Poor service

I am a regular business class traveller on SAA but had a shocking experience today. <br> SAA apparently increase the time to close a filght from 30 to 40 min a month ago and i arrived at the check in counter at 15:21 for the 16:00 SA353 flight to Cape Town from Johannesburg. <br> The check in agent Thumile (not sure about spelling) advised me that the flight is closed. I explained that I had a emergency to attend to back home but he insisted that neither he nor anyone else can assist me. I went to the ticket counter and she referred me back to him calling him the team leader. I asked him again and only then did he refer me to a very friendly guy in a red jacket at the economy check-in counter. <br> He the. said he will check it out but all seats were taken at the time since it was now 5:30 and flights were very full. He said he could have helped me if i was referred to him earlier. The next available flight to Cape Town on SAA was only at 19:30 and i had to buy a BA ticket at R5100 one way for the 18:00 flight. <br> I am a retail executive but this experience was shocking to say the least. SAA should be ashamed of this and I will fly BA in future depending on the response i get on this complaint.