Privacy policy

Who we are

The Chocolate Den is operated by The Chocolate Den CC (registration number 2008/142919/23), Glendower Place Shopping Centre, 99 Linksfield Road, Edenvale, Johannesburg ("we", "us"). We are the responsible party for the personal information we collect through www.thechocden.co.za, in our shop, for classes and when you contact us.

Information Officer

Our Information Officer is Toni Birin. Contact: chocden@netdial.co.za, 011 453 8160.

What we collect

•       Name, email address, phone number

•       Billing and delivery addresses

•       Order history and items in your cart

•       Class bookings

•       Messages you send us (email, WhatsApp, contact form)

•       Marketing preferences

•       Device and browsing information (IP address, browser, pages viewed) collected by cookies

We do not see or store your full card details. Card payments are processed by Paystack.

Why we use it

•       To process, deliver and support your orders and class bookings

•       To take payment and prevent fraud

•       To reply to your questions and complaints

•       To send you news and specials, only if you have opted in

•       To run, secure and improve our website

•       To meet legal and tax obligations

We only process what we need for these purposes.

Legal basis

We process personal information because it is needed to carry out your order (contract), to comply with the law, for our legitimate interests (running and securing our business), or with your consent (marketing and non-essential cookies). You may withdraw consent at any time.

Who we share it with

We never sell your information. We share only what is needed with:

•       Shopify (our online store platform)

•       Paystack (card payments)

•       Our Courier and Pudo partners (deliveries: name, address and phone number only)

•       Our email and IT service providers

•       Our accountants and authorities where the law requires

These operators must keep your information secure and confidential.

Information sent outside South Africa

Shopify and some of our service providers store information on servers outside South Africa. We only use providers that are bound by laws or agreements that give a level of protection similar to POPIA (section 72).

Direct marketing

We will only send you marketing by email, SMS or WhatsApp if you have opted in, or if you are an existing customer and we are telling you about similar products. Every message includes a way to unsubscribe, free of charge.

How long we keep it

We keep order and invoice records for 5 years as required by tax law. Other information is kept only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected, then deleted or de-identified.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including secure (SSL) connections and access controls. If we believe your information has been accessed without authorisation, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.

Your rights

You may:

•       Ask what personal information we hold about you and request a copy

•       Ask us to correct or delete your information

•       Object to processing, including direct marketing

•       Withdraw consent

•       Complain to the Information Regulator

To make a request, contact our Information Officer (section 2). We may need to verify your identity first.

Information Regulator

If you are unhappy with how we handled your information, you can complain to the Information Regulator: www.inforegulator.org.za, enquiries@inforegulator.org.za, 0800 017 160.

Children

Our website is not aimed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect children's information without consent from a parent or guardian.

Changes

We may update this policy. The latest version is always on this page.

Last updated: 6 October 2026