Privacy Policy

EarnSouthAfrica (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the website earnsouthafrica.co.za (the “Site”). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you use the Site, how we use it, and your rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

By using the Site you consent to the processing of your personal information as described below. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

1. Who we are (information officer)

EarnSouthAfrica is an independent publisher based in South Africa. Our information officer can be contacted at contact@earnsouthafrica.co.za for any privacy-related request, including access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information.

2. What we collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Contact information you provide. If you subscribe to our newsletter, fill in the contact form, or submit a hustle, we collect your email address and any details you choose to share (name, message content).
• Technical information collected automatically. When you visit the Site our hosting provider and analytics tools log your IP address, browser type, device type, approximate location (country/city level), referring URL, and pages visited.
• Cookie and similar technology data. See our Cookie Policy for the full list, including cookies set by Google AdSense and Google Analytics.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, email us and we will delete it.

3. Why we collect it (purpose of processing)

• To send the content you asked for (newsletter issues, responses to your enquiries).
• To respond to contact-form and submit-hustle messages.
• To operate and improve the Site — understanding which articles are useful, detecting abuse, and fixing bugs.
• To serve relevant advertising through Google AdSense (including personalised advertising where applicable and not opted out) so that the Site remains free.
• To comply with legal obligations, including responding to lawful requests from regulators or law-enforcement agencies.

4. Legal basis

Under POPIA we process personal information only where we have a lawful basis, namely:

• Consent — for the newsletter, contact form, and non-essential cookies.
• Legitimate interest — for basic analytics, security, fraud prevention, and keeping the Site running.
• Contractual necessity — where we need to respond to a request you have made.
• Legal obligation — where the law requires us to retain or disclose information.

5. Third-party services we use

We share certain personal information with third-party processors who help us run the Site. Each of these operates under its own privacy policy:

• Google AdSense — serves display advertising and may use cookies to personalise ads. See Google’s Advertising Privacy & Terms. You can opt out of personalised advertising at google.com/settings/ads or aboutads.info.
• Google Analytics (if enabled) — helps us understand aggregate traffic patterns. See Google’s Privacy Policy.
• Vercel — our hosting provider, which processes server logs on our behalf.
• Neon — our optional database provider, used to persist newsletter subscriptions and submitted hustles when configured.

6. Cross-border transfers

Some of our service providers (including Google and Vercel) process data on servers outside South Africa. Where we transfer your personal information outside South Africa we rely on contractual safeguards and the conditions for cross-border transfers set out in section 72 of POPIA.

7. How long we keep personal information

• Newsletter email addresses: until you unsubscribe. An unsubscribe link is included in every newsletter.
• Contact-form and submit-hustle messages: up to 24 months.
• Server logs and analytics: typically 14 to 26 months, depending on the provider’s default retention settings.

8. Your rights under POPIA

As a data subject you have the right to:

• Confirm whether we hold personal information about you.
• Request a copy of that information.
• Request correction or deletion of inaccurate or excessive data.
• Object to processing for direct marketing.
• Withdraw consent at any time, where consent is our basis.
• Complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.

To exercise any of these rights email contact@earnsouthafrica.co.za. We will respond within a reasonable time and in any case within the period prescribed by POPIA.

9. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include HTTPS encryption in transit, access controls, and limited retention. No system is 100% secure; if we become aware of a security compromise that affects your personal information we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.

10. Children

The Site is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “last updated” date at the top of the page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated through the Site or by email where appropriate.

12. Contact

Privacy questions, complaints, or data-subject requests: contact@earnsouthafrica.co.za. See also our Terms, Cookie Policy, and Disclaimer.