Privacy Policy

1. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal information is:

2. Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

We do not collect sensitive personal information such as race, religion, health data, or political opinions unless strictly required by law.

Payment data: Full payment card details are never stored on our servers. All payment processing is handled by PCI-DSS compliant third-party processors (Flutterwave).

3. How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

• Account management: Creating and maintaining your account, authenticating your identity.
• Transaction processing: Facilitating purchases, payments, and deliveries.
• Communication: Sending order confirmations, delivery updates, and support responses.
• Platform improvement: Analysing usage patterns to improve the Platform's features and performance.
• Safety and fraud prevention: Detecting and preventing fraudulent activity, abuse, and violations of our Terms of Service.
• Legal compliance: Meeting our obligations under Namibian law, including tax, financial reporting, and anti-money laundering requirements.
• Marketing (with consent): Sending newsletters and promotional content only where you have opted in. You may unsubscribe at any time.

We rely on the following legal bases for processing: contract performance (to fulfil your orders), legal obligation (tax and regulatory compliance), legitimate interests (fraud prevention, security), and consent (marketing communications).

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Between buyers and sellers: Delivery address and contact details are shared with sellers only to the extent necessary to fulfil your order.
• Payment processors: Flutterwave and other payment providers receive transaction data necessary to process payments.
• Logistics providers: NamPost and delivery partners receive name and address for shipment processing.
• Legal authorities: We will disclose data where required by a valid court order, subpoena, or applicable Namibian law.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified.

All third parties are required to handle your data in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.

5. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored on servers located in Africa. We implement the following security measures:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
• Passwords are stored using industry-standard one-way hashing (PBKDF2).
• Access to personal data is restricted to authorised personnel only.
• Regular security audits and penetration testing.
• Automated account lockout after repeated failed login attempts.
• Audit logs for all administrative data access.

While we take all reasonable precautions, no system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by law.

6. Cookies

VanTele uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the Platform, remember your preferences, and analyse usage. See our full Cookie Policy for details.

Essential cookies (required for login and security) cannot be disabled. Non-essential cookies (analytics) require your consent, which you can manage via the cookie banner at any time.

7. Your Rights

Under applicable Namibian data protection law, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data where we no longer have a legal basis to retain it.
• Right to restriction: Request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@vantele.com.ng. We will respond within 30 days. Identity verification may be required.

8. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that a minor has registered, we will promptly delete their account and data.

If you believe a minor has provided us with their personal information, please contact privacy@vantele.com.ng immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (including Flutterwave and Google Analytics) may process your data outside Namibia. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent mechanisms.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law:

• Account data: Retained while your account is active, plus 3 years after closure.
• Transaction records: Retained for 7 years as required by Namibian tax law.
• Communications: Retained for 2 years.
• Technical logs: Retained for 90 days.
• Marketing consent records: Retained until consent is withdrawn plus 1 year.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by email or a prominent notice on the Platform at least 14 days before they take effect. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

12. Contact & Complaints

For privacy-related enquiries or to exercise your rights:

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated and we have not resolved your complaint, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant Namibian data protection authority or the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN).