Lords and Ladies Bush Lodge

Privacy & Cookie Policy

Last updated: 19 July 2026 — POPIA and applicable data-protection law

This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how MATTES AFRICA SAFARIS, trading through Lords and Ladies Bush Lodge, collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you visit our website, contact us or make a booking.

We process personal information primarily in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). Where another data-protection law, including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), applies to a particular individual or activity, we will also comply with its mandatory requirements.

1. Responsible Party

The responsible party for the processing described in this Policy is:

MATTES AFRICA SAFARIS
A private company registered in the Republic of South Africa
Company registration number: 2024/829021/07
VAT number: 9270649271
Registered address: 195 Pofadder Avenue, Kameelfontein Estate, Roodeplaat, Gauteng 0031, South Africa
Email: contact@lordsandladies.co.za
Telephone: +27 67 931 7669

2. Information Officer

The Information Officer responsible for overseeing compliance with POPIA and responding to privacy requests is:

Information Officer: Tristan Mattes
Email: contact@lordsandladies.co.za
Telephone: +27 67 931 7669

3. Scope of this Policy

This Policy applies to personal information processed through:

  • the Lords and Ladies Bush Lodge website;
  • the website’s contact form;
  • the online booking calendar;
  • payment and card pre-authorisation services connected to the booking system;
  • email, telephone and WhatsApp communications relating to enquiries or bookings; and
  • the administration and delivery of accommodation and related services.

This Policy does not govern the independent processing activities of third-party websites that you choose to visit through external links.

4. Personal Information We Collect

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

Information you provide

  • your name and surname;
  • email address, telephone number and country of residence;
  • billing address or other details required for invoicing;
  • booking dates, selected accommodation and number of Guests;
  • the names or limited details of other Guests where required to administer the stay;
  • identification or passport information where reasonably required by law, security procedures or the operation of the accommodation;
  • messages, enquiries, complaints and correspondence;
  • accessibility, dietary or other special requirements that you choose to communicate; and
  • information relating to damage, incidents, refunds, disputes or insurance claims.

Booking and payment information

We may receive the booking amount, currency, payment status, transaction reference, refund status, card type and limited masked card information from our booking and payment providers.

Lords and Ladies Bush Lodge does not directly store complete payment-card numbers or card security codes. These are processed by the applicable payment service provider.

Information collected automatically

When you use the website, our systems or service providers may collect:

  • your IP address;
  • browser and device type;
  • operating system;
  • dates and times of access;
  • pages requested;
  • security and error logs; and
  • strictly necessary cookie or session identifiers.

We do not currently use advertising cookies, Meta Pixel or behavioural profiling technologies. However, the website contains an embedded Google Maps feature, as explained below, which may allow Google to receive technical information and place cookies when the map is loaded.

5. How We Obtain Personal Information

We generally collect personal information directly from you when you submit the contact form, communicate with us, make or change a booking, make a payment, request assistance or stay at the Lodge.

We may also receive information from our booking-system provider, payment provider, authorised representatives, Guests included in the same booking, service providers or competent authorities where lawful and necessary.

If you provide information about another person, you confirm that you are authorised to do so and that you have made this Policy available to that person where appropriate.

6. Why We Process Personal Information

We process personal information to:

  • respond to enquiries submitted through the contact form or other communication channels;
  • create, confirm, amend and administer bookings;
  • process payments, refunds and security-deposit pre-authorisations;
  • provide accommodation and requested services;
  • communicate arrival instructions, safety information and service updates;
  • identify Guests and protect the safety and security of Guests, staff, wildlife and property;
  • investigate damage, incidents, complaints, suspected fraud or breaches of our Booking Terms;
  • maintain financial, tax and business records;
  • operate, secure, troubleshoot and improve the website and booking process;
  • establish, exercise or defend legal claims; and
  • comply with legal, regulatory and law-enforcement obligations.

We do not use personal information to send newsletters or promotional offers, and we do not sell personal information.

7. Legal Grounds for Processing

Depending on the circumstances, we process personal information because:

  • it is necessary to take steps requested before a booking or to perform our contract with you;
  • processing is required by South African tax, company, consumer-protection or other applicable law;
  • processing protects our legitimate interests in operating and securing the Lodge, preventing fraud, responding to enquiries and managing disputes, provided that those interests do not unjustifiably override your rights;
  • processing is necessary to protect a legitimate interest of you or another person; or
  • you have provided consent where consent is legally required.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before the withdrawal.

8. Special Personal Information

Please avoid sending medical or other sensitive information unless it is reasonably necessary for us to consider an accessibility, dietary, safety or emergency-related requirement.

Where you voluntarily provide such information, we will use it only for the relevant request, restrict access to those who need it and delete or de-identify it when it is no longer required, unless the law permits or requires longer retention.

9. Children’s Information

Our website and booking service are intended for adults. A person making a booking must be at least 18 years old.

We may process limited information about children included in a family or group booking when supplied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult and when reasonably necessary to administer the booking, occupancy, safety or requested service.

We do not knowingly collect children’s information for marketing or profiling purposes.

10. Sharing Personal Information

We disclose personal information only where reasonably necessary and lawful. Recipients may include:

  • authorised employees, managers or representatives of MATTES AFRICA SAFARIS;
  • our website host, xneelo (Pty) Ltd;
  • the provider of our online booking system;
  • the provider processing payments, refunds and card pre-authorisations;
  • IT, security, communications and professional service providers acting under appropriate obligations;
  • accountants, auditors, insurers and legal advisers;
  • activity, transport or accommodation providers where you request a related service or authorise the disclosure;
  • banks, card networks and fraud-prevention services; and
  • governmental, regulatory, judicial or law-enforcement authorities where disclosure is required or authorised by law.

