1. The short version
santi.co.za does not use advertising cookies. We store a few small things in your browser to make the site work; they stay on your device and are never sent to us. Google Analytics runs in a restricted, cookie-free mode until you choose. Only if you choose Accept does it use cookies, and only then do we load Hotjar and show a location-aware message on our About page. If you choose Decline, no cookies are set, Hotjar and the location message never run, and Google Analytics stays in its restricted mode.
2. What cookies and browser storage are
Cookies are small text files a website saves on your device. “Local storage” and “session storage” work in a similar way. We use browser storage for the essentials. Cookies are only set by Google Analytics and Hotjar, and only if you accept.
3. What we use
| Name | What it does | Type and how long |
|---|---|---|
| santi-cookie-consent-v3 | Remembers whether you accepted or declined optional features, so we don’t ask again on every page. | Necessary · local storage, until you clear it |
| santi-scroll:<page> | Remembers where you were on a page, so the Back button returns you to the same spot after viewing a project. | Necessary · session storage, deleted when you close the tab |
| santi-featured-seen | Remembers which projects our homepage has already shown you, so each visit features ones you haven’t seen yet. | Functional · local storage, until you clear it |
| santi-featured-last | Keeps the same featured projects on screen when you come back to the homepage with the Back button. | Functional · session storage, deleted when you close the tab |
| _ga and _ga_2RPKK1TL21 | Google Analytics. Tell returning visitors apart and count page views, so we can see which pages are useful. Set only if you choose Accept. | Analytics · cookies, up to 2 years |
| _hjSessionUser_2048719 and _hjSession_2048719 | Hotjar. Recognise a visit so heatmaps and session recordings hold together. Set only if you choose Accept. | Analytics · cookies, up to 1 year (user) and 30 minutes (session) |
4. Optional: approximate location
Only if you choose Accept, our About page looks up your approximate city and country from your IP address, using GeoJS, ipapi.co or ipwho.is, to show a message relevant to your region. We don’t store the result, and nothing is looked up if you choose Decline.
5. Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 with Google’s Consent Mode. Before you choose, or if you choose Decline, it runs in a restricted mode: it sets no cookies and cannot recognise you from one page or visit to the next. It only tells Google that a page was viewed or an action happened (for example, that a form was sent or a contact link was clicked — never what you typed), with basic details such as the page address, the time, your browser type and your consent choice, so Google can give us approximate totals. If you choose Accept, it uses the cookies listed above to record the pages you view, how you arrived, your device and browser type, and your approximate location (city and country). We use this to improve the website and never to identify you, and we do not use it for advertising. Google LLC processes this information for us, and it may be stored outside South Africa. You can also install Google’s opt-out add-on.
6. Optional: Hotjar
Only if you choose Accept, we load Hotjar. It shows us how pages are used through heatmaps and session recordings: clicks, scrolling and mouse movement, along with your device and browser type and your country. What you type into our forms is never recorded. We use this to find and fix parts of the website that are confusing, never to identify you. Hotjar Ltd processes this information for us and stores it in the European Union. Nothing is loaded and no Hotjar cookies are set if you choose Decline.
7. Other services
Our fonts load from Google Fonts, which receives your IP address but does not set cookies. If you follow a link to WhatsApp or a social network, that service’s own cookie policy applies.
8. Changing your choice
That button forgets your answer, removes the Google Analytics and Hotjar cookies and shows the banner again. You can also clear this site’s data in your browser. You can also block or delete browser storage in your settings: see help for Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge. The site still works if you block it; you will just see the banner again.
9. Changes to this policy
If we add anything new, we will update this page and ask for your consent first where the law requires it.
Questions? See our Privacy Policy or contact our Information Officer, Zuko Santi, at santi@santi.co.za or +27 74 993 9904.