Soweto entrepreneur turns million-rand setback into major business win
Hlumelo Nyaluza is a Soweto-born entrepreneur and visionary who has made a name for himself in the African luxury market.
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“Nearly 8,000 people clicked the Buy Now button, but no sales went through,” said Hlumelo Nyaluza, founder of HN Luxury, recalling the costly comma error that once derailed his African luxury bag brand.
Last year, the Soweto-based entrepreneur lost millions of rands after a misplaced comma in the e-commerce site’s pricing code inflated product costs, turning a bag priced at R19,500 into R1,950,000 in the system.
Even Africa’s first bulletproof bag, which racked up more than 800,000 views in two days, failed to sell. Nyaluza estimated the error cost between R1.3 million and R26 million.
Despite the setback, Nyaluza starts 2026 on a strong note.
Refusing millions from an American investor to maintain full control of his company, he grew HN Luxury’s parent company, HN Imaginations Mall, by R2.5 million in just three months.
“I am happy to tell you that after the unfortunate events, I managed to raise close to a quarter of a million to date. More products were added under HN Luxury, and two revolutionary products were added under HN Imaginations Mall,” he said.
The growth came from investors purchasing shares in the parent company, each contributing small amounts but collectively strengthening the business. Nyaluza explained that every cent received in investments is reinvested to expand HN.
“I have never taken a salary since I started HN. I just take money for operations, that’s it. My personal account is always zero because I reinvest everything.”
The lessons from the comma saga shaped his approach to setbacks and resilience.
“The main thing that the incident taught me is that one should aim for perfection, hire quality controllers, marketing managers, financial managers and more. When you face huge challenges, go into neutral mode, fix the issue, then breathe. Don’t be negative or overly positive - just tackle the problem,” he said.
Transparency, Nyaluza added, has been key to rebuilding trust with investors.
“I have been open about everything from the start - my wins, losses and lessons. Not many people are that transparent. There is no trust where there is no transparency, and being open helped me a lot.”
Looking ahead, HN Imaginations Mall is set to expand globally with hundreds of original products. Two upcoming releases include a food product that introduces a new taste of Africa and an innovation addressing water and electricity challenges.
“The food product is something Africa never knew it wanted. The other solution is so innovative that we are patenting it as we speak. It will make lives easier,” Nyaluza said.
Nyaluza’s long-term vision is ambitious: a platform that nurtures African innovation and creates wealth.
“I want HN Imaginations Mall to have hundreds of registered and patented products sold exclusively through our platform, eventually expanding into physical stores. I see other billion-dollar African ideas funded by this mall.
"My goal is a billion-dollar empire that makes at least 1,000 millionaires and represents African minds,” he said.