Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Vogelsang Boerdery (“Vogelsang”, “we”, “us”) collects, uses, and protects personal information in connection with accommodation bookings, farm activities, seasonal produce and farm product orders, leadership course enrolments, Publications, and use of our website, in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”).

1. Who We Are

Vogelsang Boerdery is the responsible party for personal information processed via our website and other booking, enrolment, and ordering channels. 01, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, 6625, South Africa. [Placeholder — please confirm if a technology partner or third-party platform (e.g. website developer, booking or CRM provider) processes data on your behalf as an operator, so this can be added.]

2. Information We Collect

  • Contact details: name, email address, phone number, postal/delivery address.
  • Booking details: arrival/departure dates, cottage booked, number of adults and children, special requests, and returning-guest/loyalty status.
  • Farm activity and course details: activity or course booked, participant name and age (where a minor), parent/guardian details, dietary or medical information disclosed for safety purposes.
  • Order details: seasonal produce, farm products, and Publications purchased, delivery or collection preference, and order history.
  • Payment information: processed securely via our payment provider — we do not store full card details on our servers. For EFT payments, a bank reference may be visible to our staff for manual confirmation.
  • Communication records: enquiries submitted via our contact, booking, or enrolment forms, and any correspondence with us.
  • Website usage data: collected via cookies and analytics tools (see Section 7).

3. How We Use Your Information

  • To process and manage accommodation booking requests, farm activity bookings, course enrolments, and product orders.
  • To communicate with you about your booking, activity, course, or order (approval, payment link, confirmations, changes, pickup/delivery arrangements).
  • To arrange appropriate supervision and safety measures for farm activities and courses, particularly where a Participant is a minor.
  • To send marketing communications and offers, where you have opted in — you may unsubscribe at any time.
  • To recognise returning guests for any loyalty discount on accommodation.
  • To avoid double bookings across our cottage calendars, including during our transition away from third-party booking platforms.
  • To comply with legal, tax, and record-keeping obligations.
  • To improve our website and services.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on the basis of: performance of a contract (processing your booking, enrolment, or order), your consent (marketing communications, and processing a minor’s information for course participation), and our legitimate business interests (fraud prevention, safety, service improvement), balanced against your rights under POPIA.

5. Sharing Your Information

We share personal information only where necessary to deliver our services, including with:

  • Our payment gateway provider, to process card, EFT, and other online payments.
  • Courier and delivery partners, to fulfil orders for produce, farm products, and Publications where delivery is selected.
  • Any accommodation booking platform (such as Airbnb or Booking.com) through which you make a booking, in line with that platform’s own privacy terms.
  • Our guest and customer database / email marketing system, and any website or technology partner who hosts and maintains our systems on our behalf.

We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

6. Payment Information

Online payments are processed through a secure, PCI-compliant payment gateway. We do not have access to, or store, your full card number or security code. For EFT payments, our staff manually confirm receipt against your bank reference within 48 hours. Bookings made via a third-party platform are paid for through that platform’s own payment system.

7. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies to support booking and shopping cart functionality, and analytics tools to understand how visitors use our site. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling cookies may affect booking and checkout functionality.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure, including secure hosting, access controls, and use of reputable third-party service providers.

9. Data Retention

We retain booking, enrolment, and order records for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which they were collected, and thereafter as required by tax and legal record-keeping obligations. Marketing communication preferences are retained until you opt out.

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
  • Request correction or deletion of your personal information.
  • Object to processing of your information for marketing purposes.
  • Withdraw consent previously given, without affecting processing already carried out.
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights have been infringed.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 14.

11. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (for example, email/CRM, hosting, or booking-platform providers) may process data outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient is subject to a similar level of data protection as required under POPIA.

12. Children’s and Minors’ Privacy

Bookings and purchases require an adult 18 years or older. Where a Participant in a farm activity or leadership course is a minor, we collect the minor’s information only with the consent of, and as provided by, a parent or legal guardian, and only as needed to arrange safe and appropriate participation.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be highlighted on our website.

14. Contact Us / Information Officer

Information Officer: [Placeholder — please confirm who at Vogelsang Boerdery is registered as Information Officer with the Information Regulator, e.g. Theo or Denielle.]

Vogelsang Boerdery
01, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, 6625
info@vogelsangboerdery.co.za
+27 76 819 0305 (WhatsApp)

Information Regulator (South Africa): enquiries@inforegulator.org.za | www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/