What is personal information?
To put it simply, if someone can figure out who you are or learn something about you from information you provide, it’s personal information. This includes:
- Who you are (name, address, contact details);
- What you're like (age, race, health, beliefs);
- Your history (education, work, finances); and
- Your activities (online behaviour, location, social media).
Why do we collect your personal information?
We only collect the information we need to give you the seamless shopping experience you deserve. We’ll always be upfront about why we’re asking for your information. Here is why we collect it:
To create and manage your account
We use the information you provide (like your name, email and contact number) to:
- set up your Takealot account;
- help you log in securely; and
- keep your account information safe and up to date.
You can update and correct your personal details any time under “My Account”.
Tip: When you are a subscriber to TakealotMORE you will need to provide us banking details for the subscription fees.
To deliver your orders and help you with returns
When you place an order, we need the following information to deliver your parcel:
- an address;
- ID (sometimes there are age restrictions on products); and
- contact number to call or message you about your delivery.
We keep a record of your orders in case you need help with a return or a refund.
To keep you in the loop (if you want us to)
We may send you:
- news about sales, new products, or special offers (including co-branded products and services with our business partners); and
- personalised suggestions based on your browsing or purchase history.
We will only keep you in the loop if you have given us permission. If you change your mind, you can update your account settings or click ‘unsubscribe’ in any of our emails.
If you are not a customer, you can tell us to stop sending you marketing messages anytime.
To improve your experience
We want to make Takealot even better. To do that, we might use your information:
- about what you’ve browsed or clicked on;
- through feedback you have shared in our surveys or reviews; and
- to help us understand trends and improve how our platforms work.
Don’t worry! If we use this kind of information, we remove anything that identifies you personally. You will be anonymous.
To grow our business and develop new services
We sometimes use your information to:
- do research about what our customers like (and what they don’t);
- test out new features and ideas; and
- make better decisions about what to offer next.
Again, don’t worry! If we use this kind of information, we remove anything that identifies you personally.
When do we share your information?
We only share your information when:
- you give us permission;
- we need to fulfil our agreement with you;
- the law tells us we have to; or
- we need to protect you, us, or someone else.
We may share your information with:
- Takealot subsidiaries and other associated businesses and partners from time-to-time;
- banks and payment processors that handle our transactions;
- technology companies and service providers who help keep our platform running; and
- legal authorities.
How do we keep your personal information safe?
Our data centres have restricted access to ensure physical security.
For digital protection, we:
- use encryption for stored and transmitted data;
- allow access to information only to those who must have it to do their job; and
- regularly review access permissions.
We work hard to prevent incidents, so we have:
- systems to monitor suspicious activity;
- procedures to quickly address breaches; and
- a commitment to immediately inform you if your information is at risk.
All our partners must sign agreements that they will keep your personal information safe, and must verify their security measures. We also continuously enhance our security measures to combat emerging threats.
Your rights: If there is ever a security incident related to your personal information, we will let you know.
How can you keep your account safe?
DO NOT share your log-in details with ANYONE.
You can keep your account safe by protecting yourself from password attacks. Criminals often steal login details from one website to try to use those usernames and passwords to break into accounts on other websites. This is why using different passwords for each of your online accounts is so important – if one gets compromised, the others stay safe.
Creating a strong password is one of the best ways to protect your account. Here are some tips to create a secure password:
- don’t keep it simple: use at least 8 characters, including uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols;
- be unique: don’t use the same password for multiple websites; and
- use a password manager: this tool can securely store your passwords.
Turn on Two-Step Verification on your Takealot account. Two-Step Verification adds an extra layer of security as it requires a second form of verification when you log in, like a code sent to your phone or your email address.
You can set this up on your account settings.
Tip: Our platform has links to other websites. Those sites have their own privacy policies and might collect your personal information. We can’t control what they do, so make sure you check their privacy policies too!
How long do we keep your personal information for?
We don’t keep your information forever. We only keep your information for as long as we actually need it, including when:
- you use our services;
- the law requires it; and
- we require it for our own record-keeping purposes.
If we need your information for multiple purposes and one of those purposes no longer applies, we will stop using your information for that specific purpose. However, we will continue to use it for other purposes that are still relevant.
For example, if you unsubscribe from our marketing emails, we will stop using your email for marketing right away, but we might still need to use it to send you updates about your order.
Remember, you are in control, and you can ask us to delete your personal information at any time (though this may limit the services we offer you). Click here to find out more.
What are your rights under POPI?
You can:
- request a record or description of your personal information. We might have reasons to say no to some information but you can ask for reasons why;
- ask and receive information about the third-parties who have had access to your personal information;
- ask that we correct inaccurate information. Remember you can also do this yourself any time under "My Account”;
- ask that we delete your personal information; or
- object to us using it (though this may affect the services we offer).
Remember:
- even if you ask us to delete your information or object to us using some of your information, we might still need to keep some of your information for legal reasons;
- it might take some time to make changes to your information and for it to show up in all our systems; and
- we might charge an administrative fee for complex requests.
If you ever want us to stop using your information, just contact us through our Help Centre.
How do we use AI technology and what are the essential elements of our AI systems?
We use AI to help you shop better. For example, AI may suggest products that you might like and help you find what you’re looking for faster.
- Our staff use AI as a tool to make your shopping experience better, but AI doesn’t make decisions on our behalf. There are still humans behind our AI tools.
- We make sure we use proven and well-tested AI technology.
- Our AI systems adhere to strict privacy and security rules.
- Our AI systems are always checked for biases.
Do we send your personal information overseas?
Sometimes, yes. For example, we use cloud services that may store your data on servers in different countries. We only send what is necessary and won’t do it unless there are safeguards and protections in place that are aligned with our local privacy laws.
Do we use cookies?
We love cookies (both the crumbly type and the tiny text files that are stored on your device when you visit websites). They help us remember your preferences and previous visits to our platform, so that we can:
- show you what you might like;
- understand how people use our platform so we can make it better;
- See which features people like and which need work through analytics and the collection of anonymous data; and
- spot suspicious activity and keep everyone safe.
How to lodge a complaint?
If you are unhappy about how your personal information is handled or have any questions about how we treat your information, contact us through the Data & Privacy section of our Help Centre. We’re happy to help.
If we are unable to resolve your complaint, you can complain to the Information Regulator.
The contact details of the Information Regulator are available at: https://justice.gov.za/inforeg/.
Help
Do you have questions? Check out our Help Centre.