Haim Taib's vision for the future of Africa and Israel

• Author: ALAN ROSENBAUM
• Published date: 25 March 2022
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

As president of the Mitrelli Group and the founder of the Menomadin Foundation, Haim Taib and his team have developed innovative, pioneering solutions for the African nation of Angola in such areas as telecommunications, water, healthcare, housing, education, and energy. Over the past 30 years, Taib and his team have been a vital force for positive change in Africa, utilizing Israeli technology to bring Angola back from the brink after its devastating civil war

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At the upcoming Jerusalem Post London Conference, Taib will be sharing his unique nation-building model based on his successes in Angola and across Africa, its connection with the State of Israel, and how it can be expanded to other countries on the African continent.

Haim Taib is a visionary with a remarkable life story. In an in-depth conversation with The Jerusalem Post, he shared his vision for Africa and Israel and how the unique synergy between Israel and the African continent can help create a better world.

"Whatever I have achieved does not belong only to me," says Haim Taib, "I place great importance that every business endeavor I am involved in gives back to the local community in which it operates and will create sustainable and long-term solutions." Taib reflects on his childhood and how his upbringing influenced him to bring many of Israel's innovative agricultural, technological, healthcare and social successes to Angola.

Born in Jerusalem in 1960 to Jewish-Tunisian immigrants, Taib grew up in Olesh, a small agricultural settlement in central Israel. "My father knew nothing about agriculture," he says, "but he understood that agriculture is the way to establish a nation." The family struggled in their new surroundings – his father had to work at three jobs and his mother at two – to make ends meet, and Taib says that his father worked around the clock to earn enough money to feed the family.

During the week, Taib and his seven siblings subsisted largely on bread, and he recalls his mother sending him to the neighborhood grocery to purchase seven loaves of bread for the family. Shabbat and holiday dinners were the only time the family splurged and served meat.

Despite the difficult financial situation, Taib experienced a pleasant childhood. "We grew up on the values that my father spoke about – respecting others, loving the Land of Israel, and...