This article was written in cooperation with the Israel-Africa Relations Institute.
“Looking back over the past 34 years,” says entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist Haim Taib, “from when I first arrived in Angola at the age of 29 until today, there has been tremendous growth in Africa. The values with which I was raised in the small Israeli village of Moshav Olesh have guided me, and I believe I have succeeded in fully realizing and living those values. Everything we have accomplished in Africa over the past 34 years has helped millions of people experience meaningful and life-changing transformations.”
As president and founder of the international Swiss-based Mitrelli Group, Taib and his teams have executed more than 100 national-scale infrastructure development projects and social initiatives in Angola, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, and beyond. These include one of the largest affordable housing and urban community center initiatives in Angola, which has provided homes for over 140,000 people. Taib’s projects span energy, water, agriculture, healthcare, education, and technology – all aimed at strengthening nations and improving lives.
On May 19, Taib will bring this vision to the stage of the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York, where he serves as president of this year’s event. There, he will emphasize the strategic importance of developing Africa – not only for African nations themselves but for global economic resilience, food security, and geopolitical balance. He will also highlight Israel’s unique capabilities and role in this process.
Africa, Taib says, is not only full of potential – it is indispensable to the future of the world. “By 2035, Africa will have the world’s largest workforce – bigger than India’s or China’s. It has 60% of the world’s unused arable land, 30% of its minerals, and 90% of its cobalt and platinum reserves.”
Africa’s growing geopolitical significance is also evidenced by the 54 votes, which constitute the largest voting bloc in the UN General Assembly. African nations are increasingly influential within global forums such as the G20. For Israel, Taib notes, this presents both an opportunity and a necessity.
“Africa is the future of the world,” says Taib. “By 2040, some 40% of the world’s children will be growing up in Africa. If we don’t invest in education, health, and water infrastructure now, we are not only failing, but we are risking the future stability of the entire world.”
At the conference, Taib will join a high-level panel of African economic leaders to introduce the world’s new trade route, the Lobito Corridor. “We are initiating bold investments in agriculture, food industries, energy, medicine, and education – the sectors that define long-term stability and sovereignty. This will impact 40 million people who live and work along this corridor,” he explains.
The fund represents a new approach to regional development, based on cross-border cooperation and private-public partnerships. Taib confirms that active discussions are underway with African partners to join the initiative as co-founders. “The vision is to anchor long-term investment through trusted African leadership, strategic infrastructure, and global collaboration.”
This initiative aligns with the renewed momentum in US-Africa relations. As the United States deepens its engagement in Africa, the Lobito Corridor Investment Fund stands as a practical mechanism to advance shared interests – in economic growth, energy transition, and regional integration.
While still largely aspirational, a triangular relationship between Africa, the US, and Israel presents a compelling opportunity for inclusive, long-term development – particularly if future US administrations deepen the Abraham Accords into the African arena. Taib will also meet with private investors and US government officials in New York and Washington to expand interest in the fund and align with broader US efforts to support regional development in Africa.
To deepen ties between Israel and Africa, after 34 years in Africa Taib launched the Israel-Africa Relations Institute in 2024. The institute raises awareness among Israeli policymakers and the public about Africa’s centrality to Israel’s strategic interests. “We must open more embassies, increase our presence, and build meaningful partnerships – not just for Israel’s benefit but also for Africa’s growth and for regional and global prosperity.”
Taib's three ingredients for succesful
Taib’s business philosophy blends long-term investment, local partnership, and a deep commitment to impact. Whether through business ventures or philanthropy, his work centers on one clear goal: building strong nations through infrastructure, inclusion, and trust.
While Africa has been central to Taib’s vision for over three decades, his strategy for national resilience extends beyond borders. Over the past six years, he has focused on strengthening Israel through the Menomadin Foundation, leveraging the same values and models used in Africa to support national development. In Israel, he works to strengthen the country’s social resilience by developing and implementing national road maps, in collaboration with government ministries, regional authorities, and municipalities, in the fields of welfare, education, and municipal mobility, in addition to leadership programs, which include the Druze community.
Employing an evergreen impact investment model, the Menomadin Foundation reinvests profits from its impact investment portfolio of Israeli start-ups in the fields of AgTech, CleanTech, MedTech and more, into its philanthropic programs to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
“In both Africa and Israel, the approach is the same,” says Taib. “We identify structural challenges and work with governments and communities to co-create sustainable, long-term solutions.”
For his decades-long contribution to strengthening Africa-Israel relations and advancing Israeli society, Taib was selected to light a torch at this year’s official Independence Day ceremony in Jerusalem.
“This was one of the most emotional moments of my life,” he says. “As the grandson of a Holocaust survivor from Tunisia, this was a full-circle moment – personal and national. Lighting the torch is a symbol of unity, strength, and the values that hold us together as a people.”
The honors notwithstanding, Taib remains focused on the path ahead. “The journey is far from over,” he asserts. “We are still in the midst of building. At [age] 65, I feel strong and ready. We’ve built a new generation of leaders around us, and they are ready to take this mission forward.”■
This article was written in cooperation with the Israel-Africa Relations Institute.