Privacy Policy

2. What personal information we collect

We only aim to collect information that is reasonably needed for SAPREC operations, bookings, donations, receipts, communication, reporting, security, and legal compliance.

3. How we use personal information

We use personal information for clear SAPREC purposes, including:

• Responding to enquiries and emergency contact requests.
• Receiving, managing, approving, rejecting, or cancelling visit booking requests.
• Sending booking confirmations, booking updates, and operational messages.
• Processing donations and recording donation intents, payment status, and transaction references.
• Issuing or preparing Section 18A tax receipt information where requested.
• Maintaining accounting, reporting, audit, and administrative records.
• Protecting SAPREC, the website, donors, visitors, and admin users against abuse, errors, fraud, or unauthorised access.
• Complying with applicable laws, tax, accounting, regulatory, and record-keeping duties.

4. Online payments and PayFast

SAPREC uses PayFast for online donation payments. When you choose to pay online, you may be redirected to PayFast to complete payment. SAPREC does not store your card number, banking password, CVV, or full payment instrument details on this website.

SAPREC records the donation reference, payment status, payment amount, PayFast transaction reference, and PayFast notification result so that donations can be reconciled and marked as paid after PayFast confirms payment.

PayFast processes personal information according to its own privacy notice and payment processing requirements. Donors should also review PayFast’s privacy and payment terms when completing an online payment.

5. When we share personal information

We do not sell personal information. We may share information only where reasonably needed for SAPREC operations or where required by law.

• With PayFast for online donation payment processing and payment confirmation.
• With email, hosting, website, security, and technical service providers that help operate the website and SAPREC systems.
• With authorised SAPREC administrators, staff, volunteers, or service providers who need the information to perform SAPREC work.
• With accountants, auditors, legal advisers, SARS, regulators, or authorities where required for tax, accounting, legal, compliance, or reporting purposes.
• Where necessary to protect SAPREC, seabird welfare, website security, donors, visitors, or the public.

6. Children and visit bookings

SAPREC visit bookings may include the number of children in a visitor group so that capacity, pricing, and visit planning can be managed. The website does not require children’s names for normal bookings.

Where a child’s personal information is voluntarily provided by a parent, guardian, school, organisation, or authorised adult, SAPREC will use it only for the relevant visit, safety, communication, administrative, or legal purpose.

7. Cookies, sessions, and technical data

The website may use essential cookies or sessions to keep forms, admin login, security, and website functions working. Technical logs may include IP address, browser user agent, request paths, timestamps, and security or error information.

These technical records help us operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the site. They are not intended to identify you beyond what is needed for security, audit, and operational purposes.

8. Retention and security

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer period is required or allowed for legal, accounting, audit, tax, operational, dispute, or security reasons.

• Booking records may be kept for operational, audit, reporting, and visitor-history purposes.
• Donation and payment records may be kept for accounting, tax, donor-support, Section 18A, audit, and reconciliation purposes.
• Technical logs and audit records may be kept for security, troubleshooting, and accountability.

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards, including HTTPS, admin authentication, role-based access, audit logging, encrypted PayFast credential storage, and controlled access to administrative systems. No website or email transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we work to protect information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration.

9. Your privacy rights

Subject to applicable law and verification of your identity, you may ask SAPREC to:

• Confirm whether we hold your personal information.
• Provide access to personal information we hold about you.
• Correct or update inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information.
• Object to certain processing where the law allows.
• Request deletion or restriction where SAPREC is not legally required or entitled to keep the information.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, without affecting earlier lawful processing.

You may also contact the Information Regulator South Africa if you believe your personal information has been processed unlawfully.

10. Links and third-party websites

This website may link to third-party websites or services, including PayFast, Google Maps, social media platforms, and other external resources. Those services are controlled by their own operators and may have their own privacy policies, cookies, and terms.

11. Changes to this policy

SAPREC may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect website changes, operational changes, legal requirements, or improved privacy practices. The latest version will be published on this page.