Last Updated - TBC

House of Yoga respects your privacy. We are committed to handling your personal information responsibly and in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African laws.

This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we protect and share it, and the choices and rights you have.

Who is responsible for your information?

This policy applies to personal information processed by:

• House of Yoga (Pty) Ltd, responsible for studio classes, memberships, workshops, and other studio services.

• House of Yoga Academy (Pty) Ltd, responsible for teacher-training applications, programmes, retreats and related administration.

In this policy, “House of Yoga”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the relevant company providing the service or determining how your information is used.

Physical address: 43 Heather Street, Claremont, Cape Town 7708 South Africa
Information Officer: Leigh Wood
Email: hello@houseofyoga.co.za

Where the companies share information, we do so only for a specified, lawful purpose and with appropriate safeguards.

Information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Contact and account information: your name, email address, telephone number and details needed to manage your account.

• Booking and attendance information: classes, memberships, packages, workshops, events, retreats and teacher trainings you book or attend.

• Payment and transaction information: billing details, purchases, payment status and transaction references. 

• Enquiries and applications: information you provide through forms, emails, WhatsApp or other correspondence, including relevant experience and application details for teacher training.

• Health and emergency information: relevant injuries, medical conditions, pregnancy, accessibility needs and emergency contact details you provide.

• Children’s information: information needed to arrange and manage a child’s participation, together with the relevant parent’s or guardian’s details.

• Marketing preferences: whether and how you have agreed to receive news and offers.

• Website information: your IP address, browser and device details, pages visited and interactions with our website, depending on the technologies used and your privacy settings.

• Photographs, video or recordings: where these are made for an agreed purpose, such as promotional material or teacher-training assessments.

We aim to collect only information that is relevant and reasonably necessary.

How we collect information

We usually collect information directly from you when you contact us, complete a form, make a booking, purchase a service or participate in our activities.

We may also receive relevant information from a parent or guardian, a school or corporate organiser arranging a session, our booking and payment providers, or another person authorised to act on your behalf.

Where required, we will explain the source of information collected indirectly.

If you provide someone else’s information, such as an emergency contact’s details, please ensure that you are entitled to share it and that they know why we may use it.

Why we use your information

We use personal information to:

• Manage enquiries, applications, accounts, bookings and attendance.

• Administer memberships, packages, payments and refunds.

• Deliver our classes, workshops, events, retreats and teacher trainings.

• Support appropriate participation and respond to emergencies.

• Communicate about bookings, schedule changes and services you have requested.

• Administer training assessments and certification, where applicable.

• Send news and offers where you have consented.

• Understand and improve our website and services.

• Maintain appropriate business records, meet legal obligations and establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

The grounds on which we process information

Depending on the circumstances, we process your information because it is necessary to enter into or carry out an agreement with you, comply with a legal obligation, protect a legitimate interest, or pursue our legitimate interests or those of a third party where legally permitted.

Where we rely on consent, we will ask for consent appropriate to the purpose. You may withdraw it by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before you withdrew consent.

Simply visiting our website does not constitute consent to marketing or every use of information described in this policy.

Information that is required or optional

Some information is necessary to provide a service you request. For example, we need sufficient contact and booking details to arrange a class or administer a membership. If you do not provide necessary information, we may be unable to complete the booking or provide the relevant service.

We will indicate required fields and explain any material consequences of not supplying information when we collect it. Where collection is required by a particular law, we will identify that requirement as appropriate.

Marketing subscriptions are optional and are not a condition of booking.

Health information

Information about your health is special personal information under POPIA.

We collect and use relevant health information with your specific consent, unless another lawful authorisation applies. We use it to understand relevant participation needs, offer appropriate options and respond to incidents or emergencies.

Access is limited to people who need the information for these purposes, such as the teacher leading your class or relevant administrative staff. Necessary information may also be shared with emergency responders where legally permitted.

Please share only information relevant to your participation and let us know if it changes. Our classes do not replace medical advice or treatment.

Children’s information

Where a child participates in our services, we obtain prior consent from a legally competent person, ordinarily a parent or legal guardian, unless another lawful exception applies.

We collect only information reasonably needed to arrange and manage the child’s participation, communicate with their parent or guardian, and address relevant health or emergency needs.

Permission for a child to attend a class does not constitute permission to use their image in marketing. We seek separate permission for that purpose.

Photographs, video and recordings

Where we wish to use an identifiable photograph, video, testimonial or recording for marketing, we seek appropriate permission separately.

