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Home » Reviews » Lounge Reviews » Review: Shongololo Lounge Johannesburg (JNB)
Lounge ReviewsPriority PassSouth Africa

Review: Shongololo Lounge Johannesburg (JNB)

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 18, 2022November 14, 2023 8 Comments

a store with a sign on the wall

The Shongololo Lounge lounge in Johannesburg may feel more like a convenience store than a Priority Pass lounge, but it offers a unique amenity at O.R. Tambo International: sealed meals ready to eat.

Shongololo Lounge Johannesburg (JNB) Review

Location + Hours +Access

This lounge is located in Terminal A (international) and is quite a walk from passport control and security. Following the signs for Gates A7-18, go past the Air France lounge, down an escalator, and you’ll find the lounge on the left side. It is operated by Menzies and is currently open daily from 6:00am to 12:30am. In addition to accepting PriorityPass membership or purchased access for R300 (about 20USD), it partners with a number of airlines for their premium cabin passengers:

a group of logos on a wall

Food + Drink

The focal point of this lounge, at least for me, was the wide selection of pre-packaged food. Although the plastic is wasteful, I rather like this style versus a buffet. Sadly, I wasn’t hungry but selections included:

  • Penne Stroganoff
  • Pasta with broccoli
  • Butternut and bean tagging with couscous
  • Beef wors with mash with tomato Sheba (Boerewors is South African sausage)
  • Mince pie
  • Mini vegetarian pizza
  • Chicken quesadilla
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Spaghetti bolognese
  • Beef patty with scrambled eggs, mushrooms, and tomato
  • Asian beef stir fly

a shelf with food on it

food in plastic containers on a table

a trays of food with a label

food in containers on a table

food in a tray on a table

a trays of food with a paper tag

a trays of food with a label

food in a tray on a table

a tray of food with a note

food in a container on a table

Guests were advised to use the lounge microwave to heat up their meals and warned not to remove food from the lounge. A press to grill panini sandwiches was also available.

a group of microwaves on a counter

Packaged snacks, sandwiches (including paninis), rusk (a light, dry biscuit), water, coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer, wine, and hard liquor were available.

shelves of food on shelves

a group of sandwiches in boxes on a shelf

a table with plates of food

a refrigerator with drinks and cans

a group of bottles on a counter

a coffee machine on a counter

Seating

Plenty of seating throughout the lounge and it was not crowded at around 8:00pm during my visit.

a vase of flowers on a table

a room with chairs and tables

a yellow chairs in a room

a room with a computer desk and chairs

a room with chairs and a television

a room with chairs and tables

chairs in a room with a table and a painting

a room with a table and chairs

a couch in a room

a room with chairs and a round object

a room with chairs and tables

a blue sign on a seat

a room with a table and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

Restrooms + Showers

No showers were available, but restrooms were clean (though showing their age).

a curved wall with a light fixture from the ceiling

a sink and soap dispenser in a bathroom

a bathroom with a toilet and a tile wall

a row of urinals in a bathroom

CONCLUSION

I only stayed for a few moments as my flight was boarding, but I do think the individually-wrapped portions are a nice alternative to a free-for-all buffet. At the very least, the food looked fresh and edible. If you’re hungry or thirsty, this lounge has an impressive variety of options.

How would you review the Shongololo Lounge in Johannesburg?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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8 Comments

  1. Sean M. Reply
    January 18, 2022 at 8:10 am

    The Mashonzha lounge also offers pre-packed food options similar to this.

  2. Matthew Klint Reply
    January 18, 2022 at 10:44 am

    Is that open? I stopped by and saw it was closed before my trip home – and I dislike that lounge anyway for the smell of cigarette smoke.

    • Sean M. Reply
      January 18, 2022 at 1:11 pm

      It keeps really weird hours but it was the only lounge that stayed open through the pandemic.

  3. Jerry Reply
    January 18, 2022 at 1:25 pm

    I like that concept! If it were repeated in a Japanese airport the food might actually be pretty darn good, though nothing in your pictures looked all that bad.

  4. N1120A Reply
    January 18, 2022 at 2:56 pm

    The Shongololo lounge and always been a nice, comfortable option for those who had access and wanted to avoid the crowds in the Baobab. It is also quite convenient if your flight is leaving from that wing, as many do.

  5. Jared Reply
    January 18, 2022 at 8:52 pm

    HI Matthew, my brother and I sampled most of the packaged meals last year and I can say that the worst one I had was still average, the rest were above average and some of them were as good as restaurants.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      January 19, 2022 at 2:00 am

      Thanks for the report. The food did look very decent.

  6. Robert David Buckler Reply
    January 19, 2022 at 6:05 am

    It’s possibly the worst lounges at ORT airlines like Qatar and Etihad I expect have little option … Emirates have own lounge which pre COVID days was excellent in my opinion Bidvest is a far better

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