I have never met a single person I didn't like while traveling through Africa (that is a lie, I hated one guy but he was British so it does not count). I have found that unlike those of us in the west who are very inward focused, people in Africa will give you help when you need it and genuinely look out for you (a guy tried to steal this kids phone in Moshi and the crowd beat the crap out of the thief).
All that being said, Africans are poor and are looking for ways to feed themselves and their families. It is unlikely that you are going to be straight up robbed in a harmful way but if you are not being smart people will take opportunities (just like they do everywhere else, had things stolen in New York and London but never Africa). The guy who nearly had his phone taken was walking down the street and texting not paying any attention what so ever to what he was doing, making himself an easy target. If you count a wad of cash in public and haphazardly stuff it in your wallet in your back pocket and meander into a crowd, you might find it missing. Put your bag full of valuable things to sell on the back of your chair and it might not be there when you turn around (don't do this anywhere this is how I lost everything at a pub in London). In short if you are aware of your surroundings in Africa just like in any big city, you will be fine.
Also don't be crass and show off your wealth. I did not take my very lovely Michale Kors watch with me because one it is white and it would not come back as such but two because I had a perfectly good $10 target watch I could take instead. Africans have a tendency to think because you are white you are as rich as Bill Gates so a lot of people might ask you for money (don't take offense). So if you make yourself super flashy you are going to be a bigger target (kind of true everywhere).
Something else I do is take a crap phone. I have a lovely little hot pink phone that is unlocked. When I get to the airport I just buy a local sim and pop money on it. So much easier than dealing with roaming and so much cheaper too.
Other handy things to pack include face wipes (not always able to wash your face in a sink), hand sanitizer (this saved me and Claire in ghana when we had no water with which to wash our hands), for those roughing it toilet paper is soooooo helpful. Also re-hydration and tummy meds for when the local food does not agree with you 100%.
When I was reading hotel ratings on trip adviser before going to Zanzibar I wanted to tell all the negative reviewers one thing:This is Africa. Your internet is going to be slower, you wont always be able to drink out of the sink, sometimes you might encounter a long drop without any toilet paper (or running water for hand washing). That does not make the experience any less amazing what so ever. As long as you go in with the attitude that it is Africa and that it will be different, you will complain less. That being said where we stayed in Zanzibar was pretty much five star every way it could be, amazing staff, AC, TV, drinkable tap water (at least for me), business lounge spa. I am just saying don't let the idea of a long drop keep you from going on one of the most amazing trips you could ever hope to take.
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