At Carpe Outdoorsman, we are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have in relation to it. Please read it carefully.
This policy applies to all personal information collected through our website and any related sales, marketing, or services.
Last updated: June 2026
1. Who We Are
2. Our Commitment to POPIA
3. Information We Collect
4. How We Use Your Information
5. Legal Basis for Processing
6. Sharing Your Information
7. Data Retention
8. Data Security
9. Cookies
10. Marketing Communications
11. Your Rights Under POPIA
12. Children's Privacy
13. Third-Party Links
14. Changes to This Policy
15. Contact Us
Carpe Outdoorsman is a South African online retailer specialising in outdoor apparel and gear. We operate exclusively within South Africa.
When this policy refers to "we," "us," or "our," it refers to Carpe Outdoorsman. When it refers to "you," it means you as a customer, visitor, or user of our store.
We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and any regulations published under it. We only collect information that is necessary, use it lawfully and transparently, and take reasonable steps to keep it secure.
When you interact with our store, we may collect the following categories of personal information:
Account & Order Information:
Full name
Email address
Phone number
Delivery address
Order history and purchase details
Invoice and payment confirmation records
Payment Information:
We do not store your full card details. Payment processing is handled by a third-party payment gateway. We only receive confirmation of payment status.
Communications:
Emails, messages, or queries you send to us
Return or exchange requests and any associated photographs
Technical & Usage Information (collected automatically):
IP address
Browser type and version
Device type
Pages visited on our website and time spent
Referral source (how you arrived at our site)
Cookie data (see Section 9)
We do not collect any special personal information (such as race, health data, political views, or biometric data) and we have no intention of doing so.
We use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected or for compatible purposes. Specifically, we use it to:
Fulfil your orders:
Process and confirm purchases
Arrange dispatch and delivery of your order
Send you tracking information and delivery updates
Handle returns, exchanges, refunds, and complaints
Communicate with you:
Respond to queries, support requests, or return initiations
Send order confirmations and invoices
Notify you of any issues with your order
Improve our business:
Analyse website usage and shopping behaviour to improve user experience
Understand which products are popular and how customers navigate our store
Legal and compliance purposes:
Maintain records as required by South African law
Resolve disputes and enforce our policies
Comply with court orders or regulatory requests where legally required
Marketing (only with your consent):
Send promotional emails, new product announcements, or special offers
You may opt out of marketing communications at any time (see Section 10)
We will never use your personal information for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected without first obtaining your consent.
Under POPIA, we process your personal information on the following grounds:
Contractual necessity — to fulfil your order and provide the services you've requested
Legal obligation — where we are required to retain or disclose information by law
Legitimate interest — to improve our products, prevent fraud, and operate our business effectively, provided this does not override your rights
Consent — for marketing communications, where we will always ask for your permission first
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We only share your information in the following limited circumstances:
Courier and logistics partners:
Your name, contact number, and delivery address are shared with our courier partners solely for the purpose of delivering your order.
Payment processors:
Your payment details are processed securely by our third-party payment gateway. We do not have access to your full card information.
Service providers:
We may use third-party tools to assist with website hosting, email delivery, or analytics. These providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and may only use your data to provide services to us.
Legal authorities:
We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others.
All third parties with whom we share personal information are required to handle it in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law.
Order records are retained for a minimum of 5 years for accounting and legal compliance purposes.
Customer account data is retained for as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide services.
Marketing consent records are retained until you withdraw consent.
Support and return correspondence is retained for a minimum of 2 years.
Once your information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.
We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure.
These measures include:
Secure (HTTPS/SSL) encryption on our website
Restricted access to personal information within our team on a need-to-know basis
Use of reputable, PCI-compliant payment processors
Regular review of our data handling practices
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.
Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and help us understand how visitors use our site.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember your preferences and activity.
Types of cookies we use:
Essential cookies — required for the website to function (e.g., shopping cart, checkout session). These cannot be disabled.
Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors interact with our site (e.g., which pages are visited most). This data is anonymised and aggregated.
Marketing cookies — used to deliver relevant promotional content. Only active where you have consented.
You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies as described above.
We will only send you marketing emails or promotional communications if you have explicitly opted in to receive them.
You can opt out at any time by:
Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email we send
Contacting us directly and requesting to be removed from our mailing list
Opting out of marketing communications will not affect transactional emails related to your orders (e.g., order confirmations, dispatch notifications, and return updates) — these are necessary for your purchase and cannot be unsubscribed from while an order is active.
As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights:
Right to access — you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
Right to correction — you may request that inaccurate or outdated information be corrected
Right to deletion — you may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations
Right to object — you may object to the processing of your information for direct marketing purposes at any time
Right to lodge a complaint — you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights have been violated
Information Regulator contact details:
Website: www.inforegulator.org.za
Phone: 010 023 5207
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, or courier tracking portals. This privacy policy applies only to our website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or business operations. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. Where changes are material, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you directly.
This policy applies to all personal information collected through the Carpe Outdoorsman online store and is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
To exercise any of your rights, contact us directly. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with our legal obligations.
Our store is not intended for use by children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it promptly.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this privacy policy or the way we handle your personal information, please contact us. We take all privacy queries seriously and will respond as promptly as possible.
