1. INTRODUCTION
The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) uses cookies and similar technologies on our websites www.saca.org.za and playerplus.saca.org.za (collectively “our websites”) to enhance your browsing experience, analyse website traffic, and provide personalised content.
This Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, and how you can manage your cookie preferences. By continuing to use our websites, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this policy, unless you have disabled them as explained below.
2. WHAT ARE COOKIES?
Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They help websites remember information about your visit, such as your preferred language, login status, and other settings. This makes your next visit easier and the site more useful to you.
Cookies cannot harm your device or files, and they cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer.
3. TYPES OF COOKIES WE USE
3.1 Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)
These cookies are necessary for our websites to function properly and cannot be disabled without significantly affecting website functionality. They enable core functions including:
- Security features and user authentication processes
- Network management and basic website navigation
- Accessibility features for users with disabilities
- Session management for member-only areas
- Protection against cross-site request forgery attacks
Legal Basis: Legitimate interest – these cookies are essential for our websites’ basic functionality and security.
3.2 Functional Cookies
These cookies allow our websites to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They remember your choices and preferences, such as:
- Your username, login details, and language preferences
- Customizations you make to pages during your visit
- Items in your shopping cart (where applicable)
- Your cookie consent preferences
- Content customized based on your location
Legal Basis: Legitimate interest in providing an enhanced user experience.
3.3 Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. They enable us to:
- Count the number of visitors and track popular pages
- Understand how visitors navigate through our websites
- Identify technical issues and improve website performance
- Analyse user behaviour patterns to enhance our services
Examples: Google Analytics, Mixpanel analytics tools
Legal Basis: Legitimate interest in improving our websites and services.
3.4 Marketing and Targeting Cookies
These cookies are used to deliver relevant advertisements and track advertising effectiveness. They may:
- Track your browsing habits across different websites
- Create profiles based on your interests and preferences
- Measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns
- Provide targeted content and advertisements relevant to you
Legal Basis: Consent (where required by law) or legitimate interest in marketing our services effectively.
4. SPECIFIC COOKIES USED ON OUR WEBSITES
4.1 Essential Cookies
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
| XSRF-TOKEN | Preserves user login information and maintains security states | Session (until browser closes) |
| csrf_token | Security protection against cross-site request forgery attacks | Session (until browser closes) |
| session_id / slim_session | Maintains your user session while browsing our websites | 2.5 days |
| DPSettings | Remembers your cookie policy preferences and consent choices | 12 days |
4.2 Analytics Cookies
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users for website analytics | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users for daily analytics reporting | 24 hours |
| _gat | Google Analytics | Throttles request rate to prevent overloading our servers | 1 minute |
| mp_#_mixpanel | Mixpanel | Collects anonymous usage data for website improvement | 1 year |
4.3 Marketing and Targeting Cookies
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
| __hstc | HubSpot | Tracks visitor information including visit history and session data | 6 months |
| hubspotutk | HubSpot | Maintains visitor identity for contact management and form submissions | 6 months |
| __hssc | HubSpot | Tracks current session information and page views | 30 minutes |
| affiliate | Internal | Tracks purchases made through affiliate links for proper commission attribution | Varies based on affiliate settings |
4.4 Third-Party Service Cookies
Our websites integrate with various third-party services that may set their own cookies:
Customer Support Services: Olark, TawkTo, Freshchat, Zendesk, and Intercom set cookies to maintain chat sessions, remember visitor preferences, and provide consistent customer support experiences.
Video Content: Vimeo sets cookies when we embed videos to collect viewing analytics and remember your video preferences.
Security Services: Cloudflare sets cookies to identify trusted web traffic and protect against malicious attacks.
Marketing Services: Refersion and Fomo set cookies to track affiliate marketing performance and display social proof notifications.
5. YOUR COOKIE CHOICES AND RIGHTS
5.1 Cookie Consent Management
When you first visit our websites, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to:
- Accept all cookies for the full website experience
- Reject non-essential cookies while maintaining basic functionality
- Customize your preferences by cookie category
- Access detailed information about our cookie practices
You can change your cookie preferences at any time by accessing our Cookie Preference Centre in the footer of our websites.
5.2 Browser-Based Cookie Controls
You can control cookies through your web browser settings:
Google Chrome:
- Click “Settings” then navigate to “Privacy and security” and select “Cookies and other site data”
- Choose your preferred cookie settings from the available options
Mozilla Firefox:
- Click “Options” then select “Privacy & Security”
- Under “Cookies and Site Data,” choose your preferred settings
Safari:
- Go to “Preferences” then select “Privacy”
- Choose your cookie and website data preferences
Microsoft Edge:
- Click “Settings” then navigate to “Cookies and site permissions”
- Select “Cookies and site data” and choose your preferences
5.3 Opt-Out Tools for Specific Services
Analytics Services:
- Google Analytics Opt-out: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
Advertising Services:
- Digital Advertising Alliance: http://optout.aboutads.info/
- Network Advertising Initiative: http://optout.networkadvertising.org/
6. CONSEQUENCES OF DISABLING COOKIES
If you choose to disable cookies, you may experience:
- Reduced website functionality and features that don’t work as intended
- Inability to access member-only areas or maintain login sessions
- Loss of personalized content and saved preferences
- Need to repeatedly enter the same information during your visit
- Difficulty using certain interactive features like live chat support
Please note that essential cookies cannot be completely disabled without significantly impacting your ability to use our websites effectively.
7. DATA RETENTION AND STORAGE
Cookie Duration:
- Session cookies are automatically deleted when you close your web browser
- Persistent cookies remain on your device for the specific periods shown in our cookie tables above
- You can manually delete cookies at any time through your browser settings
Analytics Data Retention: We retain analytics data according to our data retention policies, typically 26 months for Google Analytics data, after which it is automatically deleted.
International Data Transfers: Some cookie providers (such as Google Analytics) may transfer data outside of South Africa. These transfers are conducted with appropriate safeguards in place to protect your privacy and comply with applicable data protection laws.
8. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age through cookies. If you believe a child has provided information through our cookie systems, please contact us immediately so we can investigate and take appropriate action.
9. UPDATES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this Cookies Policy periodically to reflect:
- Changes in our cookie practices or the cookies we use
- Updates to legal requirements and regulations
- Developments in cookie technology
- Changes to our business needs and services
We will notify you of significant changes by posting the updated policy on our websites with a new “Last Updated” date. We recommend checking this page periodically to stay informed about our cookie practices.
10. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA
Under South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), you have specific rights regarding personal information collected through cookies:
Right to Access: You can request information about what cookies we use and what data we collect through them.
Right to Correction: You can request correction of any inaccurate information we may have collected.
Right to Deletion: You can request deletion of your data, subject to certain legal limitations.
Right to Object: You can object to certain types of data processing activities.
Right to Restrict Processing: You can request that we limit how we process your personal information.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.
11. CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions about our use of cookies or this Cookies Policy, please contact us:
South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA)
Great Westerford, 240 Main Road
Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700
South Africa
Email: judie@saca.org.za
Phone: +27 21 462 0438
Website: www.saca.org.za
For privacy-related inquiries, you may also contact our Data Protection Officer (if appointed): Judie van Staden
12. COMPLIANCE AND REGULATORY INFORMATION
This Cookies Policy complies with:
- Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa
- Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA)
- Consumer Protection Act (CPA) of South Africa
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for European visitors
13. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are cookies safe to accept?
Yes, cookies are generally safe and cannot carry viruses or install malware on your device. They are simple text files that help improve your website experience.
Can I use your websites without accepting all cookies?
You can browse our websites with essential cookies only, but some features may not work properly or provide the full intended experience.
How often should I review my cookie settings?
We recommend reviewing your cookie preferences periodically, especially after we update this policy or if your privacy preferences change.
Do cookies contain my personal information?
Some cookies may contain personal information while others contain only technical data. We handle all cookie data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.
How do I completely clear cookies from my browser?
You can clear cookies through your browser’s settings menu under privacy or security options. This will remove all stored cookies from your device.
For the most current version of this Cookies Policy, please visit our websites. By continuing to use our websites, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Cookies Policy.