Horrible recent experience

I need clarity and assistance on what I thought would be really simple and straightforward. Customer service is very bad! I've been meaning to activate my international roaming services, especially the SMS, and I have been passed around like a ball on emails. I have called and even went on Twitter for help. The supervisor of 173 just gave me their website www.mtn.coza and asked me to choose international roaming services from there. How exactly? The Twitter person tells me of what I should have done before departing South Africa, and on the call I made I was told they have activated the service yet I remain without a connection. I am really tired and it will be the final straw if they don't help me here. I need the number otherwise I would have thrown away the SIM card by now.

I know it is possible since I have done it before through their call center while abroad, back in 2018.