It began with belief. Belief in the potential of South Africa to emerge from the ashes of apartheid and become a demonstrable triumph for human rights. Bertie Lubner and Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris’s philanthropic vision for thriving communities was built on a passion for people, a drive for improvement and a responsibility that they called kindness. Together, fuelled by the momentum of 1994, they forged their dream for South Africa, initially focusing on meeting immediate basic needs and providing skills training in select communities.

As the needs proliferated and the vision grew, the pair reached out to like-minded individuals, namely Herby Rosenberg, Ann Harris, Arnold Forman, Jack Tworetsky and Benny Reich. By then, the impact of Afrika Tikkun was far-reaching, even to national icons such as the late and honourable Nelson “Madiba” Mandela.

With a longstanding friendship and a shared vision of a free and fair South Africa, Madiba chose to partner closely with Afrika Tikkun as Patron-in-Chief of the cause to uplift and educate South Africa’s vulnerable youth.
Today, the legacy of Afrika Tikkun continues in the hands of Bertie’s son Marc Lubner, and the Afrika Tikkun community that upholds youth development as the hallmark of change. Together with our stakeholders, partners and public volunteers we are impacting lives. As a leading non-profit company in the fields of education, skills development and socio-economic upliftment, our commitment remains unwavering: to impact South Africa for the long term, one inspired young life at a time.