Soweto Designer Creates Bulletproof Bag With Xhosa Flair

• Hlumelo Nyaluza's new luxury bag protects against most handgun bullets.

• The designer has partnered with Armoured Mobility to gift his bulletproof bags to clients buying their bulletproof cars.

Hlumelo Nyaluza has taken fashion to the next level with a designer handbag that can stop bullets.

The 32-year-old designer from the Eastern Cape, now based in Soweto, launched the HN Shield Bag on 13 June. He aims to blend culture, fashion and personal safety in one bold product.

The luxury bag is made with a mix of hard and soft leather and is wrapped in a Xhosa-inspired UV-printed monogram. It has a unique diamond shape with a wooden handle and back, all covered in leather.

But it's not just about looks. The Shield Bag contains Level IIIA MOPC-rated bulletproof material, which means it can stop most handgun rounds, including 9mm and .44 Magnum bullets. Nyaluza said it has already been tested with a 9mm handgun.

"This is more than fashion," he told Scrolla.Africa. "It offers style and safety at the same time."

The bag is designed so that, in an emergency, the user can lift it to protect their head. However, Nyaluza warned it does not stop high-powered rifle bullets from weapons like the R4 or AK-47, nor does it protect the entire body.

Just two weeks after the launch, Nyaluza teamed up with Armoured Mobility, a company that sells bulletproof cars. The company will now gift the bags to its car buyers.

To mark Youth Month, Nyaluza has dropped the price from R33,000 to R16,500. He said the bag will return to its full price after June.

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