SAA's unofficial (as in now there'll be a bunch of posts telling me how wrong I am and noone in SAA will ever repeat it but believe me..) position is that new junior recruits have to be under 30 or they will not recoup the cost of the training against a 30 year career.
I had to investigate why my '30 plus, ATPL, got the hours, flown all over Africa and Middle East, and passed all 7 interviews' wife did not get in.
Don't shoot me - just the messenger.