eleanor.africa is committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what your rights are — whether you are based in South Africa, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, or anywhere else in the African diaspora.

1. Who We Are

eleanor.africa is a media and knowledge platform operated by Eleanor Williams, based in Cape Town, South Africa. References to "we," "us," or "eleanor.africa" in this document refer to this entity and its founder.

Information Officer (POPIA): Eleanor Williams
Email: mail@eleanor.africa

2. Legal Framework

This policy is governed by the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa. For users in the United Kingdom or European Union, we additionally comply with the UK GDPR and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to the extent applicable. For South African users, this policy also operates in accordance with the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA).

3. What Personal Information We Collect

We collect only what is necessary to deliver our services. Depending on how you engage with eleanor.africa, this may include:

• Identity data: your full name
• Contact data: email address, WhatsApp number (if provided voluntarily)
• Payment data: billing address, transaction reference numbers. We do not store your card details; these are handled directly by our payment processor(s).
• Course access data: login credentials, course progress, module completion records
• Communications data: any correspondence you send us, including email and WhatsApp messages
• Usage data: pages visited, time spent on the platform, device type, IP address, browser type — collected through standard website analytics
• Voluntarily provided data: any personal information you share in community spaces, feedback forms, or testimonial requests

4. How We Collect Your Information

• Directly from you when you register, purchase, or contact us
• Through our website via cookies and analytics tools (see Section 9)
• Through our email platform (MailPoet, hosted on WordPress)
• Through payment processors when you complete a transaction

5. Why We Process Your Information

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

6. Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with:

• Payment processors (e.g. PayFast, Stripe, or equivalent) — to complete your transaction securely
• Our email platform (MailPoet / WordPress) — to deliver course communications
• Course hosting platform — to manage your course access and progress
• Professional advisors (legal, financial) — bound by confidentiality obligations
• Law enforcement or regulatory authorities — only where required by applicable law

All third-party processors are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with applicable data protection law.

7. International Transfers

eleanor.africa operates globally. If your personal information is transferred outside South Africa (for example, to a cloud-based service provider), we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with POPIA and, where applicable, GDPR. By enrolling in our courses or subscribing to our platform, you acknowledge that your data may be processed in countries outside your own.

8. How Long We Keep Your Data

• Course enrolment records: for the duration of your access, plus 5 years for financial record-keeping purposes
• Email subscriber data: until you unsubscribe or request deletion
• Communications records: 3 years from the date of the last communication
• Payment transaction records: 5 years, as required by South African tax law

9. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enable core functionality, analytics, and a better user experience. These include:

• Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function (cannot be disabled)
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use the site (can be declined)
• Marketing cookies — only enabled with your explicit consent

You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings at any time.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to our legal record-keeping obligations)
• Object to or restrict certain processing activities
• Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa (inforegulator.org.za), or the relevant supervisory authority in your country

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer at mail@eleanor.africa. We will respond within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

eleanor.africa's courses and services are intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has submitted personal information to us, please contact us immediately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by email to registered users and by prominent notice on the website. Continued use of our services after such notice constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

We stand behind the quality of Retrain Your Brain for Pleasure and every course and resource offered through eleanor.africa. This policy sets out clearly what you are entitled to, and what falls outside our refund commitment.

1. Digital Products and the ECTA Cooling-Off Right

Under Section 44 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA), consumers transacting electronically in South Africa have a right to cancel a transaction within 7 business days of conclusion of the agreement.

If you have enrolled but have not yet accessed any course content, you may request a full refund within 7 business days of your purchase date, in accordance with your statutory right.

2. Our Refund Commitment Beyond Statutory Rights

We offer the following refund commitment as a matter of our own policy, above and beyond minimum legal requirements:

• Full refund — within 48 hours of purchase, content not accessed: If you change your mind within 48 hours of purchase and have not accessed any course modules, we will refund you in full, no questions asked. Request via email to mail@eleanor.africa.
• Technical access failure: If a verifiable technical fault on our platform prevents you from accessing course content for more than 72 consecutive hours after purchase, you are entitled to a full refund regardless of the time elapsed since purchase.
• Course not delivered as described: If the course content materially differs from its published description at the time of purchase, contact us within 14 days of enrolment and we will assess your case individually.

