I have featherfins with africans and SA/NW cichlids. They do hold their own very well. They can be very shy and hide unless it's feeding time. Mine were like that for a few months. Now they "demand" that I rub their bellies when I do my tank maintenance.
I've heard turtles with africans could be an issue, but then again, anything with africans is really a toss up. Just depends on the individual fish's attitude. You could have a group of red zebras, some would be mild mannered, some would be evil little buggers.