Where recordings form part of teacher training or assessment, we explain their purpose, who will have access and how long they will be retained before recording takes place.

You may contact us about withdrawing permission for future promotional use. We will explain any practical limits concerning material already printed or distributed.

Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information.

Where necessary and lawful, we may share relevant information with:

• Teachers and authorised staff involved in delivering or administering your service.

• Providers supporting website hosting, bookings, payments, forms, communications, data storage and analytics.

• Professional advisers, insurers, emergency responders or public authorities where appropriate.

• Other organisations involved in a service or benefit you request, where this has been explained to you.

Our principal service providers include:

• Octiv Fitness in partnership with Discovery Vitality | Facility Management Software provider | https://octivfitness.com/data-privacy-documentation/

• Aurelius Digital | Digital Marketing Services provider | https://aurelius-digital.io/

Where a provider processes information on our behalf, we require appropriate contractual confidentiality and security safeguards. Some providers may also process information independently for their own lawful purposes, as explained in their privacy notices.

Information processed outside South Africa

Some providers may store or process information outside South Africa.

We make these transfers only where permitted by POPIA, including where the recipient is subject to adequate legal or contractual protections, or another permitted transfer ground applies.

Additional requirements may apply to overseas transfers of health information or children’s information. Where prior authorisation is required, we must obtain it before the transfer.

Cookies and similar technologies

Our website is hosted on Squarespace and uses cookies and similar technologies. These are small files or pieces of information stored on your device that support website functionality and help us understand how the site is used.

Essential cookies support core website functions and remember your cookie choices. These remain active because they are needed for the relevant functions to work.

Optional analytics and performance cookies help us understand visitor activity, such as which pages people visit and how they find our website. We use this information to improve the website and your browsing experience. These cookies are used only if you accept them.

Optional advertising cookies, such as the Meta Pixel and Google advertising tags, help us measure the effectiveness of our ads and show relevant content to people who have visited our website. These cookies are also used only if you accept them.

You can accept or decline optional cookies through our cookie banner and change your choices at any time using Manage cookies on our website. Declining optional cookies will not prevent you from browsing our main website content.

You can also delete or block cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may affect how some website features work.

For details of the cookies Squarespace uses, including their purposes and durations, please see Squarespace’s cookie information.

Marketing communications

We send promotional emails, SMS messages or WhatsApp communications where you have agreed to receive them.

You may unsubscribe at any time using the option provided in the message or by contacting us. For WhatsApp communications, you can ask us directly to remove you from the marketing list.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary service messages, such as booking confirmations, payment notices or class cancellations.

Keeping your information secure

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards appropriate to the information and the risks involved. These include restricting access to authorised people and requiring appropriate safeguards from providers processing information on our behalf.

If we have reasonable grounds to believe that personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected individuals as required by POPIA, as soon as reasonably possible and subject to applicable legal exceptions or permitted delays.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or where retention is otherwise permitted or required by law.

Retention periods depend on the type of record, our relationship with you, applicable accounting and legal requirements, and any unresolved complaints or claims. Health information and children’s information receive particular consideration because of their sensitivity.

When information is no longer needed, we securely delete, destroy or de-identify it, subject to applicable requirements.

Your rights

Subject to applicable legal requirements and exceptions, you may:

• Ask whether we hold personal information about you and request access to it.

• Ask us to correct inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or misleading information.

• Request deletion or destruction of information we are no longer entitled to retain.

• Object to processing on grounds recognised by POPIA.

• Object to direct marketing at any time.

• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

Please send requests to hello@houseofyoga.co.za, marked for the attention of the Information Officer. We may need to verify your identity or authority before releasing or changing information. We will explain any applicable procedures, permitted fees or lawful reasons for declining a request.

Our PAIA Manual explains the applicable process for requesting access to records.

Complaints

Please contact our Information Officer if you have a concern about how we handle your information.

You may also complain directly to the Information Regulator without first making a complaint to us.

Information Regulator of South Africa
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/
Telephone: 010 023 5200
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Forms and complaint information: https://inforegulator.org.za/popia-forms/

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes to our services, practices or legal obligations. The latest version and its effective date will appear on this page.

Where appropriate or legally required, we will bring material changes to your attention and obtain fresh consent where needed.

Contact us

For questions or requests concerning your personal information, please contact:

Information Officer: Leigh Wood
Email: hello@houseofyoga.co.za
Physical address: 43 Heather Street, Claremont, Cape Town 7708 South Africa