1. Who We Are
GR Design is a sole-proprietor creative studio based in Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa, offering graphic design, pet portraits, STR consulting, branded products and signage services. For the purposes of POPIA, GR Design is the Responsible Party for personal information collected through this website.
2. What Personal Information We Collect
We only collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:
- Your name and email address (via the contact form)
- Your phone number, if you choose to provide it
- The content of messages you send us through the contact form
- Technical data such as your IP address, browser type and pages visited (via cookies — see Section 7)
We do not collect sensitive personal information (as defined in POPIA Section 1), and we do not collect personal information from children under the age of 18 without verifiable parental consent.
3. Why We Collect Your Information
Your personal information is collected and used only for the following purposes:
- To respond to your enquiry or service request
- To provide the service you have requested (e.g. to deliver a pet portrait or design brief)
- To send you a quote, invoice or project update
- To improve the performance and usability of this website (via anonymised analytics)
Providing your personal information via the contact form is voluntary. However, if you choose not to provide your name and email address, we will be unable to respond to your enquiry.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Under POPIA, we process your personal information on the basis of your consent (given when you submit the contact form) and on the basis of legitimate interest (to respond to business enquiries and fulfil service contracts). You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us at hello@grdesign.co.za.
5. Who Receives Your Information
Your personal information is not sold, rented or shared with third parties for marketing purposes. It may be shared with the following parties only where necessary to provide the service:
- Email service provider — to deliver your message to us (e.g. the hosting provider's mail server)
- Print or courier suppliers — only your delivery address if a printed product is to be shipped to you
- Website hosting provider — who stores website data on servers in accordance with their own privacy policy
Where third-party services are based outside South Africa, we take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information receives protection equivalent to that required under POPIA, as contemplated in Section 72 of the Act.
6. How Long We Keep Your Information
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Enquiry correspondence is retained for a maximum of 3 years after the last interaction, after which it is securely deleted. You may request earlier deletion at any time (see Section 9).
7. Cookies & Website Analytics
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences and understand how visitors use the site.
Cookies we use
This website uses the following types of cookies:
- Strictly necessary cookies — Required for the website to function (e.g. remembering your cookie consent choice). These cannot be disabled and do not require your consent under the ECT Act.
- Analytics cookies — Used to understand how visitors interact with the site (e.g. which pages are most visited). These are only set with your consent. Where used, we prefer privacy-friendly analytics tools that anonymise IP addresses and do not track individuals across other websites.
- Form functionality cookies — Set by the contact form to prevent spam (e.g. CSRF tokens). These are session cookies and are deleted when you close your browser.
Managing your cookie preferences
When you first visit this site, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You may accept or decline non-essential cookies at that point. You can also manage or delete cookies at any time through your browser settings. Please note that declining cookies may affect the functionality of the site.
For guidance on managing cookies in your browser, visit aboutcookies.org.
8. How We Protect Your Information
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. This includes:
- HTTPS encryption on this website (SSL certificate)
- Password-protected access to all systems storing personal information
- Limiting access to personal information to only those who need it to perform their function
While we take all reasonable precautions, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach that poses a risk of harm to you, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required under POPIA Section 22.
9. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction — request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected
- Deletion — request that your personal information be deleted, subject to any legal retention requirements
- Objection — object to the processing of your personal information
- Withdrawal of consent — withdraw your consent to processing at any time
- Complaint — lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (see Section 10)
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@grdesign.co.za. We will respond within a reasonable time, and no later than 30 days.
10. The Information Regulator
If you are not satisfied with how we handle your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator:
- Website: inforegulator.org.za
- Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
- Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
11. Electronic Communications (ECT Act)
In accordance with Section 43 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, the following information about this website operator is disclosed:
- Full name: GR Design (sole proprietor)
- Physical address: Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa
- Email address: hello@grdesign.co.za
- Website: grdesign.co.za
This website does not conduct automated electronic transactions (e-commerce) as defined by the ECT Act. All orders and transactions are concluded manually via email or WhatsApp.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in applicable law. The date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version. Continued use of this website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this policy or about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:
- Email: hello@grdesign.co.za
- Location: Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa