Effective Date: 3 July 2026
1. Introduction
Welcome to HowToGuide.co.za (“HowToGuide“, “we“, “us“, or “our“).
We are committed to protecting your privacy and processing your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African laws.
By continuing to use our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Cookie Policy.
2. What Are Cookies?
Cookies help us to:
- Ensure the website functions correctly.
- Remember your preferences and cookie choices.
- Improve website performance and usability.
- Analyse website traffic and visitor behaviour.
- Enhance website security.
- Deliver relevant content and advertising where applicable.
Cookies may be:
- First-party cookies, which are placed directly by HowToGuide.co.za; or
- Third-party cookies, which are placed by trusted service providers such as analytics, advertising, or social media platforms.
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Essential (Strictly Necessary) Cookies
These cookies are required for the proper operation of our website and cannot be disabled through our cookie preference centre.
They enable essential functions including:
- Website security
- Page navigation
- User authentication
- Session management
- Cookie preference storage
- Contact form functionality
- Spam prevention
Because these cookies are necessary for the website to operate, your consent is not required under applicable legislation.
3.2 Functional Cookies
Functional cookies allow our website to remember choices you make to improve your browsing experience.
Examples include:
- Language preferences
- Region settings
- Website customisation
- Saved preferences
Disabling these cookies may affect certain website features.
3.3 Analytics and Performance Cookies
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website.
These cookies allow us to:
- Measure website traffic.
- Identify popular pages.
- Understand visitor behaviour.
- Improve website performance.
- Identify technical issues.
Where required by law, these cookies are only placed after you have provided your consent.
3.4 Marketing and Advertising Cookies
Marketing cookies are used to provide relevant advertising and measure advertising effectiveness.
These cookies may:
- Track browsing behaviour across websites.
- Create advertising profiles.
- Display personalised advertisements.
- Measure marketing campaign performance.
These cookies are only activated with your explicit consent.
3.5 Social Media Cookies
Our website may contain embedded content or sharing features from third-party social media platforms, including:
- X (formerly Twitter)
- TikTok
- YouTube
These platforms may place cookies on your device and collect information according to their own privacy policies.
4. Cookies We Use
The following table provides examples of cookies that may be used on our website.
| Cookie | Category | Purpose | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| wordpress_* | Essential | User login sessions and preferences | Session or Persistent |
| wordpress_logged_in_* | Essential | Maintains logged-in user session | Session |
| wordpress_sec_* | Essential | Website authentication | Session |
| cmplz_* | Essential | Stores cookie consent preferences | Up to 365 days |
| wordfence_* | Essential | Website security and fraud prevention | Up to 1 day |
| elementor | Functional | Stores website display preferences | Persistent |
| _ga | Analytics | Google Analytics visitor identification | Up to 2 years |
| _gid | Analytics | Google Analytics page usage statistics | 24 hours |
| _gat | Analytics | Limits Google Analytics request rate | 1 minute |
This list is intended as a general guide and may change as our website, plugins, or services are updated.
5. POPIA Compliance
We are committed to complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
Accordingly, we will:
- Inform you about the cookies we use.
- Explain why cookies are used.
- Obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies.
- Allow you to update or withdraw your consent at any time.
- Process personal information lawfully and transparently.
Our cookie banner enables you to:
- Accept all cookies.
- Reject non-essential cookies.
- Select individual cookie categories.
- Modify your preferences whenever you choose.
6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
Through Our Website
When you first visit HowToGuide.co.za, you will be presented with our cookie consent banner.
You may choose to:
- Accept all cookies.
- Reject non-essential cookies.
- Manage your cookie preferences.
You can update your preferences at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link available in the website footer.
Through Your Browser
Most web browsers also allow you to manage cookies.
You can generally:
- Delete stored cookies.
- Block specific cookies.
- Block all cookies.
- Receive notifications before cookies are stored.
Browser help pages include:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Apple Safari
Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality and performance of certain areas of our website.
7. Your Rights Under POPIA
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- Request access to your personal information.
- Request correction of inaccurate information.
- Request deletion of personal information where legally permissible.
- Object to the processing of your personal information.
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details below.
8. Third-Party Cookies
We use trusted third-party providers whose services may place cookies on your device.
Examples include:
| Service | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Google Analytics | Website analytics and visitor statistics |
| Google reCAPTCHA | Spam and abuse prevention |
| YouTube | Embedded videos |
| Social Media Platforms | Sharing content and embedded media |
These providers process your information according to their own privacy and cookie policies. We encourage you to review those policies before using their services.
9. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect:
- Changes in applicable legislation.
- New technologies.
- Website improvements.
- Changes to third-party services.
The latest version will always be published on this page together with the updated Last Updated date.
Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Cookie Policy.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding this Cookie Policy or how we process your personal information, please contact us.
HowToGuide.co.za
Website: https://howtoguide.co.za
Email: admin@howtoguide.co.za
Information Regulator (South Africa)
If you believe that your personal information has been processed unlawfully or your rights under POPIA have been infringed, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.
Information Regulator (South Africa)
P.O. Box 31533
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2017
South Africa
Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za
Website: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/
11. Consent
By selecting “Accept All” on our cookie banner, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this Cookie Policy.
You may withdraw or amend your consent at any time by accessing the Cookie Settings available on our website or by adjusting your browser settings.
This Cookie Policy has been prepared to support compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), and reflects our commitment to transparency, responsible data processing, and protecting the privacy of our website visitors.