3. What We Do Not Refund

We do not offer refunds in the following circumstances:

• You have accessed one or more modules of the course
• More than 48 hours have passed since purchase (except where technical failure applies)
• You have changed your mind after engaging with course content
• You did not find the course to be of benefit to you personally (subjective outcomes are not grounds for refund in a structured course programme)
• Circumstances in your personal life prevent you from completing the course (in these cases, please see our Transfer Policy)
• You made a duplicate purchase by error — contact us immediately and we will reverse the duplicate transaction

4. How to Request a Refund

All refund requests must be submitted in writing to mail@eleanor.africa with the subject line "Refund Request — [your full name]." Please include your order reference number and the reason for your request.

We will acknowledge your request within 2 business days and process eligible refunds within 7–10 business days. Refunds are returned to the original payment method. Processing times may vary by payment provider.

5. Currency and International Transactions

Where a course was purchased in a currency other than South African Rand, refunds will be issued in the original currency at the exchange rate applied at the time of purchase. eleanor.africa is not liable for any currency conversion losses, bank fees, or international transfer charges incurred in connection with a refund.

6. Consumer Protection Act

Nothing in this refund policy limits or waives your rights under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 or any other applicable consumer protection legislation. If you believe your CPA rights have not been honoured, you may contact the National Consumer Commission at thencc.org.za.

These Terms and Conditions govern your use of eleanor.africa and your enrolment in any course, programme, or resource offered through the platform. Please read them carefully. By purchasing or accessing any eleanor.africa product, you agree to these terms.

1. The Parties

"eleanor.africa" (also "we," "us," "the platform") refers to the media and knowledge platform operated by Eleanor Williams, Cape Town, South Africa.

"You" or "the User" refers to any individual who accesses, browses, purchases from, or enrols in any offering on eleanor.africa.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing the eleanor.africa website, enrolling in a course, or making a purchase, you confirm that:

• You are 18 years of age or older
• You have read and understood these Terms and Conditions
• You agree to be bound by them
• Where you are transacting on behalf of a company or organisation, you have the authority to bind that entity to these terms

3. Course Enrolment and Access

3.1 Upon successful payment, you will receive access to your enrolled course within 24 hours. Access is provided via a personal login to our course platform.

3.2 Your course access is personal and non-transferable. Login credentials may not be shared with any other person.

3.3 Unless otherwise stated at the time of purchase, course access is provided for the duration of the published programme plus a 30-day extension window after the final module is released, to accommodate personal scheduling.

3.4 eleanor.africa reserves the right to revoke access at any time if these Terms are violated, without refund.

3.5 We make reasonable efforts to ensure course content is available and accessible. Scheduled maintenance, force majeure events, or technical issues beyond our control may temporarily interrupt access. We will communicate planned downtime in advance where possible.

4. Pricing and Payment

4.1 Prices are published in South African Rand (ZAR) and in applicable international currencies (USD, GBP, EUR) where displayed. Prices are inclusive of any applicable South African VAT where required by law.

4.2 Payment must be made in full at the time of enrolment unless an instalment option is explicitly offered.

4.3 eleanor.africa reserves the right to change pricing at any time. Price changes do not affect confirmed purchases already made.

4.4 Founding-rate or promotional pricing is time-limited and non-retroactive.

4.5 All payments are processed through secure third-party payment processors. eleanor.africa does not store card or banking details.

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 All content on eleanor.africa — including but not limited to course videos, audio files, written materials, worksheets, design assets, editorial content, and the eleanor.africa name, wordmark, and brand identity — is the exclusive intellectual property of Eleanor Williams and eleanor.africa, and is protected by South African and international copyright law.

5.2 Your enrolment grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to access and use course content for your own private learning purposes only.

