Privacy Policy
This policy explains what information Out With Kidz ("we", "us", "the site") collects when you use outwithkidz.co.za, why we collect it, and what choices you have. We've written it to align with the South African Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and, for visitors in the EU/UK, the GDPR.
1. Who we are
Out With Kidz is operated as an independent directory based in South Africa. For any privacy enquiry, contact hello@outwithkidz.co.za.
2. What we collect
We try to keep data collection to the minimum we need to run the site:
- Contact & venue submissions. When you use our contact or report-a-problem form we collect the name, email address and message you submit. A hidden honeypot field is also included to catch automated spam.
- Anonymous usage data. We log which venue pages are viewed (to power the "Trending" section) using a counter keyed by venue and date — not by individual visitor.
- Server logs. Our hosting provider (Afrihost) records standard web-server logs (IP address, request URL, user agent, timestamp) for security and abuse prevention. These are typically retained for a short period.
- Analytics & advertising. Where enabled, Google Analytics and Google AdSense set cookies and may collect device/usage data. See section 5.
We do not have user accounts on the public site, so we do not store passwords for visitors. The administrator login is restricted to site staff.
3. Why we use it
- To respond to your messages and venue suggestions.
- To detect and remove inaccurate or harmful content (e.g. abusive reports).
- To understand which content is useful to visitors so we can improve the site.
- To keep the site secure and prevent abuse.
4. Legal basis (GDPR visitors)
Where GDPR applies we rely on (a) legitimate interests for security logs and aggregated analytics, (b) your consent for non-essential cookies including advertising, and (c) performance of a service when you contact us via the form.
5. Cookies and third parties
We use a small number of third-party services. Each operates under its own privacy policy:
- Google Analytics 4 — anonymous-ish usage measurement. Google's privacy policy.
- Google AdSense — to display ads on the site. AdSense and its partners may use cookies to serve ads based on prior visits to our site or other sites. You can opt out of personalised ads via Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info.
- OpenStreetMap / Leaflet — map tiles are served from OpenStreetMap when a map is shown.
- Google Fonts & unpkg.com — load fonts and JavaScript libraries used on the site.
Loading these third parties exposes your IP address and basic request information to them. If you'd rather not have third-party cookies set, you can block them in your browser; the site will still work.
6. Sharing
We do not sell personal information. We do not share contact-form submissions with third parties except where required by law. Aggregated, anonymised usage data may be shared with the third-party services listed above as part of normal operation.
7. Retention
Contact-form messages are retained for as long as we need them to follow up — typically up to 24 months — and then deleted. Server logs are kept for short periods by our host. Analytics retention follows Google's default settings (currently 14 months for event data).
8. Your rights
You have the right to ask us what personal information we hold about you, to request a correction, to request deletion, and to object to certain processing. Email hello@outwithkidz.co.za with the subject line "Data request" and we'll respond within a reasonable period (usually under 30 days).
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the South African Information Regulator (inforegulator.org.za) or, in the EU/UK, your local supervisory authority.
9. Children
Although the site is about kid-friendly venues, it is intended for use by parents, guardians and adults planning outings. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has submitted information through our forms, please contact us so we can remove it.
10. Changes
We may update this policy as the site evolves. The "last updated" date at the top will reflect any change. Material changes will be highlighted on the site.
11. Contact
Questions or requests: hello@outwithkidz.co.za or use our contact page.