ABSA HIGH CHARGES AND INCONVENIENCE FOR PAYMENTS TO AND FROM NAMIBIA

Towards the end of April. I phoned all the major banks to enquire regarding the payment of fees for funds received from Namibia, as my bank had various charges deducted when payments were received from this country. One of the banks I phoned was ABSA. They informed me that back then there would be no charges, but from September this year the charges when making a payment and receiving a payment from this country would be R20. The Latter is not true. I had to make a payment from ABSA to Bank of Windhoek on 12.09.2024. Firstly I cannot do this transaction on my app, nor Internet Banking, I had to go to the branch. It has been 50 years since our mother passed away and we are putting a tombstone for her. She is buried in Walvis Bay. Thus I need to transfer funds to the funeral home in Walvis Bay. This transaction of the first R3000, cost me R280,19. These charges include the following: R126,09 Commission, R117,56 Beneficiary Charges @ Spot (our currencies are equal & Namibia accepts ZAR) and R36.54 VAT. These funds could have been contributing towards our Mom's tombstone. When my friend in Windhoek transfers funds into my ABSA account from Bank of Windhoek she is charged NAD 20.00 (ZAR20.00), ABSA charges me R45. She can also do this per her Internet Banking as a normal Beneficiary Payment. This is supposed to be a Swift Payment, but no Swift Charges were app****. Why does it work from Namibia that is supposedly technologically behind South Africa? Why is ABSA's charges so high and why do I have to do this transaction in Branch, instead of my home?