BY MADUABUACHI EFEGADI
African ambassadors to Israel, 18 of them, in a recent meeting with Haim Taib, the continent’s foremost investor and founder and president of the Mitrelli Group, have talked up cooperation and development across the continent. Taib is an entrepreneur and an expert in promoting development across Africa.
The meeting, coming after Africa Day in Israel, the ambassadors centred their discussions on expanding and advancing new cooperation between Africa and Israel.
Taib, founder and president of the Mitrelli Group said, the relationship between Israel and Africa was strategic with the potential for mutual growth. “The world has yet to recognize the (African) continent’s potential as a global growth engine. Africa is the future,” he added.
The 18 African ambassadors, alongside the Ambassadors’ Club to Israel attended the Africa Day event, and discussed extensively the potential benefits of the ever-expanding bond between Israel and Africa, and the ability to connect Israeli technological innovation in education, health and food security to the human capital, culture and resources of Africa.
The Mitrelli Group has been operating in Africa for decades, with 2,500 employees across the continent who are connected to local needs; and lead vital projects in education, infrastructure, energy, water, construction, health, food, agriculture and more.
Taib shared the unique models that Mitrelli has developed over the years through its work in African countries, relying on home-grown Israeli technology, funding capabilities from international financial institutions, work with the public sector alongside local teams and impact investments that help strengthen and develop state-level communities.
He explained some agricultural communities that Mitrelli has established throughout Angola that are inspired by Israeli models of community residence. The projects have created an independent and sustainable local economy.
The Mitrelli Group’s founder explained that he had been committed to Africa for 30 years, ntoing that the world has yet to recognize the continent’s potential as a global growth engine. “Africa is the future. Cooperation in energy, the environment and food security can bring about the solutions the world needs today,” he stated.
Yitzhak Eldan, president and founder of the Ambassadors’ Club of Israel, noted that Israel should be a bridge to Africa.
“The small state of Israel has managed to bring progress in many diverse fields; and this connection will be able to bring other successful projects to Africa. Mitrelli introduced not only technology from Israel, but also community models that formed the basis for Zionism and the founding of the state; the Moshavim, Kibbutzim and youth villages,” Eldan explained.
Taib declared that Africa is the future of the world, and that he was committed to working to establish strong and independent communities.
“We have everything we need in order to succeed together and we have a great love for Africa and those who live there,” he said.
