Shop Nearby – POPIA Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 12 August 2026

Website: www.shopnearby.co.za

Platform Owner/Operator: Shop Nearby (Pty) Ltd

1. Introduction & Purpose

Shop Nearby (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is collected and processed lawfully, transparently, and securely in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa.

This Privacy Policy applies to all users, buyers, visitors, and registered shop owners (“Vendors”) using our digital marketplace and managed e-commerce platform at www.shopnearby.co.za.

2. Information Officer Details

In compliance with Section 55 of POPIA, Shop Nearby has designated an Information Officer responsible for enforcing compliance with POPIA regulations:

  • Information Officer: Shop Nearby Compliance Department
  • Email: privacy@shopnearby.co.za
  • Physical Address: Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa
  • Website: www.shopnearby.co.za

3. Personal Information We Collect

We collect personal information directly from you when you register an account, make a purchase, list a shop, or communicate with us.

A. Information Collected from Buyers & Shoppers:

  • Identity & Contact Data: Name, surname, physical delivery address, email address, phone number.
  • Transaction Data: Details of products ordered, payment status, invoice history, and delivery instructions. (Note: Payment card details are processed directly by secure, PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment gateways; Shop Nearby does not store raw bank account numbers or credit card CVVs).
  • Technical & Usage Data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, site usage analytics, and cookies.

B. Information Collected from Merchants / Shop Owners:

  • Business & Personal Identity: Full name, business registration name/number, physical store address, contact details.
  • Financial & Settlement Data: Bank account details required to process vendor payouts and subscription fees.

4. Purpose of Processing Personal Information

We process personal information only for specific, explicitly defined, and lawful purposes under Section 13 of POPIA:

  1. Order Processing & Fulfillment: Sharing necessary buyer contact and delivery details with relevant independent shop owners to allow them to pack, dispatch, or coordinate local collection of purchases.
  2. Platform Management: Managing vendor account subscriptions (R1,500/month flat fee), platform hosting, and digital storefront infrastructure.
  3. Communication: Sending transaction confirmations, order updates, service alerts, and customer support responses.
  4. Marketing (With Consent): Sending promotional updates or newsletters where explicit opt-in consent has been provided (you may opt out at any time).
  5. Legal & Fraud Prevention: Detecting, preventing, and investigating fraudulent activities or technical issues, and complying with statutory South African tax and legal obligations.

5. Sharing Personal Information & Third Parties

Shop Nearby operates as a platform connecting buyers with independent local shop owners. To function effectively, we share personal data under strict conditions:

  • Independent Vendors / Shop Owners: When you place an order, your name, contact details, and delivery address are disclosed to the specific shop owner(s) selling the item solely for fulfillment, shipping, and return support.
  • Third-Party Service Providers: We share data with verified operators under contract who perform critical functions on our behalf, including:
    • Secure Payment Gateways (e.g., PayFast, Ozow, Peach Payments).
    • Web hosting, database management, and platform security providers.
    • Direct logistics and courier services where integrated.
  • Legal Authorities: Where required by law, subpoena, or court order under South African jurisdiction.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for independent marketing purposes.

6. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Some of our cloud infrastructure, analytical hosting services, or security tools may process or store data on servers located outside of South Africa. Where cross-border data transfers occur, we ensure that external service providers adhere to data protection standards equivalent to POPIA (Section 72 of POPIA) through binding agreements or international compliance certification.

7. Data Security Measures

In accordance with Section 19 of POPIA, Shop Nearby implements appropriate, reasonable technical and organizational measures to secure your personal information against loss, damage, unauthorized destruction, or unlawful access:

  • Transport Layer Security (TLS/SSL) encryption across all web traffic on www.shopnearby.co.za.
  • Secure password hashing and role-based access control to administrative dashboards.
  • Regular security audits, malware scans, and firewall protections.

8. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by statutory record-keeping laws in South Africa (e.g., SARS tax compliance requiring financial transaction retention for up to 5 years). Once retention periods expire, data is securely destroyed, deleted, or de-identified.

9. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA (Sections 23, 24, and 25), you have the right to:

  1. Request Access: Request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you and receive a copy of that record.
  2. Request Correction or Deletion: Request the correction, amendment, or deletion of personal information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, or obtained unlawfully.
  3. Object to Processing: Object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds, or object to processing for direct marketing purposes at any time.
  4. Withdraw Consent: Withdraw previously granted consent for specific data processing activities.
  5. Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with the South African Information Regulator if you believe your POPIA rights have been infringed.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to our Information Officer at privacy@shopnearby.co.za.

10. Contacting the Information Regulator (South Africa)

If you are dissatisfied with how Shop Nearby handles your privacy query or complaint, you have the right to contact the regulator directly:

  • The Information Regulator (South Africa) * Physical Address: JD House, 27 Stiemans Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
    • Postal Address: P.O Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017
    • General Enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
    • POPIA Complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
    • Website: https://inforegulator.org.za

11. Updates to This Policy

Shop Nearby reserves the right to modify or update this POPI Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of www.shopnearby.co.za after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.