If you speak to most, if not all, black South Africans who have the means to hire help, they will give you the same stark warning: prioritizing national solidarity over competence is a mistake you will pay for dearly. There is a widespread consensus that if you deliberately pass over the often more reliable Zimbabwean or Mozambican tradesmen to employ a fellow South African for your personal projects, you are setting yourself up to 'see flames.'
The regret is almost immediate. It is not just about the frustration of dealing with shoddy workmanship, missed deadlines, or a lack of professional pride; it is about a fundamental breach of trust. The prevailing experience is that while you are trying to uplift a local compatriot, they are often using the opportunity to exploit you.
The risks go far beyond simple laziness or incompetence. By inviting them into your home, you are frequently exposing yourself to theft and grave security risks.
 
The observation is that instead of focusing on the job they are paid to do, many local workers are actively 'casing' your property—studying your security systems, noting where your valuables are kept, and tracking your comings and goings.
 
The person you hired to build or fix something during the day if not criminal himself / herself, becomes the intelligence source for the criminals who come to break into your house at night or rob you the moment you go away on holiday.