Service providers may process personal information only for authorised purposes and subject to appropriate contractual, confidentiality and security obligations.

11. International Transfers

Some service providers or their infrastructure may be located outside South Africa. Personal information may therefore be transferred to or accessed from another country.

Where this occurs, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules, contractual safeguards or another arrangement providing an adequate level of protection, as required by section 72 of POPIA and any other applicable law.

12. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required or permitted by law.

As a general guide:

  • ordinary contact enquiries may be retained for up to 12 months after the enquiry is resolved;
  • unsuccessful or abandoned booking records may be retained for up to 12 months where reasonably necessary for security, troubleshooting or dispute management;
  • confirmed booking, payment, invoice and accounting records may generally be retained for at least five years, or longer where required for tax, audit, legal or regulatory purposes;
  • damage, complaint, incident and dispute records may be retained until the matter and any relevant legal period have ended; and
  • technical and security logs are retained only for a proportionate operational or security period.

When information is no longer required, we will delete, destroy or de-identify it in a reasonably secure manner.

13. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against loss, damage, unauthorised access, interference, alteration, disclosure or destruction.

These measures may include access controls, secure passwords, encryption in transit, reputable hosting and payment providers, backups, staff confidentiality requirements and limitations on who may access booking information.

No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Guests should avoid sending complete card information by ordinary email or through the general contact form.

14. Your Rights

Subject to POPIA and any other applicable law, you may have the right to:

  • be informed about the collection and use of your personal information;
  • ask whether we hold personal information about you;
  • request access to that information;
  • request correction or updating of inaccurate or incomplete information;
  • request deletion or destruction where legally permitted;
  • object to processing on reasonable grounds;
  • withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
  • request restriction of processing where applicable;
  • complain to the Information Regulator; and
  • exercise any additional rights available under a law that applies to you.

We may need to verify your identity before responding. Some information cannot be deleted immediately where we must retain it for a booking, payment, tax, fraud-prevention, safety or legal purpose.

Requests may be sent to contact@lordsandladies.co.za.

15. Cookies

A cookie is a small text file stored on a device when a website is visited.

Our website currently uses only cookies or similar technologies that are reasonably necessary to:

  • operate website navigation and core functionality;
  • maintain a secure session;
  • remember information during the booking process;
  • process bookings and payments securely;
  • prevent fraud; and
  • maintain website and system security.

These essential technologies cannot always be disabled through our website because the relevant service may not function without them. You may block cookies through your browser, but doing so may prevent the booking calendar, payment process or other website functions from operating correctly.

We do not currently use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, Meta Pixel or cookies for personalised marketing. The embedded Google Maps feature may, however, use third-party cookies or similar technologies when it is loaded.

Where consent is required by applicable law, Google Maps and any associated non-essential cookies must remain disabled until the visitor chooses to load the map or otherwise provides valid consent. Refusing Google Maps cookies will not prevent access to the rest of the website, although the interactive map may remain unavailable.

The final cookie names, providers, purposes and durations used by Google Maps and by the booking and payment systems will be added or confirmed following the final technical configuration and before direct online bookings are activated.

16. Embedded Google Maps

Our website includes an interactive map supplied by Google Maps, a service provided by Google. When the map is loaded, the visitor’s browser connects directly to Google’s systems.

Google may receive technical information including the visitor’s IP address, browser and device information, the referring page, date and time of access, and interactions with the map. Google may also place or read cookies and similar technologies in accordance with its own privacy and cookie policies.

Where required by applicable law, the map will not load until the visitor has provided consent. Visitors who do not wish to load Google Maps may continue to use the rest of the website and may contact us for written directions.

Google acts independently in relation to certain processing carried out through Google Maps. Further information is available in Google’s Privacy Policy and applicable Google Maps terms. We do not control the information independently collected or used by Google.

17. Facebook and Instagram Links

Our website contains ordinary links to our Facebook and Instagram pages. These links do not themselves install Meta advertising technology on our website.

No information is intentionally sent to Facebook or Instagram by us merely because a visitor views our website. If you select one of these links, you leave our website and the relevant platform may process information under its own privacy and cookie policies.

We do not control the processing carried out independently by Facebook or Instagram.

18. Contact Form

Information submitted through the contact form is used to respond to the enquiry, provide requested information and, where applicable, take steps towards a booking.

The contact form must not be used to submit complete payment-card details, passwords or unnecessary sensitive information.

Submitting an enquiry does not subscribe the sender to any newsletter or promotional mailing list.

19. Third-party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or may connect to independent booking and payment services. Those third parties may process information under their own privacy policies when acting as independent responsible parties or controllers.

We encourage you to review their policies before providing information. We are not responsible for an independent third party’s website or processing activities, except to the extent that applicable law provides otherwise.

20. Security Compromises

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

21. Complaints

Please contact our Information Officer first so that we can investigate and attempt to resolve your concern:

Tristan Mattes
Email: contact@lordsandladies.co.za
Telephone: +27 67 931 7669

You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa):

Website: inforegulator.org.za
Email: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
Telephone: 010 023 5200
Toll-free: 0800 017 160
Address: Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg 2191, South Africa

22. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in our website, booking and payment systems, service providers or legal obligations.

The updated version will be published on the website with a revised “Last updated” date. Material changes will not be applied retrospectively where doing so would unlawfully reduce your rights.