‘Ghana Must Go’ Bag Joins Louis Vuitton’s Luxury Line

The famous “Ghana Must Go” bag, once seen in Ghana as a simple travel or market bag, has now become one of the most expensive fashion items in the world after luxury brand Louis Vuitton released its own version.

The new bag, which sells for between $595 and $3,000, has been criticised for not giving credit to the African roots and history behind the design.

Many Africans have criticised Louis Vuitton for copying the design without acknowledging its cultural and historical roots.

The original “Ghana Must Go” bag, a woven plastic tote with red, white, and blue check patterns, is more than just a bag , it carries deep meaning for many Africans. It became famous in 1983, when thousands of Ghanaians were expelled from Nigeria and forced to pack their belongings into these cheap market bags. Since then, the bag has come to represent migration, resilience, and survival.

Cultural historian Dr Nana Osei Quarshie explained in Africa Is a Country, “The bag is more than luggage. It’s a symbol of survival and displacement.”

Over the years, the bag has taken on different local names, Mwaudako in Namibia, Ukwa in Zambia, and Efiewura Sua Me in Ghana, showing how widely it is used across Africa.

This is not the first time Louis Vuitton has borrowed from the design. In 2007, under creative director Marc Jacobs, the brand launched a leather-braided version for $595, which now sells for up to $2,500 on resale sites. In contrast, the original plastic version still sells in African markets for less than R100.

Interestingly, the material’s origin traces back to Japan, where the red-white-blue nylon canvas was first made in the 1960s for temporary construction shelters before being adapted into affordable carry bags.