The author is a Gauteng-based South African travel agent with 18 years’ experience. She has been an ITC for the past 11 years.
Is it just me, or do others also feel that agents have been forgotten? I speak of agents, because I'm an agent, and of course my current frustration focus is on my own sector. All the travel-related TV and radio coverage that I've heard is about airlines, accommodation establishments or tour operators.
Don't get me wrong, of course they need to be mentioned because we're all bleeding here, but never have I heard anything regarding agents. I've sat in a few of the Tourism Minister's sessions (truth be told, I didn't sit through all of them, maybe because I didn't feel included), and again, no mention of travel agents. I've had nothing when it comes to tourism-sector loans or handouts, let alone TERS or UIF.
It's got me thinking that this lack of focus from the mainstream media has not helped us in any way when it comes to getting any empathy from the financial institutions. At the very start of COVID it was a huge stress, but eventually I got my banks to allow me a payment holiday on quite a few of my debts. As ‘kind’ as it was, I'm likely to be paying off this ‘favour’ for a lot longer than the standard loan's lifespan, but it's not as if we had a choice, and we were thankful to be given this option. Once that ‘holiday’ came to an end, I begged for it to be extended, and was told “No more!”
My situation was now more dire than in March. The banks requested that I send my income and expenses breakdown to them, as well as a letter from my ‘employer’, which I did. They came back with an offer of paying 25% or 50% of whatever loan I was applying for. How on earth do you make a 25% or 50% payment when you have zero income? As there was no other choice, I had to accept it and got to thinking how the heck I was going to pay this. We are expected to pay the usual bills with less than 10% of our usual income.
Moved in with parents
I sold my car and we have moved in with my parents. We have tenants living in our own home. The tenants' rent covers our bond payment, and with the ‘change’, we pay rent due to my parents. We have downgraded our medical aid to a hospital plan, and all our life, education and retirement policies have fallen away. It's quite crazy to think that in times of COVID, should I get ill and die, my family will not be taken care of. But sadly, policies are a luxury. Oh, and let’s not even mention school fees.
So this is why I'm really putting my heart and soul on paper. Why is the financial sector not aware of our struggles? I'm finding that every time I call (or email for the hundredth time) to try and beg for an extension on a reduced payment amount, they just don't get it. Today it happened again...I'm told that I need to make a plan to pay the full amount due, or decide if I am prepared to sell the vehicle or forfeit it. We only have one vehicle!
I get calls from the credit card company saying they've assisted me with a plan to assist my situation, but in order to have it actioned I have to pay R8 000 by the 16th of the month. How? And thinking ahead, my credit record is now also likely to be shot. From a very healthy rating to mostly likely the worst now. When things do get better, how will I ever attempt to apply for credit again?
We need help
My ITC head office has been absolutely amazing, support-wise. We have access to a counsellor, and we even have a welfare trust that we can apply for when things are really bad.
I know Asata said they'd approach the financial institutions, but I've seen no updates regarding this. If it's been actioned by some chance, none of the institutions I'm dealing with have received the memo. We need help, and surely an organisation with big muscles like Asata could make all the difference.
What my family has had to endure has been rough. And I know there are others who are going through way worse. The saying, "We’re all in the same boat" is a bunch of hogwash. We are not! Each person is facing a tsunami of their own, alone. We need help!
