Privacy Policy
Last updated: January 15, 2026
Introduction
Sub Sahara Living ("we", "us", "our", or "Company") operates the subsaharaliving.com website (the "Site"). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Site and the choices you have associated with that data.
We use your data to provide and improve the Site. By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
💡 Important Note
Sub Sahara Living is an affiliate website. We do not process payments on our platform. All purchases are made directly on the retailer websites (Makro, Takealot, etc.). We earn commissions from affiliate links, but we never handle your payment information.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide
- Contact Forms: When you submit contact forms, we collect your name, email, phone number, and message content.
- Product Requests: When you request a product, we collect your details and product preferences.
- User Account Info: If you create an account (future feature), we collect login credentials and preferences.
1.2 Automatically Collected Information
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4): We use GA4 to track user behavior including:
- Pages visited
- Products viewed
- Searches performed
- Affiliate links clicked
- Retailer preferences
- Device type and browser
- Anonymized IP address (with anonymization enabled)
- Cookies: Browser cookies to track preferences and analytics
- Device Information: Device type, OS, browser type (for optimization)
1.3 Information NOT Collected
- ❌ Payment information (never processed on our site)
- ❌ Credit/debit card details
- ❌ Bank account information
- ❌ Personal identification numbers
2. How We Use Your Information
- Improve Services: Analyze user behavior to improve product recommendations
- Track Affiliate Performance: Monitor which retailers and products perform best
- Communication: Respond to contact form inquiries and product requests
- Analytics: Understand traffic sources and user engagement patterns
- Affiliate Program: Track clicks and measure commissions from retailers
- Google Ads Optimization: Use conversion data to optimize ad campaigns
- Legal Compliance: Comply with applicable laws and regulations
3. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
We use Google Analytics 4 to collect data about how you use our Site. GA4 allows us to track:
- How you navigate through our Site
- Which products you view
- Which affiliate links you click
- Your search queries
Privacy Protection: We have enabled IP anonymization in GA4, which means your full IP address is not sent to Google. The data is anonymized and does not identify you personally.
For more information about how Google Analytics collects and processes data, please visit:Google Privacy Policy
4. Cookies
Our Site uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences and track site usage.
Types of Cookies We Use:
- Essential Cookies: Required for Site functionality
- Analytics Cookies: Track user behavior (GA4)
- Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and choices
- Marketing Cookies: Used by Google Ads for remarketing
You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. However, disabling cookies may affect Site functionality.
5. Affiliate Disclosure
Sub Sahara Living is a participant in affiliate marketing programs. When you click on an affiliate link and purchase from a retailer (Makro, Takealot, etc.), we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Commission Structure:
- Makro: 4% commission on referred sales
- Takealot: 5% commission on referred sales
These commissions do not affect the price you pay. Your cost remains the same whether you use our affiliate links or visit the retailer directly.
6. Data Security
We are committed to protecting your data. While no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, we implement industry-standard security measures including:
- HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
- Regular security audits and updates
- Secure hosting on industry-standard platforms
- Limited access to personal data
Since we do not process payments, we do not have access to sensitive payment information, significantly reducing data security risks.
7. Third-Party Links & Retailers
Our Site contains links to external websites (Makro, Takealot, Amazon, etc.). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. When you click an affiliate link, you are leaving our Site and entering the retailer's website.
⚠️ Important: When you make a purchase on a retailer's site, your payment information is handled by THAT retailer, not by Sub Sahara Living. Please review their privacy policy.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data:
- Right to Access: Request what data we hold about you
- Right to Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate data
- Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your data (right to be forgotten)
- Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of analytics and marketing cookies
- Right to Data Portability: Request your data in a portable format
To exercise these rights, please contact us at: admin@subsaharaliving.com
9. GDPR Compliance (EU Users)
For users in the European Union, we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
- We only collect data with your consent
- We provide transparent information about data usage
- We implement data minimization practices
- We have a legal basis for all data processing
- We respect your data subject rights
If you have concerns about how we handle your data, you can lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
10. Data Retention
- Analytics Data: Retained for 14 months (GA4 default)
- Contact Form Data: Retained for 1 year for support purposes
- Cookie Data: Retained according to cookie expiration settings
- User Requests: Retained until request is resolved, then deleted
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this document.
Your continued use of the Site after such modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy is effective as of January 15, 2026 and is subject to change.