Only a few dozen species of stingless bee live in Africa, far fewer than in the Americas or Asia. The most important genera are Meliponula and Hypotrigona. Meliponula workers measure roughly 5–9 millimetres, whereas Hypotrigona gribodoi is about 2.7 millimetres long and among the smallest bees of all.
Meliponula occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa; Meliponula ferruginea is among the most widespread species and is found in every region of Tanzania. Hypotrigona has the widest range of any African genus, from the Sahel to South Africa.
Most nests are in tree hollows, but some species nest in the ground or in abandoned termite mounds. Hypotrigona gribodoi often chooses cracks in the mud walls of houses – in Ghana it has even been found in the pipes of a disused sprinkler system.
Honey is scarce: about half a litre a year from Hypotrigona. In Ethiopia a honey called tazma is dug out of the underground nests of Meliponula beccarii; it is very acidic and high in water. Local people use it as a medicine, and it sells for more than western honey bee honey.
In Kenya and Tanzania several species are kept in hives, among them M. bocandei, M. ferruginea and Hypotrigona gribodoi. Most honey, however, is still taken from wild nests in ways that destroy the colony. Forest loss and farming practices threaten these bees.