Privacy policy

Last updated: July 15, 2026

ROOTED operates this store and website, including all related information, content, features, tools, products and services, in order to provide you, the customer, with a curated shopping experience (the "Services"). ROOTED is based in Pretoria, South Africa, and this Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) 4 of 2013. ROOTED is powered by Shopify, which enables us to provide the Services to you.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and disclose your personal information when you visit, use, or make a purchase or other transaction using the Services, or otherwise communicate with us. If there is a conflict between our Terms of Service and this Privacy Policy, this Privacy Policy controls with respect to the collection, processing, and disclosure of your personal information.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at rootedstore.support@gmail.com.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using and accessing any of the Services, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy and understand the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described herein.

Personal Information We Collect or Process

When we use the term "personal information," we refer to information that identifies or can reasonably be linked to you. We process your personal information as a Responsible Party under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) 4 of 2013. Personal information does not include anonymously collected or de-identified information.

Depending on how you interact with our Services, we may collect the following:

  • Contact details — your name, address, billing and shipping address, phone number, and email address.
  • Financial information — payment card details, transaction information, and payment confirmation.
  • Account information — your username, password, security questions, and preferences.
  • Transaction information — items viewed, added to cart, wishlisted, purchased, returned, or exchanged.
  • Communications — information you share when contacting our customer support team.
  • Device information — device type, browser, IP address, and unique identifiers.
  • Usage information — how and when you interact with or navigate our Services.
  • Marketing preferences — your preferences for receiving marketing communications from us.

Personal Information Sources

We may collect your personal information from the following sources:

  • Directly from you — when you create an account, visit or use the Services, make a purchase, communicate with us, or otherwise provide us with your personal information.
  • Automatically through the Services — from your device when you use our products or services or visit our website, including through the use of cookies and similar technologies.
  • From our service providers — when we engage them to enable certain technology and when they collect or process your personal information on our behalf (for example, Shopify as our e-commerce platform).
  • From social media platforms — if you interact with us on social media or use social login features.
  • From our partners or other third parties — as permitted by applicable law.

 

How We Use Your Personal Information

We process your personal information on the following lawful bases under POPIA: performance of a contract, legitimate business interests, compliance with legal obligations, and where applicable, your consent. Depending on how you interact with us, we may use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • Provide, Tailor, and Improve the Services — to process payments, fulfil orders, manage your account, arrange shipping, facilitate returns and exchanges, remember your preferences, send account notifications, enable product reviews, and create a personalised shopping experience tailored to your interests.

  • Marketing and Advertising — to send marketing and promotional communications by email, SMS, or post, and to show you relevant advertisements on our Services or other websites, including based on your purchase history and browsing activity. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.

  • Analytics and Improvement — to analyse how customers use our Services, monitor store performance, and make improvements to our website and product offerings.

  • Security and Fraud Prevention — to authenticate your account, provide a secure shopping and payment experience, detect and investigate fraudulent or malicious activity, and protect the safety of our customers and business. We strongly recommend you keep your account credentials private and do not share them with anyone.

  • Communicating with You — to provide customer support, respond to your queries, and maintain our business relationship with you.

  • Legal Compliance — to comply with applicable South African law (including POPIA), respond to valid legal processes, requests from law enforcement or government agencies, and to enforce or investigate potential violations of our terms or policies.

How We Disclose Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information. In certain circumstances, we may disclose your personal information to third parties for legitimate purposes, subject to this Privacy Policy and, where required by POPIA, under written operator agreements:

  • Service providers — with vendors and third parties who perform services on our behalf, including IT management, payment processing, data analytics, customer support, cloud storage, fulfilment, and shipping (for example, Shopify as our e-commerce platform).

  • Business and marketing partners — to provide marketing services and show you relevant advertisements. Our business and marketing partners will use your information in accordance with their own privacy notices. You may have the right to opt out of targeted advertising based on your online activity.

  • At your direction or with your consent — when you request or consent to disclosure, such as to ship your products or through your use of social media widgets or login integrations.

  • Within our corporate group — with our affiliates or otherwise within our corporate group where applicable.

  • Legal and business reasons — in connection with a business transaction such as a merger, to comply with legal obligations (including responding to subpoenas or government requests), to enforce our terms or policies, and to protect the rights and safety of our customers and business.

  • Cross-border transfers — as ROOTED uses Shopify, your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with POPIA.

Relationship with Shopify

The Services are hosted by Shopify, which collects and processes personal information about your access to and use of the Services in order to provide and improve them for you. Information you submit may be transmitted to and shared with Shopify and third parties located in countries other than South Africa. To learn more about how Shopify uses your personal information and to exercise your rights, visit the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy or the Shopify Privacy Portal.

 

Third Party Websites and Links

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy or security practices of those sites and encourage you to review their policies before providing any personal information. Our inclusion of such links does not imply endorsement of their content or operators.

 

Children's Data

Our Services are not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at rootedstore.support@gmail.com and we will delete it promptly

 

Security and Retention of Your Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. However, no security system is completely impenetrable, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We recommend you avoid sharing sensitive information over unsecured channels.

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to maintain your account, provide the Services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

 

Your Rights and Choices

As a South African resident, you have the following rights under POPIA and applicable law:

  • Right to Access — you may request access to the personal information we hold about you.
  • Right to Delete — you may request that we delete your personal information.
  • Right to Correct — you may request that we correct inaccurate personal information.
  • Right to Portability — you may request a copy of your personal information and ask us to transfer it to a third party where applicable.
  • Right to Object — you may object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes at any time.
  • Managing Communication Preferences — you may opt out of marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in our emails. We may still send non-promotional emails related to your account or orders.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at: 📧 rootedstore.support@gmail.com 📍 886 15th Ave, Wonderboom South, Pretoria, 0084, South Africa

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe as required by applicable law.

 

Complaints

If you have any complaints about how we process your personal information, please contact us first using the details below and we will do our best to resolve your concern. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

📧 inforeg@justice.gov.za 🌐 www.inforegulator.org.za

 

International Transfers

As ROOTED uses Shopify as its e-commerce platform, your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside South Africa. Where such transfers occur, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is protected in accordance with POPIA and applicable law.

 

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices or for operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will post the revised Privacy Policy on this website and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

 

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, or would like to exercise any of your rights, please contact us:

📧 rootedstore.support@gmail.com 📍 886 15th Avenue, Wonderboom South, Pretoria, Gauteng, 0084, South Africa