The desert's ripple effect: The Western Negev is quietly reshaping Israel-Africa ties - opinion

In Israel's northern Western Negev, watermelon fields signal the arrival of early summer. Yet, a few kilometers away, within the labs and corridors of the SouthUp technology incubator in the Shaar Hanegev region, a different kind of growth is evident. A high-level strategic delegation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, recently toured start-ups founded by individuals who had fled the area for their lives less than three years prior.

The visit, facilitated by Ambassador Leo Vinovezky, Israel’s envoy to several African nations, was intentionally routed through the Negev. This choice underscored a connection rooted in Israel's long-standing partnership between its Foreign Ministry's Economics Division and the kibbutz industry, which has historically driven exports from the country's periphery. "Bringing an African delegation to the Western Negev was, in that sense, a return to Israel’s diplomatic roots," the article notes.

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We had 23 companies, and 21 of them came back after we could reopen. Now we have 27.

SouthUp's driving force, Shahar Belkin, shared the stark reality with the Congolese delegation. "We had 23 companies," he stated, "and 21 of them came back after we could reopen. Now we have 27." A new facility, OfirTech, is under construction near Sderot's train station, named after former mayor Ofir Lybshtein, who was among the first victims of the October 7 attacks. This facility will accommodate an additional 60 companies. Remarkably, this resurgence was not fueled by government rescue packages or external investors, but by the founders' own determination to return and rebuild.

Belkin drew a parallel between these entrepreneurs and the spirit of the second generation of kibbutz founders. "Although they’re called hi-tech, we seem to think they are spoiled kids playing with their computers. But they are the same spirit – second generation of the kibbutz founders," he explained. This resilience, the article suggests, mirrors the pioneering spirit of those who once cultivated the desert, demonstrating that for entrepreneurs in Israel, failure is viewed as data, a credential rather than a disqualification, with success often requiring numerous attempts.

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Although they’re called hi-tech, we seem to think they are spoiled kids playing with their computers. But they are the same spirit – second generation of the kibbutz founders.