By: Mbali Shange

Trendy handbags can be very hard to maintain, keep clean and wear with matching outfits.

For students, that could be quite pricey. As a student, your budget can get very tight so any way to preserve money is welcome.

Here’s one solution- backpacks: A perfect way to save money and look trendy while carrying all your essentials.

The designs are pretty simple- there are designs for girls and designs for boys, so depending on what kind of look you are looking for, you can choose between the very girlish or the very boyish.

The different designs on the backpacks range from tribal patterns, rainbow colours, different leathers or even plain sports back packs. They are stylish, affordable and easy to find.

Prices can range from R50.00 to R150.00, depending on what kind of style you want. An ordinary back pack can last up to 2 years, when handled with care.

“Ever since I have started using these backpacks instead of handbags, life as a student has honestly been easier. Even though it seems as if the difference it brings is small, in the long run it really does work and goes well with my lifestyle. I like the more colourful and girly designs because they just match with everything I want to wear, and I can carry this backpack not only on campus but when going out also because of its trendy style,” said Simphiwe Linda, a marketing student at the Durban University of Technology.

Vamu Musa, an architecture student from the Durban University of Technology, says that backpacks are not a recent trend for him.

“I’ve used backpacks my whole life. I’m a boy so it’s the norm to have one. They are just easier to carry, they make life simpler on campus,” says Vamumusa Cele, an architecture student at the Durban University of Technology.