I am afraid the initial post is correct
Skills test for an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (Aeroplane)
61.07.4 (1) An applicant for an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (Aeroplane)
must have demonstrated to a Designated Flight Examiner I (DFE I) the ability to perform as pilot-in-command in an aeroplane under IFR, the procedures and
manoeuvres as prescribed in Document SA-CATS-FCL 61 with a degree of
competency appropriate to the privileges granted to the holder of an Airline
Transport Pilot Licence (Aeroplane). The initial skills test may be performed in a flight simulation training device (FSTD) approved for the purpose and in the following aircraft –
(a) any aeroplane with a maximum certificated mass of more than 5 700 kg,
type-certified for a minimum crew of two pilots; or
(b) any multi-engine turboprop/turbojet aeroplane with fully functional dual
instrumentation.
(2) The skills test may serve as a skills test for the issue of the licence and
an initial type rating or for the aeroplane used in the test.
So unless you have a rich daddy or an employer that is prepared to pay, your stuffed.