A partnership forged in peace: Haim Taib honoured for decades of building Angola’s future

As Angola marks a half-century of independence, it is celebrating the visionaries who helped turn decades of hardship into progress. Among those honored is Haim Taib, Founder and President of the Menomadin and Mitrelli Group, who has been awarded the nation’s Peace and Development Medal (Classe Paz e Desenvolvimento) by President João Lourenço. The distinction recognizes more than 30 years of partnership that helped lay the foundations for the country’s modern economy and social transformation.

When Taib first arrived in Angola in 1991, the country was still ravaged by civil war. Rather than turning away, he chose to invest in its potential, guided by a belief in peace as the basis for progress. Mobilizing financial and human resources during those difficult years, he worked with local partners to create opportunities that would later become models for sustainable development.

One of the most emblematic examples is Aldeia Nova, a network of self-sustaining agricultural communities launched after the war. By bringing together people from former opposing sides, the project became a living example of reconciliation—transforming food production and rebuilding livelihoods. It also set the stage for Taib’s long-term commitment to Angola’s inclusive growth.

Through his ecosystem of companies, Mitrelli, Luminar, Menomadin, and JETA, Taib helped drive national projects in water, food security, energy, and housing, later expanding to education, healthcare, and technology. Initiatives such as Water for All, new hospitals, entrepreneurship centers, and vocational schools provided the infrastructure and skills to enable long-term prosperity. More recent projects, including new residential centralities and a Science Center, underline his vision of coupling innovation with social impact.

In 2025, Taib’s long partnership with the Angolan government entered a new chapter with the creation of the Lobito Corridor Impact Development (LCID) Platform, a USD 1 billion initiative co-founded with Angola’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. The platform blends private capital with public purpose to unlock investment in infrastructure, trade, agriculture, and education across Angola, the DRC, and Zambia. advancing regional growth through collaboration.

Across more than 100 projects, Taib’s initiatives have created tens of thousands of jobs and extended electricity, water, and housing to millions. His philanthropic commitment continues through the Fundação Arte e Cultura, empowering young Angolans through art, education, and culture.

Accepting the honor, Taib said: “This recognition belongs as much to the people of Angola as it does to me. It is a tribute to our shared belief that when people can dream, they can create. They can change. They can build their future with their own hands.”

For Taib and his partners, the medal is more than a symbol of past achievement; it is a reminder of an enduring promise: to keep turning peace into progress and vision into everyday life.

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