Last Updated: September 2026
At Thyme & Thistle Apothecary, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African laws.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, purchase products, subscribe to our newsletter, or otherwise interact with us.
Who we are
Our website address is: https://thymenthistle.co.za
Thyme & Thistle Apothecary is a South African herbal wellness and apothecary business offering natural wellness products, herbal remedies, teas, tinctures, educational content, and related services.
For any privacy-related enquiries, please contact:
Email: info@thymenthistle.co.za
What Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with our website, we may collect:
Information You Provide
- Name and surname
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Delivery address
- Billing address
- Account information
- Product enquiries
- Newsletter subscriptions
- Any information submitted through forms on our website
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:
- IP address
- Browser type
- Device information
- Pages viewed
- Date and time of visit
- Website usage statistics
- Referring website information
This information helps us improve our website and customer experience.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the website, we collect the information shown in the comment form, as well as the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help detect spam.
An anonymized string created from your email address may be provided to the Gravatar service to determine whether you use it. After approval of your comment, your profile picture may be publicly visible alongside your comment.
Media Uploads
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images containing embedded location data (EXIF GPS).
Visitors to the website may be able to download and extract location information from publicly available images..
How We Use Your Information
We use personal information to:
- Process and fulfil orders
- Deliver products and services
- Respond to enquiries
- Provide customer support
- Improve website performance
- Prevent fraud and abuse
- Send newsletters and marketing communications (only where consent has been provided)
- Comply with legal obligations
We will only process personal information where we have a lawful reason to do so.
Newsletter & Marketing Communications
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we may use your email address to send:
- Herbal wellness tips
- Educational content
- Product updates
- Special offers
- Promotions
You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience.
Cookies help us:
- Remember your preferences
- Keep you logged into your account
- Understand how visitors use our website
- Improve website performance
- Deliver relevant content and marketing
Comment Cookies
If you leave a comment, you may choose to save your name, email address, and website in cookies for convenience. These cookies typically remain for one year.
Login Cookies
When you log in to your account, we create cookies to save your login information and display preferences.
Analytics Cookies
We may use services such as Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our website.
You may disable cookies through your browser settings, although some website features may not function correctly.
Embedded Content From Other Websites
Articles, blog posts, and pages on this website may include embedded content such as:
- YouTube videos
- Instagram posts
- Pinterest content
- Maps
- Articles
Embedded content behaves exactly as if you visited the third-party website directly.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, and monitor your interaction with their content according to their own privacy policies.
Who We Share Your Information With
We only share information when necessary to operate our business.
This may include:
- Payment providers
- Website hosting providers
- Courier and shipping companies
- Email marketing platforms
- Analytics providers
- Professional advisers where legally required
We require third-party providers to protect your information appropriately.
If you request a password reset, your IP address may be included in the reset email.
Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to:
- Fulfil orders
- Provide services
- Comply with legal obligations
- Resolve disputes
- Enforce agreements
Comments and related metadata may be retained indefinitely to assist with moderation and future comment approvals.
Registered users may view, update, or delete their personal information at any time, except for usernames which may not be editable.
Your Rights Under POPIA
Under South African law, you have the right to:
- Access your personal information
- Correct inaccurate information
- Request deletion of information where legally permissible
- Withdraw consent for marketing communications
- Object to certain processing activities
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:
Protection of Personal Information
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against:
- Unauthorised access
- Loss
- Misuse
- Disclosure
- Alteration
- Destruction
While we strive to protect your information, no internet transmission or storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
International Data Transfers
Some of our service providers may store or process information outside South Africa.
Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information receives an adequate level of protection consistent with POPIA requirements.
Children’s Privacy
This website is not intended for individuals under the age of 18.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes To This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or business practices.
The latest version will always be published on this page.
Contact Us
If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact:
Thyme & Thistle Apothecary
Email: info@thymenthistle.co.za
Website: https://thymenthistle.co.za