Rowdy Rucksack | Signature Lining

Handmade in Cape Town · Repair-for-Life

Rowdy Rucksack | Signature Lining

ZAR 3,300

The Rowdy Rucksack. A considered leather backpack lined in our signature Rowdy cotton, with reinforced straps and laptop-ready space. Made by hand in Cape Town since 2012.

Leather
Lining
★★★★★

"Best hand made handbags in SA. Got 2 tote bags and 2 purses. Love Rowdy Bags."

— Zikhona B.
★★★★★

"Beautiful, locally made leather bags. Each one hand made by a South African artisan."

— Medford T.
★★★★★

"So beautifully made. I love the design, colour and quality. Proudly South African!"

— Liezl R.
★★★★★

"My favorite shop. Good quality leather, unique style, very simple and minimalistic."

— Anisa W.
★★★★★

"Excellent quality products, excellent service, and friendly staff!"

— Gloudina S.
Repair-for-Life Any defect, we fix. Forever.
Free local shipping Over R1,500. 2-5 working days.
10-day returns Free in South Africa.
Apple Pay accepted
Google Pay accepted
Visa accepted
Mastercard accepted
Payflex installments
PayJustNow installments
Description

The Rowdy Rucksack is a more considered version of our classic backpack. Same shape, same shoulders-up comfort, but with our signature Rowdy lining inside. A 100% cotton fabric woven in Cape Town to our own design, with a pattern inspired by African culture and its deep links with cattle.

Two sizes. The Small fits a 13-inch laptop and a day's worth of essentials. The Large takes a 15-inch laptop with room for a notebook, charger, water bottle and a layer. A discreet YKK zip pocket on the back keeps cards, keys or a passport secure. Adjustable, reinforced straps for comfortable wear under load.

Backed by our Repair-for-Life Promise. Any manufacturing defect, we repair for as long as you own the bag.

Specs & dimensions

Small: 20 × 12 × 38 cm, fits 13-inch laptop

Large: 25 × 14 × 45 cm, fits 15-inch laptop

Closure: Top-zip main compartment, YKK zip back pocket

Weight: ~900-1100g depending on size

Straps: Adjustable, reinforced shoulder straps

Material: Full-aniline leather, solid Italian hardware, signature Rowdy cotton lining

Made in: Cape Town, South Africa

Shipping & returns

South Africa: Free shipping on orders over R1,500. Standard delivery 2-5 working days.

International: Flat R800 to UK, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, US, and most others. 5-10 working days.

Returns: 10-day cooling-off, free in SA via our returns portal. Custom-debossed bags can't be returned.

Care for your leather

Leather is full-aniline, no surface coating. It will absorb water if soaked. If your bag gets caught in the rain, wipe dry with a soft cloth and condition with leather food once dry.

To clean: use a slightly damp cloth and mild soap. Avoid alcohol-based cleaners. The leather will deepen and develop character over time, this is the point.

Hands-free, laptop-ready.

The classic

Hands-free, laptop-ready.

The Rucksack carries your laptop, notebook and a day's worth of kit on your shoulders, where the weight should sit. Reinforced straps keep things comfortable under load. The leather softens with wear but the shape stays.

Small for a 13-inch laptop and the essentials. Large for a 15-inch laptop, a layer and lunch.

Signature Rowdy lining. Hidden YKK back pocket.

The detail

Signature Rowdy lining. Hidden YKK back pocket.

Inside, our signature Rowdy cotton lining. Woven in Cape Town to our own design, with a pattern inspired by African culture and cattle heritage. It gives the interior structure, protection and a finish you'll notice every time you open the bag.

On the back, a discreet YKK zip pocket. Hidden against your body for the things you want to keep close: cards, a passport, a phone.

100,000+ Rowdy bags. Still hand-stitched in Cape Town.

The proof

100,000+ Rowdy bags. Still hand-stitched in Cape Town.

Since 2012 we've made over 100,000 bags by hand from our Cape Town workshop. The Rucksack is one of the silhouettes that helped us win Most Stylish Global Leather Bags Brand at the 2021 MEA African Excellence Awards.

Every Rucksack carries our Repair-for-Life Promise. Any defect, we repair, for as long as you own the bag.

Handmade in Cape Town

Every Rowdy Rucksack is hand-stitched in our Cape Town workshop.

Since 2012, every Rowdy bag has been cut, stitched, and finished by hand in our Cape Town workshop. Real artisans. Real leather. Real time invested in every seam.

It's why our Repair-for-Life Promise holds: we made it, we know how to fix it.

Read the Repair-for-Life Promise

Why it works

Six things to love about this Rucksack

Every detail considered. Every part repairable. The bag you'll still be wearing in ten years.

