Legal Documents

Privacy Policy

HT Advanced Solutions Group (Pty) Ltd T/A Giftips SA · Effective: 1 March 2026

1. Introduction

HT Advanced Solutions Group (Pty) Ltd, trading as Giftips SA ("we", "us", "our"), is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and all other applicable South African legislation. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, with whom we may share it, and your rights as a data subject. By using our website or engaging with our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We collect personal information only to the extent necessary to provide our branded merchandise services. This may include:

• Identity information: Full name, job title, company name
• Contact information: Email address, phone/WhatsApp number, physical or postal address
• Order information: Product details, quantities, branding specifications, artwork files, delivery address
• Payment information: Payment confirmation details. We do not store card numbers or banking credentials.
• Technical information: IP address, browser type, pages visited, referring URL — collected automatically when you browse our website via cookies and analytics tools.
• Communication records: WhatsApp messages, emails, and quote requests to the extent needed to service your account.

3. Purpose of Processing

We process your personal information for the following lawful purposes:

• To process and fulfil your orders for branded merchandise
• To prepare, issue, and manage quotations, invoices, and delivery documentation
• To communicate regarding your order status, production updates, and delivery tracking
• To provide free digital mockups and obtain your artwork approval before production
• To comply with our legal, financial, and tax obligations (including VAT records)
• To respond to enquiries, complaints, and after-sales support requests
• To improve our website and service offering through analytics
• To send service-related communications (not unsolicited marketing) unless you have opted in

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on: (a) contractual necessity — to fulfil the branded merchandise order you have placed; (b) legal obligation — to comply with SARS, VAT Act, Companies Act, and other applicable legislation; (c) legitimate interest — to operate and improve our business, prevent fraud, and ensure the security of our systems; and (d) consent — where you have specifically opted in to receive marketing communications.

5. Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share it with:

• Trade suppliers (Amrod, Barron, Headwear24, National Flag, ONEg, Vicbay) — to source and fulfil your branded product order. Only the information required for fulfilment is shared.
• Courier partners (The Courier Guy and others) — your name and delivery address for shipment purposes only.
• Payment processors — as required to process your payment securely.
• Shopify Inc. — our e-commerce platform provider. Shopify processes data in accordance with their own privacy policy and GDPR/POPIA standards.
• Google LLC — we use Google Analytics and Google Merchant Center. Data is used in accordance with Google's privacy policy.
• Judge.me — review platform. If you submit a product review, your display name and review content are stored by Judge.me.
• Authorities — where required by law, court order, or regulatory body.

6. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — for the following purposes:

• Essential cookies: Required for the website and shopping cart to function. Cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Google Analytics — helps us understand traffic patterns and improve the site. Data is anonymised where possible.
• Marketing cookies: Google Ads and Meta pixels — used to show relevant advertising. Only active if you consent.

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling non-essential cookies will not affect your ability to browse or place orders.

7. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, and thereafter as required by law. Order and financial records are retained for a minimum of 5 years as required by SARS and the Companies Act. Communication records and artwork files are retained for a minimum of 3 years after the last transaction. After the applicable retention period, personal information is securely destroyed or anonymised.

8. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request that inaccurate or outdated information be corrected
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations
• Objection: Object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa 

To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@giftips-sa.co.za with the subject line "POPIA Request". We will respond within 30 calendar days.

9. Security of Personal Information

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our website is hosted on Shopify's PCI-DSS compliant infrastructure. Access to personal information within our organisation is restricted to personnel who require it to perform their duties. In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.

10. Cross-Border Transfers

Our website platform (Shopify) and analytics tools (Google) may process data on servers located outside South Africa. We take reasonable steps to ensure that such third parties maintain adequate data protection standards equivalent to POPIA. By using our services, you consent to such transfers where necessary to provide our services.

11. Marketing Communications

We will only send promotional emails or WhatsApp marketing messages if you have explicitly opted in. You may opt out at any time by replying "STOP" to a WhatsApp message, clicking "Unsubscribe" in an email, or emailing us at info@giftips-sa.co.za. Transactional communications (order confirmations, delivery updates) are not marketing and cannot be opted out of while an active order exists.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via a notice on our website. The "Effective Date" at the top of this document reflects the date of the most recent revision. Continued use of our website after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact the Information Officer

HT Advanced Solutions Group (Pty) Ltd T/A Giftips SA · 
This policy was last reviewed and updated: March 2026