The Real South Africa—Not Keeping It Real: A Story of Betrayal

  The Real South Africa—Not Keeping It Real: A Story of Betrayal  What began as a dream trip transformed into a two-year ordeal marked by silence, delays, and financial discrepancies. Adding to the pain of losing my mother, I was confronted with a profound lack of accountability and transparency from a luxury travel agency that champions pro-Black and pro-diaspora values, resulting in a $4,200 debt that remains unpaid despite their implied agreement and my time of immense grief.  In February, I booked a trip to Durban, South Africa, for my mother and me. We chose to use The Real South Africa payment plan through PayPal, making a down payment of $1,125. Additionally, we requested apartment tours as part of our trip.  Dr. Latasha Blanton, one of the co-owners, contacted me regarding the trip after noticing that my phone number was linked to my mother's email. I confirmed that this was a mother-daughter trip. By May, we decided to change our plans because of the...