Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

AfriStay is an independent platform registered in Rwanda. We operate the AfriStay platform at afristay.rw, a marketplace for property and vehicle rentals across Rwanda. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal data in accordance with Rwandan data protection law.

2. Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Account data: Full name, email address, phone number, and role (guest or owner)
• Booking data: Property or vehicle bookings, check-in/out dates, guest count, payment references
• Listing data: Property addresses, prices, images, and amenities submitted by owners
• Usage data: Pages visited, searches made, and features used on the platform
• Communication data: Messages sent through our Contact form or support channels

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data to:

• Create and manage your account
• Process and confirm bookings
• Send booking confirmations and platform notifications
• Facilitate payments and owner payouts
• Respond to support enquiries
• Improve the platform through aggregate usage analytics
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

4. Data Sharing

We share your data only where necessary:

• A trusted backend infrastructure provider: Our database and authentication provider (data hosted in the EU)
• Payment processors: To handle booking payments and payouts
• Owners: When you book a property, the owner receives your name and contact details to coordinate your stay
• Law enforcement: Where required by Rwandan law or court order

5. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Booking records are kept for a minimum of 5 years for financial and legal compliance. You may request deletion of your account and personal data at any time (see Section 7).

6. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS), access controls, and secure third-party infrastructure. However, no system is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate data via your profile settings
• Delete your account and associated data
• Object to processing of your data for marketing purposes
• Port your data in a machine-readable format

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@afristay.rw.

8. Cookies

AfriStay uses browser localStorage (not traditional cookies) to store your session and preferences such as your role and authentication state. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. You can clear your browser's local storage at any time through your browser settings.

9. Children

AfriStay is not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to registered users by email. The "last updated" date at the bottom of this page always reflects the most recent revision.

11. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions or data requests, contact us at info@afristay.rw or through our Contact page.

Last updated: April 2026