Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

Wine in the Cape ("we", "us", "our") is the responsible party for the personal information you share with us through this website. This policy explains what we collect, why, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over it. It is written to meet our obligations under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), the lawful processing of personal information in South Africa.

Information Officer

POPIA queries, access requests, corrections and complaints should be directed to our Information Officer at hello@wineinthecape.co.za or by post to Wine in the Cape, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. We will acknowledge your request and respond within a reasonable time, not exceeding 30 days.

Personal information we collect

When you submit an enquiry, build a trip plan, or contact us, we collect the information you choose to give us — your name, email address, phone or WhatsApp number, region of interest, preferred dates, group size, dietary notes and any message you include. We also collect limited technical data automatically: your IP address, browser type and basic analytics about how you use the site.

Why we use it (purpose & lawful basis)

We process your personal information only for defined, lawful purposes:

To respond to your enquiry and plan or arrange your tour or stay — processing necessary to take steps at your request (POPIA condition 2).
To fulfil a booking or contract we enter into with you — processing necessary for the performance of that contract.
To reply to you, send your itinerary and communicate about your trip — with your consent.
To keep a record of enquiries for our legitimate business administration and accounting — our legitimate interests, balanced against your rights.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to anyone, and we do not use it to make unsolicited direct marketing except where you have asked us to.

Who we share it with

We share your information only as needed to action your enquiry:

With the wine estates, accommodation providers and tour operators we book on your behalf, so they can hold your reservation.
With trusted service providers that help us run the business — our CRM, email and hosting providers — under contract and bound to protect your data.
Where we are required to by law (see "Legal & government requests" below).

Our service providers process your information on our instructions and only for the purposes we specify. We remain responsible for your data while it is in their hands.

How long we keep it (retention)

We keep your enquiry and booking records for as long as needed to provide the service and meet our legal and accounting obligations, then delete or anonymise them. If you ask us not to keep your details, we will remove them unless we are legally required to retain them.

Security safeguards

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure — including access controls, encrypted storage and limiting access to staff who need it to do their work. No system is perfectly secure, but we treat the protection of your data as a serious responsibility and will notify you and the Information Regulator of a compromise where POPIA requires it.

Cross-border transfers

Some of our service providers operate outside South Africa. Where your information leaves the country, we do so only with your consent or where the recipient is bound by adequate safeguards, and only for the purposes described above.

Direct marketing & opting out

We will only send you marketing messages if you have asked for them or consented to receive them. You can opt out at any time by replying "stop" to any message, clicking the unsubscribe link, or emailing our Information Officer. We will honour your request promptly.

Your rights under POPIA

As a data subject you have the right to:

Be told what personal information we hold and why (access).
Ask us to correct or update information that is inaccurate or out of date.
Ask us to delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
Object to or restrict the processing of your information.
Withdraw your consent at any time — withdrawal does not affect processing done before it.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe we have mishandled your data.

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@wineinthecape.co.za. The Information Regulator can be contacted at inforegulator.org.za.

Cookies & analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for essential functionality and to measure, anonymously, how the site is used. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. We do not use cookies to build a personal profile of you without your consent.

Children

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has given us their details, contact us and we will delete them.

Legal & government requests

If we receive a request from a public authority or law-enforcement body for a user's personal information, we handle it as follows:

We review the legality of every request before disclosing any data, and we only comply with requests that are properly issued under applicable South African law.
Where a request is unlawful, excessive, or otherwise improper, we will challenge or refuse it, and we will notify affected users where we are legally permitted to do so.
We apply data minimisation: we disclose only the minimum personal information necessary to satisfy a valid, lawful request.
We keep a record of each request, our response, the legal basis relied upon, and the authority and personnel involved.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will revise the "Last updated" date above and, where a change materially affects how we use your information, we will draw it to your attention.

Contact

For any questions about this policy or your personal information, email our Information Officer at hello@wineinthecape.co.za.