Privacy policy

Privacy Policy - ellie and may

Last updated: June 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to ellie and may ("we", "us", "our"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and protect your information when you visit our website at ellieandmay.com and make a purchase from us.

Please read this policy carefully. If you have any questions, contact us at amy@ellieandmay.com.

2. Who We Are

ellie and may is an online lifestyle and apparel store based in South Africa. A portion of every purchase contributes to The McMillan Conservation Fund (MCF), which supports wildlife conservation across Africa.

For the purposes of this policy, ellie and may is the responsible party for your personal information as defined under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

3. Information We Collect

When you visit our store or place an order, we may collect the following personal information:

Contact details — name, email address, phone number
Delivery information — shipping address
Payment information — processed securely via PayPal; we do not store your card or banking details
Order information — products purchased, order history, transaction amounts
Account information — if you create an account with us
Device and browsing information — IP address, browser type, pages visited (via cookies and Shopify analytics)
Communications — any messages you send us via email or our contact form

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

Process and fulfil your orders
Send you order confirmations and shipping updates
Respond to your questions or support requests
Improve our website and your shopping experience
Send you marketing communications (only if you have opted in)
Meet our legal obligations under South African law

We will never sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA)

We process your personal information on the following grounds:

Contractual necessity — to fulfil your order
Legitimate interest — to improve our services and prevent fraud
Consent — for marketing emails, which you can withdraw at any time
Legal obligation — where required by South African law

6. Sharing Your Information

We share your information only where necessary to run our business:

Shopify — our e-commerce platform stores and processes your order data. Shopify is GDPR and privacy-compliant. See Shopify's Privacy Policy.
PayPal — for secure payment processing. See PayPal's Privacy Policy.
Courier/shipping partners — your name and delivery address are shared with our shipping provider to deliver your order.
Email service providers — if you subscribe to our newsletter.
Legal authorities — if required to do so by law.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to:

Keep your shopping cart active
Understand how visitors use our site (analytics)
Improve your experience on return visits

You can control cookie settings through your browser. Disabling cookies may affect some features of the store.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a South African resident, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Correct any inaccurate information
Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
Object to the processing of your information
Withdraw consent for marketing at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email or contacting us directly

To exercise any of these rights, email us at amy@ellieandmay.com.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. Order records are typically retained for 5 years for accounting and legal purposes.

10. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss or misuse. Your payment information is processed through PayPal's secure, encrypted systems — we never see or store your full card details.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party sites such as our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram) and The McMillan Conservation Fund. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their policies.

12. Children's Privacy

Our store is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with the revised date. We encourage you to review it periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

ellie and may Email: amy@ellieandmay.com Website: ellieandmay.com

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa: Website: www.inforegulator.org.za Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za

This privacy policy was written for ellieandmay.com and is intended to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), Act 4 of 2013.