1. Who We Are
Shop Africa USA ("we," "us," "our") is the data controller for personal information collected through the Platform. You can reach us at privacy@shopafricausa.com.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 You give us
- Account data: name, email, password (hashed), phone, business name, business address, country.
- Seller application data: government ID, business registration documents, tax ID, social-media links, product descriptions.
- Product data: titles, descriptions, prices, SKUs, images, variants, inventory.
- Communications: support messages, admin notes, feedback you submit.
2.2 Collected automatically
- Device & log data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, timestamps.
- Cookies & similar tech: session cookies for login, preference cookies, analytics cookies. See Section 7.
2.3 From third parties
- Payment processors (Shopify Payments, Stripe) confirm transaction status. We do not receive full card numbers.
- Shipping carriers confirm delivery status.
3. How We Use Information
- To operate the Platform, including authentication, order processing, and product moderation;
- To review and approve seller applications;
- To send transactional emails (account verification, application status, product approvals, payout notifications);
- To enforce these Terms, prevent fraud, and comply with legal obligations;
- With your separate opt-in, to send marketing communications about new features, promotions, and seller resources. You may opt out at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email.
4. Legal Basis (where applicable)
Where required by law, we rely on (a) contract performance, (b) our legitimate interest in operating a marketplace, (c) your consent (for marketing and non-essential cookies), and (d) legal obligation.
5. Sharing
We do not sell personal information. We share information only as follows:
- With Sellers: when you place an order, the relevant Seller receives the shipping name, address, and order items required to fulfill your purchase.
- With service providers: Shopify (storefront and payments), our database host (Supabase), email provider (Resend), cloud storage (Supabase Storage), analytics provider — each bound by a data processing agreement.
- For legal reasons: when required by law, court order, or to investigate fraud or safety threats.
- In a business transaction: in the event of merger, acquisition, or asset sale, with appropriate notice.
6. Data Retention
We retain account data for as long as your account is active and for up to seven (7) years after closure to satisfy tax, audit, and dispute-resolution obligations. Payment records are retained per IRS requirements. Backups may persist for a further 90 days.
7. Cookies
We use:
- Strictly necessary cookies to keep you logged in and to remember your portal preferences;
- Analytics cookies (with consent) to understand aggregate usage;
- No advertising cookies.
You can disable cookies in your browser, but the Platform may not function correctly without strictly necessary cookies.
8. Your Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you;
- Request correction of inaccurate information;
- Request deletion (subject to legal retention obligations);
- Object to or restrict certain processing;
- Request a portable copy of your data;
- Withdraw consent at any time for processing based on consent;
- Lodge a complaint with your data-protection authority.
Submit requests to privacy@shopafricausa.com. We will respond within 30 days.
9. Children
The Platform is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.
10. Security
We use industry-standard safeguards including TLS encryption in transit, encrypted password storage, role-based access control for admin tools, and regular backups. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. International Transfers
The Platform is operated in the United States. If you access it from outside the U.S., your data will be transferred to and stored in the U.S. We rely on Standard Contractual Clauses where required.
12. Changes
We will post any updates here with a revised "Last updated" date. Material changes will be communicated by email.
13. Contact
Privacy questions: privacy@shopafricausa.com. Mailing address listed in our Terms & Conditions.