Comma catastrophe: how a pricing error cost South African luxury designer millions

A simple error in a price tag nearly derailed South African designer Hlumelo Nyaluza’s global luxury breakthrough, turning R19 500 into a staggering R1,95 million. 

What should have been a celebration of international success quickly turned into chaos, threatening to undo years of hard work. A misplaced comma in his e-commerce website’s pricing code drained his African luxury bag brand of millions over five months.

Originally from the Eastern Cape and now based in Soweto, Nyaluza has always described his life’s purpose as helping others achieve their dreams through his imagination. His achievements include writing a book in reverse and developing the social media app HN Citipages, which topped the Google Play Store and received an endorsement from the South African Department of Communications.

Nyaluza’s love for fashion began at a young age. After losing his mother to cancer at 13, he would repurpose her clothes by cutting and sewing them together, an early creative outlet that inspired him to design T-shirts and launch his HN brand in 2011.

“I loved fashion. I released T-shirts among my peers to introduce my HN brand, but later paused to explore other ventures like my backwards book,” he recalled.

After years away from fashion, Nyaluza was inspired to design a luxury bag that empowered struggling African artisans. 

“I was given the bag concept by a higher power to support wood craftsmen, fine artists, and leatherworkers. I also wanted it to give more life to my other HN ventures,” he said.

The bag, measuring 20cm x 20cm x 20cm, features a light wooden box covered in leather with a floating cross inside, creating the illusion of a disappearing hand when carried. It includes two magnetic purses and showcases exclusive artwork by Tumisang Khalipha. Another version is a cross-compartment trunk adorned with an Xhosa-inspired monogram. 

Nyaluza began working on the bags in July last year and ran a campaign earlier this year to raise R200 000 to launch them in both Africa and the United States.

After release, the bags gained international media attention, being featured in New York, Mexico, London, Australia, the Middle East, and at Hamptons Fashion Week. 

“I was invited to showcase the bags at America’s Billionaires’ playground and approached by producers for shows airing on Apple TV, Bloomberg TV, and Prime TV,” Nyaluza said.

Despite the exposure, Nyaluza said that the sales failed to match the hype. 

“A single misplaced comma turned a bag priced at R19,5k into R1,950,000, preventing customers from buying and costing me between R1.3 million and R26 million,” he explained.

Now, Nyaluza is seeking to raise at least R40 000 to bounce back and fast-track expansion, aiming to introduce the bag in stores across more than 150 countries. Instead of handouts, he is offering investment opportunities between R5 000 and R40 000.

He is also creating custom HN-themed chapters for car owners, selling them for R1,600 a set.

For Nyaluza, this setback is not the end. It is another chapter in a career defined by creativity, resilience, and a mission to lift others while pursuing his dreams.

The Star

masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za