Think of an Australian domestic lounge – you’re probably visualising a salad bar and a toastie station if you’re lucky. With that in mind, South African Airways’ domestic lounge blows me away.
Despite Johannesburg being the airline’s only domestic destination from Cape Town, for now, the lounge offers far more than anyone would need before a two-hour flight. Velocity Gold and Platinum members are also welcome to visit before their flight with SAA. Here’s what’s inside.
Lounge location and layout
After priority check-in and security, head right and look for an elevator to the fourth floor (or walk up a few flights of stairs, as I do). There’s a pay-per-use lounge immediately outside, but follow the corridor down to find the South African Airways Lounge. It’s open daily from 4:30 am to 8:30 pm.
As with most SAA Lounges, this one is divided into a ‘Premium’ section and a ‘Platinum’ section. The Premium side is the main lounge for Business Class and Gold-level passengers. The Platinum side welcomes SAA’s Voyager Platinum guests and selected high-tier bank card holders.
Neither of the latter are me, so I wander through to the main Premium Lounge. It’s not a vast space, but the lounge is divided into three zones. Immediately ahead is an area to relax near the buffet. To the right is a shared working desk, and finally, there’s a bar and dining room alongside the windows.
Toilets and showers are available, though you need to book at reception to get a shower pack. Free Wi-Fi and charging ports are easily accessible. During our test, Wi-Fi speeds range from 120 Mbps down to 65 Mbps up.
Lounge food and beverage
It’s hard not to be drawn to the cold table with its colourful assortment of mixed salads, separate veggies, finger food, muffins and pastries. I do wish the samosas are kept heated, but I can’t fault the spread otherwise. If you’re a bit more hungry, hot dishes such as chicken curry with rice and sautéed vegetables await.
There’s an all-day pancake machine along the far side of the lounge to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Over at the bar, I can’t pass up the signature cocktail of the ‘Diamond Dash’. A bartender crafts it with gin, maraschino liqueur, a squeeze of lime juice, plus fresh blackberries and mint. It takes a good minute to mix up this concoction; let me tell you – it’s worth the wait. For the non-drinkers, SAA also has a similar alcohol-free mocktail.
A selection of regional wines is on display, including the Croydon Vineyards Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 and the Le Riche Richesse Stellenbosch Heritage Blend 2020. Oenophiles should be satisfied with the range.
At the fully tended bar, you can also order barista-made coffee, soft drinks, beers, and other spirits. I recommend trying the local Amarula cream liqueur if you’re after the local version of Baileys Irish Cream.
A peek at the Platinum side
Before leaving, I’m granted a sneak peek into the other ‘VIP only’ side of the lounge. The service steps up a notch here, including Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne on ice. There are also a few more hot dishes, including pan-fried salmon fillets. Life is undoubtedly a tad nicer on the Platinum side!
Who gets into this lounge?
To relax in the SAA Cape Town Premium Lounge, you’ll need to meet one of the criteria:
- SAA Voyager status: Lifetime Platinum (+3 guests), Platinum (+2 guests), Gold (+1 guest) and Silver (no guest) before SAA-operated or marketed flights. As mentioned before, Platinum passengers can visit the Platinum side of this lounge instead.
- Partner airline status: Virgin Australia Velocity Gold and Platinum members (+1 guest) before SAA-operated and marketed flights. Elite members of other SAA partner airlines may also be eligible – check with that airline.
- Star Alliance Gold members: Member (+1 guest) before a Star Alliance carrier flight such as SAA.
- SAA Business Class passengers: Passenger only (no guest) before SAA-operated flights.
- South African bank cardholders: Includes SAA Nedbank Premium Credit Card holders, Discovery Bank Platinum, Black and Purple cardholders and Investec Visa Infinite, Platinum, Business and Youth cardholders. See the SAA website for the latest guest allowances and details on travel requirements.
Book South African Airways reward seats with Velocity Points over the phone. A Business Class reward from Cape Town to Johannesburg starts from 26,000 Velocity Points + fees and taxes.
Our verdict
SAA’s Cape Town Premium Lounge sets a remarkable standard for a domestic offering. There’s bountiful food and beverages available, which is frankly overkill before a two-hour flight. Add to that different zones for relaxation and work, plus reliable Wi-Fi, and they’ve got a winning combo. Velocity Gold and Platinum members are in good hands before their SAA flight back to Johannesburg.
Photography by Brandon Loo, who travelled as a guest of South African Airways.
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Yes, our QANTAS lounges, once a point of pride with visitors from around the world, pale in comparison with the constantly evolving and improving offerings overseas – even in Africa!
Just 1 point, Johannesburg is not the capital city of South Africa. That would be either Pretoria or Cape Town, so you could modify paragraph 2 by describing it as a 2 hour flight FROM the capital.