Thandana is a luxury South African luggage brand known for its high-quality craftsmanship, stylish designs, and durable products. They offer a range of travel bags, backpacks, and accessories for travelling, working, studying, or parenting — with a focus on both functionality and aesthetics. All fabrics and leathers are locally sourced, celebrating the country’s rich resources and the artisans behind each product. Every piece is a testament to the skill and dedication of South African craftsmanship, honouring those who bring these designs to life.

Heritage

Since launching in Durban, South Africa, in 2010 — from an idea conceived out of founder Carla Ashton’s passion for design and travel — Thandana has evolved into a thriving South African brand known for its exceptional craftsmanship and timeless designs.

Starting with just four machinists in a garage, Thandana has grown into a business employing over 60 staff members, creating beautifully handcrafted travel and handbag collections. The word Thandana means “to love one another” in the Zulu language of South Africa. The symbol printed on each of their products is derived from ancient Zulu rock art paintings — it is a symbol for the word “and”, which denotes “addition” or “to add to”, making it entirely fitting that the philosophy of the Thandana brand is “to provide the gift of authentic and enduring leather bags, handmade in South Africa”.

Top Rated and Travel Approved

Thandana has made its mark on the international luggage market with immaculate bags that make living out of a suitcase seem like a breeze.

Having become a well-known luxury luggage brand with a focus on immaculate workmanship and quality, their bags and luggage make travelling fun and exciting. The company combines expert craftsmanship with premium materials, offering timeless designs from sleek leather handbags to spacious travel duffels — every piece made to fit into the traveller’s lifestyle.

Easy Travel

I was delighted to have the privilege of receiving and reviewing four of their handcrafted products: a sophisticated leather handbag, an elegant leather vanity bag, lightweight rectangular packing pods, and a compact roll-up jewellery wallet.

All these items were perfect for helping make my travels organised and comfortable. Each one offered easy packing, secure storage, and convenient access to essential items.

Bag of the Month: Jax Handbag

The Jax handbag is a versatile, everyday handbag crafted from high-quality, 100% genuine bovine leather. The colour and texture of the full-grain leather are beautifully balanced. The leather is supple and luxurious to the touch, and the stitching is meticulously crafted, demonstrating the quality of this bag — it feels like it will last a lifetime.

Perfect for everyday use, whether carrying essentials or as a stylish hands-free bag. The bag features a simple yet sophisticated design with contrast stitching that highlights the details. The bag has both hand straps and a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap for versatility. Its sleek silhouette and clean lines make it an elegant choice. Inside, it is lined with water-resistant nylon and includes a zip compartment and a pouch compartment.

Any creasing or irregularities in the leather are considered natural features and add to the unique look of each bag. Thandana bags are for those who dream of owning a high-end piece without spending thousands, as well as for those seeking the most fashionable designs. What I especially enjoyed about the Jax handbag was its durability, stylish design, and ability to last through frequent travel.

The bag’s secure closures and reinforced corners provide peace of mind during travel. For the price, this leather bag offers exceptional value and quality. I am delighted with this bag and would highly recommend it as a worthwhile investment that will serve well for many years. The Jax Leather handbag is a popular choice for buyers, commended for its simple yet sophisticated design, good quality, and durability. The bag comes in a selection of fun leather colours.

Travel Luggage Pods

If you are a chronic overpacker or a frequent flyer but a bad packer, packing pods may be exactly what you need. This also applies if you are packing for two or more people, or if you enjoy meticulously organising your belongings ahead of a trip. The Thandana pods are lightweight, rectangular pouches made from fabric, designed to organise and compartmentalise clothes and other items within luggage.

What impressed me was that the packing pods allowed me to separate items into categories — shirts, trousers, toiletries — making things easier to find and compressing clothing to maximise the use of space within my luggage.

Thandana packing pods are made from durable materials such as recycled plastic or heavy-duty mesh, ensuring belongings are protected. The durable construction and high-quality zips ensure these will be a lasting investment for years to come.

What I enjoyed was that the pods can be used separately and fit easily into travel luggage bags. They also fit into the larger pod to store away — with a pod for everything, packing just got so much easier.

Vanity Bag

The leather vanity bag is made from genuine leather, giving it a soft, luxurious feel and excellent durability. Compact and elegant, it is ideal for carrying make-up, cosmetics, toiletries, and other essential items.

The spacious interior and multiple pockets provide plenty of storage for all travel essentials. This sleek, tan leather vanity bag features a good-quality zipper closure and an adjustable shoulder strap for easy carrying. I particularly liked the way the vanity bag can be used as a clutch or crossbody bag, providing a compact and organised solution for carrying essentials. The leather material ensures the bag can withstand daily wear and tear, and the waterproof technology extends the life of the bag considerably. I enjoyed using this leather piece with its perfect blend of style, durability, and functionality — the stitching is robust and proved it can withstand the rigours of travel.

Jewellery Travel Wallet

The attractive tan leather jewellery wallet is a stylish and functional way to organise and protect jewellery while travelling. The gorgeous buttery-soft genuine leather exterior is lined with Thandana’s signature printed fabric. The wallet is a convenient and space-saving solution for organising and carrying jewellery, especially for travel.

I appreciated the way it is designed to fold easily and is secured with a leather wrap strap. It can hold up to 14 pairs of earrings and 7 rings. The two inner slip compartments are useful, making it easy to store and travel with. The roll-up design and individual compartments help prevent jewellery from getting tangled, particularly necklaces. The supple, full-grain leather feels luxurious to the touch, and the stitching is meticulously crafted — a worthwhile addition to any travel luggage.

I enjoyed using all the Thandana travel bags — it was a game-changer in my packing experience, combining functional design with distinctive aesthetics. This South African brand truly combines timeless craftsmanship with modern, unique designs.

Closing Thoughts: Commendable Community Commitment

In line with their dedication to community upliftment, Thandana launched the LIV the Thandana Way project in collaboration with LIV Village. Through this initiative, Thandana Bags donates a range of materials — including leather offcuts, canvas, foil, foam, laminated fabrics, and co-branded labels, collected weekly — to support LIV Village in manufacturing their product range.

This partnership empowers the women of LIV Village by providing hands-on production opportunities, while the sale of these products, both locally and internationally, helps generate sustainable income for the village, contributing directly to LIV’s self-sufficiency.

Beyond material donations, Thandana also provides design input, guidance on product development, and has donated sewing machines to help improve production capabilities. The brand regularly conducts training sessions to upskill more women at LIV Village, empowering them to create quality products and build a better future through craft and entrepreneurship.

For more information, visit Thandana

Written by Diane McLeish for Luxuria Lifestyle International