Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 3 January 2026
Last Updated: 3 January 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to SOCKSHOP.CO.ZA (“SOCKSHOP”, “we”, “us” or “our”).

SOCKSHOP is an online retailer based in South Africa, specialising primarily in socks and related products. As our brand grows, our product range may also include complementary products such as tops, bottoms, shoes, caps, accessories and other products that complement our core sock offering (collectively, “Products”).

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with applicable South African law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and, where applicable, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and protect your personal information when you visit the SOCKSHOP website, create an account, subscribe to communications, contact us, or purchase Products from us.

By using our website, creating an account, placing an order or otherwise providing your personal information to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for operating our online store, providing our services, processing orders and improving your experience with SOCKSHOP.

2.1 Personal Information

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

Full name

Email address

Telephone or mobile number

Delivery address

Billing address

Province, city and postal code

Account details

Information you provide when contacting customer support

2.2 Account and Transaction Information

If you create an account or purchase Products from us, we may collect and process:

Account login details, including username and password

Order history

Products purchased

Order value and transaction information

Delivery and fulfilment information

Returns, refunds and exchanges

Customer service correspondence

Payment-related information

Payment card and other sensitive payment credentials are generally processed by our third-party payment service providers. Where applicable, SOCKSHOP does not store complete payment card details on its own systems.

2.3 Technical and Website Usage Information

When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

IP address

Browser type and version

Device type

Operating system

Website pages visited

Referring website or source

Date and time of visits

Website interactions

General location information derived from technical information

Cookies and similar technologies

Other information required to maintain website security and performance

This information may be used in aggregated or otherwise appropriately managed form for analytics, website performance and business reporting.

2.4 Marketing and Communication Information

Where applicable, we may collect and maintain:

Marketing subscription status

Email and SMS subscription preferences

Communication preferences

Consent records

Unsubscribe or opt-out requests

Responses to marketing communications

Engagement with our communications, such as email opens, clicks or interactions, where permitted by applicable law and our technology providers

3. How We Collect Information

We may collect personal information:

Directly from you when you create an account

When you place an order

When you subscribe to our marketing communications

When you contact us

When you participate in promotions, competitions or campaigns

When you submit information through forms on our website

Automatically when you browse or interact with our website

From service providers supporting our website, payments, delivery, analytics and marketing activities

From other lawful sources where permitted by applicable law

We aim to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the specific purpose for which it is processed.

4. How We Use Your Personal Information

We may process your personal information for the following purposes:

4.1 Orders and Customer Services

To:

Process and fulfil orders

Process payments

Arrange delivery

Process returns, refunds and exchanges

Provide customer support

Manage customer accounts

Communicate with you about your orders

Send order confirmations and delivery updates

4.2 Website and Service Improvement

To:

Operate and maintain our website

Improve website functionality and performance

Understand how customers use our website

Analyse customer behaviour and purchasing patterns

Improve our Products, services and customer experience

Personalise aspects of your shopping experience where appropriate

4.3 Marketing

Where permitted by applicable law, we may use your personal information to send:

Product updates

Promotions and special offers

New product announcements

SOCKSHOP news

Personalised product recommendations

Abandoned-cart or shopping-related communications

Customer communications and other marketing messages

Electronic direct marketing, including email and SMS marketing, will be conducted in accordance with applicable POPIA requirements.

You may unsubscribe or opt out of marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe or opt-out mechanism provided in the communication or by contacting us.

4.4 Security and Fraud Prevention

We may process information to:

Detect and prevent fraudulent transactions

Protect our website and systems

Verify transactions

Prevent abuse or misuse of our services

Investigate suspicious activity

Protect the rights, property and security of SOCKSHOP, our customers and service providers

4.5 Legal and Regulatory Compliance

We may process personal information where necessary to:

Comply with applicable laws and regulations

Respond to lawful requests from authorities

Establish, exercise or defend legal rights

Resolve disputes

Maintain appropriate business and financial records

5. Lawful Processing and Consent

SOCKSHOP processes personal information in accordance with the conditions for lawful processing under POPIA.

Depending on the circumstances, the lawful basis for processing may include:

Your consent

The performance of a contract with you, such as fulfilling an order

Compliance with a legal obligation

Protecting legitimate rights and interests where permitted by law

Other lawful grounds recognised under applicable legislation

Where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time, subject to any legal or contractual limitations.

Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before the withdrawal.

Please note that certain information may still need to be retained or processed where this is required by law, necessary to fulfil a contract, or otherwise permitted by applicable law.

6. Direct Marketing

SOCKSHOP may communicate with customers and prospective customers about our Products, services, promotions and other relevant offerings.

Electronic direct marketing, including email and SMS communications, is subject to the requirements of POPIA.

Where consent is required, we will obtain the appropriate consent before sending electronic direct marketing communications.

Where POPIA permits electronic direct marketing to an existing customer without separate consent, such marketing will be limited to the circumstances and requirements permitted by section 69 of POPIA, including marketing relating to our own similar Products or services and providing an appropriate opportunity to object or unsubscribe.

