So many people are master's of their own misery... I used to be one of them until about 2 years ago. Here are some facts I can testify to:
SAA needs pilots when crew shortages cause routes/flights to be cancelled or extra flight pay to an under-staffed crew compliment becomes expensive. If you have the right experience/qualifications, good references and your assessment goes well, you get in.
There aren't enough experienced cadets or BEE compliant pilots to take all the jobs going. Just study for that interview and keep your CV updated, it is a fair process. This attitude works, I promise.