Fits laptop

13" (Small), 15" (Large)

Reinforced straps

Comfortable under load

Rowdy cotton lining

Woven in Cape Town

Six things to love about this Rucksack

Hidden YKK pocket

On the back, secure

Italian hardware

Solid, quiet, durable

Repair-for-Life

Any defect, fixed

Reviewed on Google

People love their Rowdy

4.8 ★★★★★ Across 132 verified Google reviews
Anisa White

Anisa White

★★★★★

"To be honest, this is my favorite shop❤️‍🩹 I appreciate a good quality of the leather and also unique style, but very simple and minimalistic I have around six bags, and I adore them all"

Rico

Rico

★★★★★

"Back in Switzerland I am very satisfied. The bigger laptop bag (with zipper) fits perfectly in the bag which is very convenient. Also the smaller laptop cover is nice and of good quality. Very good price-performance/quality ratio. Well..."

Medford Torr

Medford Torr

★★★★★

"Beautiful, locally made leather bags in all the shapes and colours. Each bag is hand made by a South African artisan and you know who made the bag. My wife has a purse, a shoulder handbag and laptop folder. Loves her collection."

Sue Dreyer

Sue Dreyer

★★★★★

"Amazing thank you for the experience."

Gloudina Smith

Gloudina Smith

★★★★★

"Excellent quality products, excellent service, and friendly staff! 👌"

Rinie Dreyer

Rinie Dreyer

★★★★★

"Thanks a mill Adam Rowdy bags are an excellent product"

Zikhona Bradley

Zikhona Bradley

★★★★★

"Best hand made handbags in SA. Got 2 tote bags and 2 purses. Love Rowdy Bags"

Christian Matter

Christian Matter

★★★★★

"Lovely bag bought here in Switzerland. Rather expensive here, but then on the other hand everything is expensive here and quality has its price."

Liezl Rowan

Liezl Rowan

★★★★★

"I bought the large sling bag in cedar. It is perfect 🥰 so beautifully made. I love the design, colour and quality. This is a real investment. Thank you for your impeccable service. Proudly South African!! Local and Lekker 😄"

Catherine Kotze

Catherine Kotze

★★★★★

"Received my bag 2 days after ordering it. Love it!! Beautiful craftsmanship. Well made! Proudly South African!!!"

Shireen Ernstzen

Shireen Ernstzen

★★★★★

"ROWDY,S.. You have just made me a proud owner of a very niceley leatherly smelling Tote bag.. Absolutely amazing.. Trust that this bag will carry millions going forward.. Thank you so much.. Love it"

Daniella Malan

Daniella Malan

★★★★★

"I love my bag! It was actually hard to choose between the great range of colours and options available, but I settled on the crossbody sling, in the Boulder colour. Delivery was super fast, and I've been extremely impressed with the..."

Katy Roberts

Katy Roberts

★★★★★

"An absolutely beautiful product! Exactly what I was looking for. Delivered within two days and lovingly packaged."

Cornelius Grobbelaar (CAG)

Cornelius Grobbelaar (CAG)

★★★★★

"Great Quality Work and Amazing Staff and service... And price for that matter..."

daniel kiwanuka

daniel kiwanuka

★★★★★

"Amazing staff , amazing leather products with a lifetime warranty."

Before you buy

Rucksack FAQ

The questions we get most often, answered honestly by the workshop.

How does the Repair-for-Life Promise work? +
If a seam goes, a clip breaks, or hardware fails through normal use, send it back. We assess, repair and return, usually within 2-3 weeks. Wear and tear (scratches, leather softening, colour deepening) isn't a defect; that's the leather doing what it's supposed to do.
Will the leather scratch? +
Yes, gently. It's full-aniline leather with no surface coating. Light scuffs are part of the character and will fade or blend in with use. Deep scratches we can fix under Repair-for-Life if needed.
Can I personalise it? +
Yes, we offer name or initial debossing on our corporate-gifts programme and on DTC orders above R5,000. Email info@rowdy.co.za to arrange.
What fits inside? +
The Large takes a 15-inch laptop, A4 notebook, charger, water bottle and a light layer. The Small fits a 13-inch laptop, slim notebook and the daily essentials. A hidden YKK pocket on the back holds cards or a passport.
Payflex and PayJustNow, how do they work? +
Both let you split the price into interest-free instalments. Payflex is 4 payments over 6 weeks; PayJustNow is 3 monthly payments. Choose either at checkout. No interest if you pay on time.
Shipping and returns? +
Free local shipping over R1,500, 2-5 working days. International R800 flat, 5-10 working days. 10-day returns, free in South Africa. Custom-debossed bags can't be returned.
How heavy is it? +
Around 900g for the Small and 1100g for the Large.
How do I care for the leather? +
Wipe down with a damp cloth and mild soap when needed. Condition with leather food every few months. Avoid alcohol-based cleaners. Let it dry naturally if it gets wet.

Still curious? Email info@rowdy.co.za →

Ready when you are.

Made for the long run

Ready when you are.

Free local shipping over R1,500. 10-day returns. Repair-for-Life on every bag. Payflex and PayJustNow at checkout.

Apple Pay accepted
Google Pay accepted
Visa accepted
Mastercard accepted
Payflex installments
PayJustNow installments

Handmade in Cape Town since 2012