MulaUp’s origins can be traced back to Mula Network in early 2021. The current offering more closely represents Mula 4 You.
Mula 4 You operated from the domain “mula-4-you.com”. Here’s what a visit to Mula 4 You’s website today looks like:
Mula 4 You began to collapse towards the end of 2021. This prompted the launch of Mula-4-Wifi.
Mula4You affiliates were also funnelled into Jonathan Sifuentes’ Xifra Lifestyle Ponzi scheme.
Xifra Lifestyle collapsed a few months later. Here’s what a visit to Mula-4-Wifi’s website today looks like:
Mula-4-Wifi’s collapse prompted the launch of MulaUp, originally hosted on a .CO.ZA domain.
Here’s what a visit to MulaUp’s .CO.ZA website today looks like:
MulaUp’s South African domain launch collapsing prompted the launch of MulaUp on “mulaup.com”,
MulaUp’s .COM domain was registered on May 26th, 2022.
MulaUp is run by Hanli Lombard (right).
On FaceBook Lombard represents she is based out of Randburg in South Africa.
Lombard made a name for herself as a top South African promoter of Crowd1.
In May 2020, Lombard boasted of stealing 14 million ZAR through the Ponzi scheme (~$860,000 USD).
A few months after Lombardi’s boast, South African authorities confirmed they were investigating Crowd1.
In December 2020 CEO Johan Stael von Holstein cashed out and went into hiding, officially marking Crowd1’s collapse.
After Crowd1 collapsed Lombard went on to launch Mula Network in early 2021. I believe this is the first iteration of Lombard’s Mula* schemes.
Mula Network collapsed pretty quickly and was rebooted as Dial-A-Mula.
Possibly in an attempt to dodge taxes, Lombard launched UmVuzo on or around February 2022. Lombard pretends Dial-A-Mula is a “product” under UmVuzo.
UmVuzo itself appears to be just another channel Lombard markets her Mula* schemes through. It could also be used to funnel victims into other Ponzi schemes Lombard is promoting (e.g. Xifra Lifestyle).
Before Lombard was stealing money through Ponzi schemes, she was stealing from her employers.
Lombard was found guilty of theft in July 2007;
Magistrate Amrith Chabilall told Hanli Lombard, 35, “What stands out in this case is the relationship you had with your previous employer.
She was kind to you, and treated you as if you were her own daughter.
To put it bluntly, it is unforgivable for you to steal from her like you did, and the fine must be a perpetual reminder to never ever conduct yourself in this manner again.”
Lombardi was also accused of settling up fake deals to further defraud her employer, but was found not guilty.
SimilarWeb began tracking traffic to MulaUp’s current website domain in June 2022. 100% of the website traffic originates from South Africa.
Read on for a full review of MulaUp’s MLM opportunity.
MulaUp’s Products
MulaUp has no retailable products or services.
Affiliates are only able to market MulaUp affiliate membership itself.
MulaUp’s Compensation Plan
MulaUp affiliates purchase 200 ZAR a month positions in a seven-level matrix cycler.
MulaUp uses a 2×2 matrix in its cycler.
A 2×2 matrix places an affiliate at the top of a matrix, with two positions directly under them:
These two positions form the first level of the matrix. The second level of the matrix is generated by splitting these first two positions into another two positions each (4 positions).
Each 2×2 matrix thus has six positions in total to fill.
Positions in a matrix are filled 200 ZAR position purchases by directly and indirectly recruited MulaUp affiliates.
When all six positions in a matrix are filled, a “cycle” is generated.
From tier 2 and onwards, this generates a cycle commission and new position in the next tier of the cycler.
Payments across MulaUp’s seven-tier cycler are as follows:
- Tier 1 (positions cost 200 ZAR a month) – no cycle commission and generates a new tier 2 position
- Tier 2 – no cycle commission and generates a new tier 3 position
- Tier 3 – 150 ZAR cycle commission and generates a new Tier 4 position
- Tier 4 – 400 ZAR cycle commission and generates a new Tier 5 position
- Tier 5 – 1500 ZAR cycle commission and generates a new Tier 6 position
- Tier 6 – 3500 ZAR cycle commission and generates a new Tier 7 position
- Tier 7 – 12,000 ZAR cycle commission
Referral Commissions
MulaUp rewards affiliates when personally recruited affiliates cycle out of Tier 3 and higher:
- when a personally recruited affiliate cycles out of Tier 3, you receive 15 ZAR
- when a personally recruited affiliate cycles out of Tier 4, you receive 40 ZAR
- when a personally recruited affiliate cycles out of Tier 5, you receive 150 ZAR
- when a personally recruited affiliate cycles out of Tier 6, you receive 350 ZAR
- when a personally recruited affiliate cycles out of Tier 7, you receive 1200 ZAR
Monthly Commissions
MulaUp charges 200 ZAR a month, which effectively renews both cycle commissions and referral commissions each month.
E.g. If you made it Tier 4 cycle commissions one month, if everyone in your matrices paid 200 ZAR the following month, you’d again make it up to Tier 4.
In this sense, as long as people in all the matrices across all the tiers you have positions in continue to pay 200 ZAR a month, the above cycle and referral commissions are monthly recurring.
If a MulaUp affiliate has all positions in their tiers 1 to 7 matrices filled, they earn a 50,000 ZAR bonus.
Note this is not likely to be reliable from month to month, for reasons we’ll cover in the conclusion of this review.
Matching Bonus
MulaUp affiliates receive a 10% Matching Bonus on cycle commissions down two levels of recruitment (affiliates you recruit and those they recruit).
Joining MulaUp
MulaUp affiliate membership is 200 ZAR a month.
MulaUp Conclusion
MulaUp is a simple 200 ZAR a month pyramid scheme.
While the company has no retailable products or services, Hanli Lombard has bundled various garbage across each matrix cycler tier:
One of the bundled products is “E-Selfie”, a digital business card:
The cards are provided through Go2 Online Marketing. Lombard has been using the service to promote Ponzi schemes for years:
There was also mention of wifi network shares, although I’m not sure if that’s still part of the offering.
In any event, adding things to a pyramid scheme doesn’t legitimize a fraudulent business model. You just end up with a product-based pyramid scheme.
The fact of the matter is it’s the income opportunity that people pay 200 ZAR a month for. The promise that if you pay 200 ZAR a month and, find suckers who also pay in, you could earn tens of thousands of ZAR each month.
Pyramid schemes are illegal because math guarantees the majority of participants will lose money. MulaUp is no different.