1. Who We Are
SolarPowerGuide.co.za (“we”, “us”, “our”) is an independent solar energy information website operated by Maarten Kronberger, based in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We can be contacted at info@solarpowerguide.co.za.
This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors and users of https://www.solarpowerguide.co.za and describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) No. 4 of 2013, and applicable Google AdSense publisher policies.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information you provide directly:
- Your name, email address, phone number, and message when you submit our Contact Form.
- Your email address if you sign up to our newsletter.
2.2 Information collected automatically:
- Google Analytics (GA4): We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. This collects anonymised data including pages visited, time on site, browser type, device type, and approximate geographic location. No personally identifiable information is sent to Google Analytics.
- Google AdSense: Google AdSense serves advertisements on our site and may use cookies and similar technologies to show you relevant ads based on your browsing activity across websites. See Section 4 for details.
- Server logs: Our web server automatically logs IP addresses, page requests, and timestamps for security and performance monitoring. These logs are retained for 30 days and are not shared with third parties.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To respond to your contact form enquiries and provide customer service.
- To send newsletter emails if you have subscribed (you may unsubscribe at any time).
- To analyse website traffic and improve content and user experience.
- To comply with legal obligations under South African law.
- To detect and prevent fraud, spam, or abuse.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
4. Google AdSense & Advertising Cookies
We participate in the Google AdSense programme. Google uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our site and other sites on the internet. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the internet.
You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or by visiting www.aboutads.info.
For more information on how Google uses data when you use our site, visit: How Google uses data from sites that use our services.
5. Cookies
Our website uses cookies. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by your browser. We use the following types:
- Essential cookies: Required for the website to function correctly.
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics cookies (e.g. _ga, _gid) that help us understand visitor behaviour anonymously.
- Advertising cookies: Set by Google AdSense to deliver relevant advertisements.
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect your experience on our site.
6. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, or alteration. Our site is served over HTTPS. Contact form submissions are transmitted via encrypted email. However, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure.
7. Data Retention
Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months for the purpose of responding to enquiries and preventing duplicate spam. Newsletter subscriber lists are retained until you unsubscribe. Server access logs are retained for 30 days.
8. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:
- Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
- Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements).
- Object to the processing of your personal information.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@solarpowerguide.co.za.
9. Third-Party Links
Our site contains links to third-party websites (e.g. product manufacturers, retailers, installers). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before submitting personal information to them.
10. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
12. Contact Us
For any privacy-related enquiries, contact our Information Officer:
Maarten Kronberger
SolarPowerGuide.co.za
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
info@solarpowerguide.co.za
Tel: +27 (0)84 505 3077
