No assistance at all after sim swap request

Yesterday I went to the MTN store in Promenade mall and did a sim swap and kept my phone off as per instructions. I called through to the contract contact centre and asked how long does it normally take for a sim swap to activate and the lady stated that it is 24 hours. After 24 hours I still have no service so I called in again and spoke to a lady called Vanessa who informed me that there are no sim swap requests showing on her side and that I should go back to the store. I do not understand how she is unable to contact the store and query about this as I had to skip a day of work yesterday to get this done because by the time I arrive at the Promenade after knocking off at work the store has already closed. I went as far as logging in to my MTN profile out of desperation and activated the suspended sim but now I see that it is the one that was ******. It's really appalling to have someone tell you to go back to the store even though I gave all the correct documentation to the consultant and paid for the SIM and not be told what to say except that there are no sim requests. Wouldn't it be better if you guys called your store and queried about this? I am really frustrated as I have been without a phone for so long and even after receiving it I still have to wait for God knows how long.