Last updated: 5 August 2026
Who we are
Nowcast is a free Cape Town beach-conditions service operated by Joe Eppel, who is the responsible party and Information Officer for the purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). You can reach us at privacy@nowcast.capetown.
What we collect
If you subscribe to the daily briefing, we store:
- your email address;
- the beaches you selected;
- the data points you chose to see;
- the IP address behind each request you make for a link — when you sign up, and again each time you ask us to email you a fresh manage or unsubscribe link.
That is the complete list. Browsing the site without subscribing stores nothing about you beyond the standard request logs our hosting provider keeps.
Why we collect it
Your email address and preferences exist to send you the briefing you asked for. The IP addresses are recorded to rate-limit abuse of the forms that send email — they stop someone submitting another person's address repeatedly. We rely on your consent, given when you sign up and confirmed when you click the link in the confirmation email. We never sell, rent or share your details for marketing.
Who else processes it
- Vercel — hosting and request logs
- Neon — the database your subscription is stored in
- Resend — delivery of the emails we send you
All three operate outside South Africa, so your details are processed abroad. Open-Meteo and the City of Cape Town supply our weather and water-quality data; they receive nothing about you.
How long we keep it
We stop emailing you as soon as you unsubscribe. We keep the subscription record itself, and every IP address recorded against a link request, indefinitely — retaining the record of an unsubscribe is how we make sure a removed address is not mailed again by mistake. If you want your details erased entirely, ask us and we will delete them.
Cookies and tracking
This site sets no cookies. It runs no analytics, no advertising, and no third-party scripts of any kind; the fonts are served from our own domain. Our emails contain no tracking pixels, so we do not know whether you opened one. There is nothing here to consent to, which is why you have not been shown a cookie banner.
Your rights
You may ask us to show you what we hold about you, correct it, delete it, or stop processing it, and you may withdraw your consent at any time.
- Change your beaches or data points: use the manage link in any briefing email, or request a new link.
- Stop the emails: the unsubscribe link at the foot of every briefing, or the same manage link.
- Anything else, including full deletion: email privacy@nowcast.capetown.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you can complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes we will update the date at the top of this page. Material changes to what we collect or who processes it will be announced in the briefing email.