You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time. Each applicable electronic marketing communication will provide an appropriate mechanism for opting out.

7. Sharing of Personal Information

We may share personal information with trusted third-party service providers where reasonably necessary to operate SOCKSHOP and provide our services.

These may include:

Payment service providers

Courier and delivery companies

Website hosting and technology providers

E-commerce and website platforms

Customer service providers

Email and SMS marketing platforms

Analytics and reporting providers

Fraud prevention and security providers

IT and software providers

Professional advisers

Legal, regulatory or governmental authorities where required

These service providers may process personal information on our behalf and are expected to handle personal information appropriately and in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties as a business practice.

Where we use third-party service providers for marketing, analytics or advertising purposes, information may be processed according to the relevant provider’s services, technologies and privacy practices.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

SOCKSHOP uses cookies and similar technologies to operate and improve our website.

Cookies may be used to:

Keep products in your shopping cart

Support checkout functionality

Remember website preferences

Maintain website security

Understand website usage

Measure website performance

Analyse customer interactions

Improve our website and services

Support personalised experiences

Support advertising and marketing activities where permitted

Some cookies are essential for the operation of the website, while others may be used for analytics, functionality or marketing purposes.

You may be able to manage or disable cookies through your browser settings or other cookie-management tools made available on our website.

Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the SOCKSHOP website, including shopping cart and checkout functionality.

9. Analytics, Advertising and Personalisation

We may use third-party technologies and platforms to understand website usage, measure marketing performance and improve the relevance of our communications and advertising.

Depending on the technologies implemented on the website, these may include analytics, advertising, customer relationship management and marketing platforms.

Such platforms may process information relating to website visits, interactions, purchases, advertising engagement and other activity in accordance with their respective privacy policies and applicable law.

Where required, SOCKSHOP will obtain the appropriate consent or rely on another lawful basis before processing personal information for these purposes.

10. Security of Personal Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

Loss

Unauthorised access

Unauthorised disclosure

Unauthorised alteration

Destruction

Misuse

Other unlawful processing

Security measures may include access controls, authentication procedures, secure technology, encryption where appropriate, monitoring and other safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information being processed.

However, no method of transmitting or storing information can be guaranteed to be completely secure. While we take reasonable measures to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or processed, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Information may be retained for purposes including:

Processing and completing orders

Maintaining customer and transaction records

Meeting legal, tax and accounting obligations

Resolving disputes

Preventing fraud

Enforcing agreements

Managing customer relationships

Maintaining appropriate business records

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy or anonymise it, subject to applicable legal and operational requirements.

12. Cross-Border Processing

Some of our technology, payment, hosting, analytics, marketing or other service providers may operate outside South Africa.

As a result, personal information may in certain circumstances be processed or stored outside the Republic of South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, SOCKSHOP will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer is conducted in accordance with the requirements of POPIA, including the applicable requirements relating to cross-border transfers.

13. Your Rights Under POPIA

Subject to applicable legal requirements and limitations, you may have the right to:

Request access to personal information we hold about you

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information

Request deletion of personal information where legally appropriate

Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

Object to certain forms of processing

Object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing

Request information about how your personal information is being processed

Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator where you believe your rights have been infringed

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details provided below.

14. Children’s Personal Information

Our website is intended for general retail customers.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children in circumstances where such collection is prohibited by applicable law.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us in circumstances where the processing is not permitted, please contact us so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

15. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services or platforms.

This Privacy Policy applies only to information processed by SOCKSHOP and does not govern third-party websites or services.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third-party websites before providing them with personal information.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

Changes to our Products or services

Changes to our website

Changes to our technology or service providers

Changes to our business practices

Changes in applicable legislation or regulatory requirements

The “Last Updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy indicates when the policy was most recently revised.

Where appropriate, we may notify customers of material changes through our website or other suitable communication channels.

17. Information Officer

In accordance with POPIA, SOCKSHOP’s responsible legal entity has appointed an Information Officer.

Information Officer Contact:

Email: [shop1@digitis.co.za](mailto:shop1@digitis.co.za)

Requests relating to personal information, privacy rights or this Privacy Policy may be submitted using the contact details above.

We will handle requests in accordance with applicable South African law.

18. Complaints

If you have a concern regarding how SOCKSHOP processes your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so that we can investigate and attempt to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa where applicable.

19. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

This includes, where applicable:

The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA)

The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA)

Other applicable South African legislation and regulations

20. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, how we process your personal information, or wish to exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us.

SOCKSHOP.CO.ZA

Website: sockshop.co.za

Email: [shop1@digitis.co.za](mailto:shop1@digitis.co.za)

21. Acknowledgement

By using SOCKSHOP.CO.ZA, creating an account, placing an order or otherwise providing personal information to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Where applicable, we will obtain the consent required by law for specific processing activities, including electronic direct marketing.

SOCKSHOP.CO.ZA
South Africa