Last updated: . These policies apply to all Kirpie services. By using our services or signing up for a package, you agree to the terms below. Kirpie complies with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where it applies to clients and visitors in the EU/EEA and UK.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters to us. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe.

Information we collect

We collect information you give us directly — your name, email address, phone number, business details and anything you share in enquiries or project briefs. For hosting and website clients, we also process account, domain and billing information. When you visit our website or the sites we host, we may collect basic technical data (such as browser type and pages viewed) to keep things running securely.

How we use your information

We use your information to respond to enquiries, provide quotes, deliver your design, print, marketing, website and hosting services, process payments, provide support, and send service-related updates. We only send marketing communications where you've agreed to receive them, and you can opt out at any time.

Sharing & third parties

We never sell your personal information. We share it only with trusted service providers who help us deliver our services — for example hosting and domain providers, payment processors, and analytics or advertising platforms (such as Google Analytics, Google Ads and social media networks) used to manage marketing campaigns on your behalf. These providers are only given the information they need to do their job.

Cookies & analytics

Our website and the websites we build may use cookies and analytics tools to understand traffic and improve performance. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

Your rights

Under POPIA you have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct or update it, and request that we delete it (subject to any legal or contractual obligations to keep it). To exercise any of these rights, email admin@kirpie.co.za.

Data Retention Policy

We keep your information only for as long as we need it to provide our services and meet our legal obligations.

Design & print project files

We retain your project files and final artwork for up to 24 months after a project is completed, so we can reprint, re-issue or update your materials quickly. After this period, archived files may be removed. If you'd like us to keep your master files longer, just let us know.

Hosting & website data

For active hosting clients, we retain your website data, databases and email for the full duration of your subscription. We keep routine backups on a rolling basis. If your hosting is cancelled or lapses, your data and backups are retained for 30 days as a grace period, after which they are permanently deleted. We strongly recommend keeping your own copy of important data.

Account & billing records

We retain billing and invoice records for at least 5 years, as required by South African tax and financial regulations, even after you stop using our services.

Marketing & social accounts

Where we manage your social media or advertising accounts, access and content are retained for the duration of our agreement. On cancellation, we hand back control of your accounts and remove our access; we may keep campaign performance summaries for our own records.

Payment Policy

We keep billing simple and transparent. All prices are in South African Rand (ZAR) and, where applicable, may be subject to VAT.

Hosting & marketing packages

Hosting is billed yearly in advance, by EFT or debit order, and renews annually on your anniversary date. Marketing and social media retainers are billed monthly in advance. Your services stay active as long as your account is up to date. Accounts more than 7 days overdue may be suspended, and hosting more than 30 days overdue may be deactivated. A reactivation fee may apply to restore suspended services.

Website development

Website projects require a 50% deposit before work begins, with the balance due on completion and before the site goes live or final files are handed over. Larger projects may be split into agreed milestone payments. Bundled website-plus-hosting packages start their hosting billing once the site is live.

Printing

Print orders are quoted per job and are payable in full before production begins, as printed materials are custom-made to your specifications.

Invoicing & late payment

We issue an invoice for every payment. Please settle invoices by the due date shown. We reserve the right to pause work or withhold delivery of files, print or services on overdue accounts until payment is received.

Refund & Cancellation Policy

We want you to be happy with our work. This policy explains when refunds apply and how to cancel a recurring package.

Hosting

Hosting can be paid yearly in advance or monthly by debit order. On the yearly option you can cancel at any time and your hosting continues until the end of your current paid year; on monthly packages, cancellation takes effect at the end of the notice period set out in your service agreement. Fees already paid are non-refundable, as the server resources are reserved for you for that period. Free domains registered as part of a package are non-refundable once registered.

Marketing & social media retainers

Marketing packages run month-to-month and can be cancelled with 30 days' written notice. Fees for the current month, and any ad spend or third-party costs already committed on your behalf, are non-refundable. Work already completed within a billing period is not refundable.

Website development

Because website and design work is custom and time-intensive, deposits are non-refundable once work has started. If you cancel mid-project, any completed work is billed up to the point of cancellation and the deposit is applied against it. We'll always try to be fair — if we haven't started, we'll refund your deposit in full.

Design & printing

Custom design and print work is non-refundable once approved and produced, as items are made specifically for you. If there is a genuine fault or error on our side (for example a printing defect or a mistake against your approved artwork), we will reprint or correct it at no charge. Please check and approve all proofs carefully before production, as we print exactly what is signed off.

How to cancel

To cancel any recurring package, email us at admin@kirpie.co.za or call 081 298 2196. We'll confirm your cancellation in writing.

GDPR Policy

Kirpie is based in South Africa and primarily governed by POPIA. However, if you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area or United Kingdom, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR / UK GDPR) also applies to how we handle your personal data. This section explains your rights and our commitments under the GDPR.

Who is responsible for your data

Kirpie acts as the data controller for personal data collected through this website and our services. For any GDPR matter, contact us at admin@kirpie.co.za or on +27 81 298 2196.

Lawful bases for processing

We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so: with your consent (for example marketing emails, which you can withdraw at any time); to perform a contract with you (delivering your design, print, website, hosting or marketing services); to comply with a legal obligation (such as tax and invoicing records); or for our legitimate interests (such as responding to enquiries and keeping our services secure), balanced against your rights.

Your rights under the GDPR

If the GDPR applies to you, you have the right to access a copy of the personal data we hold about you; to have inaccurate data corrected; to have your data erased ("the right to be forgotten") where there is no lawful reason for us to keep it; to restrict or object to certain processing, including direct marketing; to receive your data in a portable, machine-readable format; and to withdraw consent at any time without affecting processing that took place before withdrawal. We respond to all requests within one month.

International data transfers

Because we operate from South Africa, data you provide will be processed outside the EU/EEA and UK. We protect it using appropriate safeguards — reputable service providers, secure (SSL-encrypted) systems and strict access controls — and we only share what is needed to deliver your services, as described in our Privacy Policy.

Data breaches

If a data breach occurs that is likely to put your rights and freedoms at risk, we will notify you and any relevant supervisory authority without undue delay, in line with GDPR requirements.

Complaints

If you believe we have not handled your personal data properly, please contact us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority in the EU/EEA or UK, or with South Africa's Information Regulator.