No human interaction at MTN

I really don't want to do this, but speaking to an actual person seems impossible. I have relatives abroad who are MTN clients. They still use their MTN number to do certains tasks this side. The number was deactivated for some reason. They sent an email, and it was reactivated, only to be deactivated again. They asked me if I could try to make contact on their behalf. What a nightmare. The automated service just takes you in circles. Every time I enter the number I need help with, it just takes me back to the start of the process. I've wasted airtime on this, as I personally am not an MTN client. In circles I went. No way to get in contact otherwise. Decided to go to our local brach, only to find they closed. I am not in the position to travel currently. Phoning is a nightmare, no online way of making contact. These people are can't perform important tasks while abroad, and getting them assistance seems near impossible.