Depends on the species, whether that snake has eaten or not, was it night or day time, etc. etc. To many factors to consider...
A ball python I'm going to venture a guess and say that yes you could handle a wild ball python without a problem. That is why they are named ball pythons because they have a disposition to defend (ball up) rather than strike.
Then again I'm just using logic because I've yet to visit Africa to have first hand knowledge of how snakes behave there.