, or the privacy controls provided by third parties. Disabling non-essential cookies may affect site features.

International transfers

We are based in South Africa and may transfer or store your personal data in other countries where our service providers operate. Transfers to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or to jurisdictions without an adequacy decision are subject to appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission or comparable contractual and technical protections. When third parties (such as analytics or cloud providers) process data on our behalf in countries including the United States or other jurisdictions, we require contractual safeguards and limit the data transferred to what is necessary.

Third-party services

We use trusted third-party providers for hosting, analytics, payment processing, email distribution and advertising. These providers may process personal data in accordance with their own privacy policies. Where they act as processors on our behalf, we impose contractual obligations to protect personal data.

Your rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

  • Right of access: request a copy of personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Right to erasure: request deletion of personal data where lawful.
  • Right to restrict processing: ask us to limit processing of your data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to data portability: receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used format.
  • Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
  • Right to withdraw consent: withdraw any consent you previously gave.
  • Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (in the EU) or with the Information Regulator in South Africa.

To exercise your rights, please use our contact form at /contact/ and email [email protected]. We will respond within one month of receiving your request. In complex cases we may extend this period by up to two further months and will notify you of any extension. We may also require proof of identity to protect your data.

Security

We implement technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. These include encryption, access controls, and secure hosting practices. While we strive to protect your information, no internet transmission is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children

Our site is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under applicable age limits. If you believe we have collected personal data from a child without appropriate consent, please contact us so we can delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our processing activities, law or technology. Material changes will be notified on the site. The “Last updated” date at the top indicates when this policy was last revised.

Contact and complaints

For privacy requests or questions, please use our contact form at /contact/ and also email [email protected]. We will aim to respond promptly. If you remain unhappy after contacting us, data subjects in the European Union may lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority for their member state; South African residents may contact the Information Regulator.

Thank you for reading. Your privacy matters to Cape Town Bulletin.