I have kept bees in West Africa. In my experience, African bees are a bit more defensive than European bees but they are by no means "killer" bees. Certainly,

I have kept bees in West Africa. In my experience, African bees are a bit more defensive than European bees but they are by no means "killer" bees. Certainly, there is no more risk (from the bees, anyway) to maintaining a bee hive in Africa than one in the US. In fact, I am frequently amazed at how much less protective gear African bee keepers use. Also, I find that hive bees tend to be generally less aggressive than their wild cousins and can co-exist just fine with people. It is not at all uncommon for hives to be situated on farms or near houses.