Privacy Policy for Wakahike.com
Effective Date: 03 June 2025
Website: https://wakahike.com
1. Who We Are
Wakahike.com is a curated hiking directory for South Africa and beyond. We share info-rich hike pages, YouTube links, and practical resources for outdoor enthusiasts.
2. What Data We Collect and Why
a) Comments & Forms
When visitors leave comments or use the contact form (powered by Formspree), we collect:
- Name, email, and message contents
- IP address and browser agent (for spam detection)
b) Cookies
We use cookies for essential functionality, analytics, and remembering your preferences. You’ll be asked to accept or reject cookies via our Complianz banner.
c) Email Collection
If you sign up for our newsletter (coming soon), we’ll store your email securely and only send you what you signed up for — like free hiking downloads and updates.
3. Analytics & Tracking
We use:
- Google Analytics (for anonymous traffic analysis)
- Jetpack by Automattic (for performance insights and security)
These tools may set their own cookies. See their respective privacy policies for details.
4. Embedded Content
Our pages may include:
- YouTube video links
- Google Maps previews
These behave like you visited those sites directly — they may collect data, use cookies, or track you.
5. Affiliate Disclosure
Some hike pages may include affiliate links. If you click and buy something, we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we believe adds value.
6. Children’s Privacy
We don’t knowingly collect personal data from minors under 18. If you’re a parent and believe your child has submitted data, contact us at wakahikesa@gmail.com and we’ll remove it.
7. Data Sharing
We don’t sell or rent your data — ever.
We may share limited data with third-party tools (like analytics, email services) to run the site properly.
8. Your Rights
You may:
- Request access to your personal data
- Ask us to delete your info
- Opt-out of marketing at any time
For EU/UK residents: your rights under GDPR are fully respected.
For California residents: you’re covered under CCPA.
Contact us at wakahikesa@gmail.com for any requests.
9. Data Retention
We keep comments and related metadata indefinitely unless you request removal. Contact form entries are stored only as long as needed to reply.
10. Data Security
Your data is stored via trusted providers like Formspree and Google. We implement reasonable safeguards, but no method is 100% secure.
11. Hosting & Plugins
Wakahike.com is hosted via Namecheap using WordPress.org, with plugins like Jetpack and Complianz to improve experience and compliance.
12. Contact
For privacy concerns or data access requests:
📧 wakahikesa@gmail.com
🌍 https://wakahike.com