Card expiring soon and I'd like a new one.

I have been dealing with a very helpful Renessa in card division. I do quite a bit of travelling, and both my Nedbank and Amex cards expire around the end of this year. She provided me the dates that they will be ready for collection, and I will be away in Asia at that time. I would not like to be travelling and not be able to use my cards. I received a SMS on the 16th March that reference number () has been resolved and closed. This gave me the impression that all was sorted. I was most disappointed to get a call from Renessa today to be told that it is not possible to issue me new cards now that will expire some years later (not at the end of this year). She explained that the computer system keeps blocking it, I understand her frustration, but the computer system is programmed by humans and can be altered at any given time humans deem it necessary.