Privacy policy

Welcome, dear fellow wanderer.

This is the page where I’m legally required to tell you all the serious stuff about how your data is used here on Wandering Africa. I know: you came for sunsets over Kilimanjaro, not cookies and GDPR compliance. But alas, because I occasionally toss an ad into the mix like a well-timed spice in Zanzibari pilau, Google and other ad networks insist that I have a Privacy Policy and a Terms of Use page.

Apparently, my noble quest to share high-quality travel content (which I hope you agree is at least worth a glance) needs to be accompanied by disclaimers that make it all above board. So here we go.

The Short Version (Because Life Is Short)

• I care about your privacy.

• I don’t collect your personal data for sport, profit, or blackmail.

• If you comment or subscribe, your info is handled with care and according to international law.

• Cookies are used - but sadly, not the edible kind (and certainly not the ones that make you laugh and crave more!).

• I run a few ads to help fund the occasional overpriced cup of airport coffee.

• You can always reach out if you want to know what data I (don’t really) have on you.

What Data I Actually Collect

Let’s be honest: I don’t sit around scheming about how to collect sensitive personal information. I have maps to get lost in and street food to discover. But a few things may be collected when you:

• Leave a comment – You’ll need to enter a name and email. That data is stored securely so your comment doesn’t vanish into the digital abyss.

• Subscribe to updates – If you pop your email into the little box to get new posts, that email will be used to send you exactly that. Nothing else. No spam. No newsletters about crypto scams.

• Browse the site – Like every website ever, this one uses cookies to see what pages people read and for how long. This helps me figure out if people actually care about my deep dive into the backstreets of Kinshasa.

About Cookies (Not the Fun Kind)

Cookies are little snippets of code that help websites remember stuff. Like your preferences or how long you stared at that photo of a dhow at sunset.

This site may use:

• First-party cookies – To make the site function properly.

• Third-party cookies – From services like Google AdSense, Google Analytics, and possibly the ghosts of colonial explorers. These help track basic metrics and serve relevant ads.

If this makes you uncomfortable, feel free to disable cookies in your browser settings. Or travel analog. That works too.

Legal Obligations (The Stuff with Acronyms)

In the spirit of good governance, please know that:

• Your data is handled in accordance with GDPR (for my European readers),

• CCPA (hello, Californians),

• And general best practices across the interwebs.

That means:

• You can request to see what data (if any) is stored about you.

• You can ask for it to be deleted, and I shall comply faster than a backpacker chasing Wi-Fi.

• Your data is never sold, traded, or handed over to shadowy marketers offering to boost my Instagram reach by 9000%.

Ads, and a fistful of Dollars

Yes, there are occasional ads here. They help offset the cost of running this blog and, if I’m lucky, earn me enough for a celebratory beer after a long border crossing, or maybe even a decent dinner at a restaurant that I promise to write about.

These ads are usually served by Google AdSense or similar networks. They may use cookies to show you relevant stuff. This is why you might see ads for hiking boots after reading about Mount Karisimbi or Erta Ale.

If you click on an ad, great! You just bought me a metaphorical skewer of suya from a street vendor in Ikeja.

Your Rights (And My Pledge)

You have a right to:

• Know what data I’ve got (probably very little)

• Ask me to delete it (I will)

• Complain to a data protection authority (but honestly, just message me first. I’m reasonable)

• Not be stalked across the web by overly enthusiastic banner ads

And I have a right to say: I value your trust, and I will never knowingly violate it. I may be a mzungu, but I take this seriously. Even when I’m being cheeky.

If you crave reading some more legal texts, I can also recommend my Terms of Use page. The companion to the Privacy policy. Both are required by Google nowadays.

Want to Reach Out?

If you ever feel like your data is being mishandled (or if you just want to swap travel stories), reach out through the Contact page .

No bots. Just human-to-human, like the good old days.

Thanks for reading the fine print. Now go read something with elephants in it.