Handle Bag

Handmade in Cape Town · Repair-for-Life

Handle Bag

ZAR 2,200

The Handle Bag. A medium leather bag with a top handle and a detachable shoulder strap. Carry by hand or wear crossbody. 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 Handle Bag takes the structured silhouette of our Handbag and adds a top handle plus a longer, detachable shoulder strap. Carry it by hand into the meeting, then clip the strap on for the walk home. A flap closure keeps things secure. Inside, a 100% cotton lining and a convenient inner pocket organise the essentials.

Built in full-aniline leather with solid Italian hardware. Compact yet spacious, with proportions that work from coffee shop to office to dinner. The leather softens and deepens with wear, the shape stays.

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

Specs & dimensions

Dimensions: 13 × 7 × 22 cm

Strap: Detachable, 145 cm (crossbody length)

Top handle: Fixed leather handle for hand-carry

Closure: Flap with magnetic clasp

Weight: ~420g

Material: Full-aniline leather, solid Italian hardware, 100% cotton lining (Black or Rowdy print)

Interior pocket: Yes

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.

Carry by hand or wear crossbody.

The classic

Carry by hand or wear crossbody.

The Handle Bag is built for the moments between. Hand it to you across a desk, swing it over your shoulder, clip on the longer strap and wear it crossbody for the walk to dinner. Same compact, structured silhouette, two ways to carry.

Top handle. Detachable strap. Flap closure.

The detail

Top handle. Detachable strap. Flap closure.

A fixed leather top handle gives you the hand-carry option. A 145 cm detachable strap clips on for shoulder or crossbody wear. The flap closure with magnetic clasp keeps everything secure between switches.

Inside, a cotton lining and an inner pocket. Outside, Italian hardware and full-aniline leather that softens with use.

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. That work helped us win Most Stylish Global Leather Bags Brand at the 2021 MEA African Excellence Awards.

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

Handmade in Cape Town

Every Handle Bag 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 Handle Bag

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

Top handle

Carry by hand

Detachable strap

Shoulder or crossbody

Flap closure

Secure, quiet, easy

Six things to love about this Handle Bag

Italian hardware

Solid, quiet, durable

Inner pocket

Cards, keys, phone

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

Handle Bag 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.
Does it fit a phone, keys, wallet? +
Yes, comfortably fits a phone (including Pro Max sizes), keys, a slim wallet, sunglasses case, and a few extras.
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? +
About 420g with the strap attached.
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