Privacy Policy

Who we are

The Selves of Us (theselvesofus.com) is a South African literary platform founded by Tshego Khatri and operated by Mirembe Muse (Pty) Ltd, East London, Eastern Cape. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect and use personal information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), Act 4 of 2013.

What we collect

We collect the following personal information:

• Email address — when you subscribe to Letters (our newsletter).

• Name — when you submit a Mirror (reader reflection) or comment on a story.

• Email address — optionally, when you submit a Mirror or comment (used only to notify you if your submission is published).

• Story submissions — including your name, email, bio, and writing, when you submit to our contributor portal.

We do not collect payment information, track your location, or use advertising cookies.

How we use your information

• To send you fortnightly Letters from Tshego and Roy (newsletter subscribers only).

• To publish Mirrors and comments on the site (with your name, never your email).

• To review contributor submissions and communicate editorial decisions.

• To improve the platform based on how readers engage with content.

How we store and protect your information

Your data is stored securely on Supabase infrastructure (hosted in the European Union) with row-level security and encryption at rest. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties, except where required by South African law.

Newsletter delivery is handled by Resend (resend.com). Subscriber emails are transmitted to Resend solely for the purpose of sending the Letters newsletter.

Your rights under POPIA

As a data subject you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you.

• Request correction of inaccurate personal information.

• Request deletion of your personal information.

• Object to or restrict the processing of your personal information.

• Unsubscribe from Letters at any time using the link in any email.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@theselvesofus.com.

Cookies

We use only essential cookies required for authentication (if you are an admin user) and to remember your newsletter subscription preference. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced via the Letters newsletter. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.