Last updated: 26 September 2026
The Village News (Pty) Ltd (“The Village News”, “we”) publishes The Village News newspaper and www.thevillagenews.co.za. We respect your privacy and follow the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). This policy explains what we collect, why, who sees it, and your rights.
Who we are
- The Village News (Pty) Ltd
- Email: admin@thevillagenews.co.za
- Information Officer: admin@thevillagenews.co.za
1. What we collect, and why
| When you… | We collect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Book an advert | Your name, business name, email, phone, address, website, your brief, your logos and artwork, the Thursdays you book | To run your advert, send proofs and your invoice, and contact you about it. Your website address makes your online advert clickable. |
| Sign in to “Your adverts” | Your email address | To email you a one-time sign-in link and show you your own bookings. |
| Apply for a monthly account | Company or personal details, contact details | To decide on the account, send statements and invoices. |
| Place a classified or job | Your name, email, phone, the advert’s words and photos | To check it, publish it, and invoice paid adverts. Your email is confirmed by link. |
| Apply for a job listed with us | Nothing. The Apply button opens your own email to the employer. We never receive or keep CVs. | — |
| Add an event to What’s on | Your name, contact details and the event details | To check and publish the event. |
| Put your name on a Puzzles board (optional) | First name, town, and, only if you choose, an email or cell number | To show your time on the board. Your email or cell is never shown and never used for sales; it is only so the paper can get in touch, for example about a feature. |
| Comment on a story | Your name, email and comment | To publish and moderate comments. |
| Sign up for the newsletter (when it starts) | Your email address | To send the newsletter. You can unsubscribe in every email. |
| Visit the website | Pages visited, device and browser type, general location, through Google Analytics | To see which stories and pages are read, and to improve the site. |
Giving us your details is voluntary. Without them we cannot run your advert, listing or event, send your invoice, or put your name on a puzzle board.
Payments: we never see or store card or bank details. Invoices are sent from our accounting system (Xero). Card payments are made on Payfast’s secure page.
2. Who sees your information
Only our team, and these service providers, who process it for us:
- Xero (invoices and accounts);
- Payfast (card payments on our invoices);
- Google (Analytics, and Google Drive, where our design team keeps advert artwork);
- MailerLite (the newsletter, once it starts);
- eHost (our website host).
Advert and listing details that you ask us to publish are, of course, public in the paper and on the website. We never sell your information or give it to anyone for their own marketing.
3. Information sent outside South Africa
Some of these providers (Google, Xero, MailerLite) store information on servers outside South Africa. We use them only because they are bound by data-protection laws or agreements that give protection similar to POPIA (POPIA, section 72).
4. How long we keep it
- Invoices and bookings: as long as tax and company law require us to keep financial records.
- Classifieds, jobs and events: until they have run, then as part of our booking records.
- Puzzle names and times: for as long as the board is kept.
- Newsletter: until you unsubscribe.
5. Keeping it safe
Our team signs in with individual logins, the site uses a secure (https) connection, and access is limited to the people who need it.
6. Cookies
The website uses a few small files in your browser:
- to keep you signed in to “Your adverts” (30 days) or the team area;
- to remember your puzzle badges and an unfinished booking, on your own device;
- for Google Analytics.
You can clear or block cookies in your browser; some parts of the site may then not work.
7. Your rights
Under POPIA you may:
- ask what information we hold about you, and for a copy;
- ask us to correct or delete it;
- object to us using it;
- unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.
Email admin@thevillagenews.co.za, for the attention of the Information Officer. We will reply within 30 days.
If you are not happy with our answer, you may complain to the Information Regulator through its eServices portal: https://eservices.inforegulator.org.za/ (website: https://inforegulator.org.za/).
8. Changes
We may update this policy. The date at the top shows the latest version.
