Its a pitty your mate wont be getting danger pay TT.
A whole bunch of contractors (mechanical and avionics) started there today. Thirty of these are Zimbabweans. I already have to do all the work for one of the contractors in our crew and he's from SA, howmany more incapable people must we carry?
Add to this the fact that the pay for SAA tech's are of the worst in the country and you get a verry negative workforce. They are filling the empty spots (and BEE quota's) with faces, just a pitty they couldn't get able hands to do the job.
Next time you get into a SAA aircraft, stop and think for a moment who 'fixed' the engines and, IF he was a capable person, how overworked he was by the time he got to the aircraft you are sitting in. At the rate its going I wonder how safe our simulator's are...
Good luck to your buddy!