5.3 You may not:

• Copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, download, or transmit any course content in any form
• Share your login credentials or provide access to any third party
• Use course content for commercial purposes, including teaching, reselling, or incorporating into your own programmes
• Screenshot, record, or otherwise capture course video or audio content
• Remove any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices from course materials

5.4 Breach of this clause constitutes a material violation of these Terms and may result in immediate termination of access and legal action.

6. User Conduct

In all interactions with eleanor.africa's platforms, community spaces, and communications, you agree to:

• Engage with honesty, respect, and integrity toward fellow participants and platform staff
• Not post or share content that is defamatory, abusive, discriminatory, or harmful
• Not attempt to disrupt, hack, or exploit any aspect of the platform
• Not engage in unsolicited commercial messaging or spam within any community space

7. Health and Wellness Disclaimer

Retrain Your Brain for Pleasure and all eleanor.africa wellness content is designed for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

8. Limitation of Liability

8.1 eleanor.africa's liability to you in connection with any course, product, or service — whether in contract, delict, or otherwise — is limited to the amount you paid for that product or service.

8.2 eleanor.africa is not liable for any indirect, special, or consequential loss or damage, including loss of income, loss of data, or loss of business opportunity, arising from your use of or inability to use our platforms or content.

8.3 Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be lawfully excluded or limited under the Consumer Protection Act or other applicable law.

9. Third-Party Links and Services

eleanor.africa may contain links to third-party websites or services. We do not control and are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of such third parties. Accessing third-party links is at your own discretion.

10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes arising from these Terms will be subject to the jurisdiction of the South African courts, without prejudice to your rights under your own national consumer protection law.

11. Dispute Resolution

We are committed to resolving disputes fairly and efficiently. In the first instance, please contact us at mail@eleanor.africa. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, it may be referred to a mutually agreed mediator before any formal legal proceedings are initiated.

12. Amendments

eleanor.africa reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Updated Terms will be published on this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of our services after publication of amended Terms constitutes acceptance of those amendments.

We understand that life happens. This policy governs what options are available to you if you are unable to complete or commence a course at the time of your original enrolment. Because our courses are digital products, we do not offer exchanges in the traditional sense — but we do offer meaningful alternatives.

1. What "Transfer" Means for a Digital Course

For eleanor.africa courses, a transfer means one of two things:

• Cohort transfer: Moving your enrolment from one course intake to a future cohort of the same course
• Course credit: Converting your purchase into a credit of equivalent value, redeemable against any future eleanor.africa course or programme

We do not offer transfers to third parties. Your enrolment is personal and cannot be gifted or assigned to another individual.

2. Cohort Transfer

2.1 Eligibility: You may request a cohort transfer if:

• You have not accessed more than two modules of the course, and
• You submit your transfer request at least 5 business days before the course start date of your original cohort, and
• A future cohort of the same course exists or is scheduled

2.2 Each enrolment is eligible for one cohort transfer only.

2.3 If the future cohort is priced higher than your original purchase, no top-up payment is required. If it is priced lower, no refund of the difference is issued.

2.4 Cohort transfers are not available after a course has commenced and more than two modules have been accessed.

3. Course Credit

3.1 If you are unable to complete the course and do not wish to transfer to a future cohort, you may request a course credit equivalent to your original purchase amount.

3.2 Course credits are valid for 12 months from the date of issue and may be applied to any eleanor.africa course or programme available during that period.

3.3 Course credits are non-refundable and non-transferable. They may not be exchanged for cash.

3.4 Credits will not be issued where a full refund has already been processed.

4. Compassionate Circumstances

We recognise that serious illness, bereavement, or other significant life events may affect your ability to engage with a course. If you are facing exceptional circumstances, please contact us at mail@eleanor.africa with a brief explanation. We will consider each case individually and respond with honesty and care.

5. How to Request a Transfer or Credit

Submit all requests to mail@eleanor.africa with the subject line "Transfer Request — [your full name]" or "Credit Request — [your full name]." Please include your order reference number and your reason for the request.

We will respond within 3 business days.

6. Currency Note

Where the original purchase was made in a currency other than South African Rand, course credits will reflect the ZAR equivalent at the exchange rate applied at the time of the original transaction.