Haim Taib
Businessman, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist
Haim Taib, an expert in developing and strengthening nations, is the founder of the Mitrelli Group, which leads impactful infrastructure projects across Africa in collaboration with governments, investors, and local communities. In addition, Haim is the founder and president of the Menomadin Foundation, which specializes in creating social, environmental, and economic impact in Israel and Africa through large-scale national programs, using a model that combines strategic philanthropy and impact investments.
Taib’s core values led him to complement his profitable activities with social ones, and he wishes to pave the way for this to be the agreedupon, standard way of doing business, for other businessmen to follow suit.
Over the years, Taib has been working hard to establish prosperous communities whose members have the opportunities to realize their potential – he is committed to the development and empowerment of societies.
Taib’s intuition, empathy and ability to connect with others on a deep level are apparent in the social projects he has established in Africa, his business base, as well as in Israel, his homeland.
An Entrepreneur Since Birth
Born in Jerusalem in 1960, Haim Taib was raised in a rural community (a Moshav). His family worked the land, helping to fulfil the mission of the young Israeli state.
Following his military service in the Israel Defense Force, he joined his father working in agriculture while cultivating new partners.
The knowledge and experience he gained in this time led Taib to develop businesses in Portugal, and in 1991 he arrived in Angola for the first time.
At that time, Angola was coming out of a long harsh civil war. Taib managed to recruit leaders from both sides of the war for a joint venture to establish agricultural settlements in peripheral areas of the country. In line with the Israeli model of the Kibbutz and Moshav, residents’ harvest supported the local community.
The success of this project proved Taib’s ability to establish a civil infrastructure for Angola. He leveraged this success to further support the nation’s recovery, as it strove for financial independence.
Taib researched business models that had proven to be successful in Israel, while, at the same time, studying thoroughly the diverse African cultures, and thus adapting those business models to fit the specific needs and characteristics of the Angolan culture.
Haim Taib, in his youth at Moshav Olesh.
Building Social Impact
His entire vision was then materialized through the establishment of the Mitrelli Group, with 38 subsidiaries and over 2,000 employees. Mitrelli Group specializes in infrastructure development. Through Mitrelli, Taib has built vocational schools, boarding schools for youth at risk, healthcare clinics, agricultural villages, electric and telecommunication networks in remote areas, and more.
Taib’s approach of ensuring his business endeavors are always accompanied by positive social impact led him to initiate an unprecedented affordable housing project, one of the largest projects of its kind throughout the African continent. The concept behind this project is to form communities and support them with proper housing, kindergartens and schools, clean running water, electricity, telecommunication, and social services for the wellbeing of the local population. The neighborhoods are designed to fit the local style and culture and the city authorities have been responsible for providing social services like healthcare and education in accordance with state regulations. Mitrelli
has been building about 40,000 housing units, currently at various stages of development. Over 30,000 families are expected to benefit from the many opportunities afforded by the project, providing their children with children with the possibility of a better future.
The affordable housing mega-project Haim Taib’s Mitrelli Group is building in Angola.
International Collaborations
Over the years, Taib created strong business networks globally and gained a reputation as a prolific entrepreneur, enabling him to build international collaborations and import novel technologies for the benefit of the citizens of Angola. Moreover, to encourage Israeli-Angolan collaborations involving commercial companies and governmental entities, Taib, along with several of his partners, initiated and founded the Israel Angola Chamber of Commerce, for which he served as President for two years. Today, the Mitrelli Group operates in Angola, Senegal, the Ivory Coast and Mozambique. In each of these countries Taib has implemented his approach to generate social and environmental gain, alongside financial profit.
Strategic Problem Solving
In 2019, Haim founded the Menomadin Foundation, which leverages the experience, resources, and capabilities accumulated during his 30 years of work in Africa for the benefit of society in Israel. The Menomadin Foundation systematically integrates strategic philanthropy, impact investments, and cross-sector partnerships, ensuring systemic change in every location where it operates around the world.
In this spirit, Haim tirelessly works to improve the quality of life for African children. The Menomadin Foundation operates in Angola through the Foundation for Art and Culture (Fundação Arte e Cultura), a nonprofit organization that Haim established in 2006 to restore and preserve Angola’s heritage, culture, and art after the war. The foundation runs a large community center, initiates diverse educational activities for children and youth, leads programs to empower local women through vocational training, launches social welfare programs for at-risk youth, and holds cultural and artistic events for the benefit of the local community. Additionally, Haim serves as the president of Save a Child’s Heart Africa, an organization that has been operating for over 25 years, bringing children in need of life-saving heart surgeries to Israel. The organization’s work has received recognition from the United Nations, and during a personal meeting at the Vatican, Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, personally urged Haim to continue this important work.
Haim Taib meets Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Investing in Israeli Future
In light of his deep commitment to Israeli society, Haim initiated and established the Menomadin Center for Jewish and Democratic Law, which operates within the Faculty of Law at Bar-Ilan University. The center develops legal and academic tools that bridge Israel’s Jewish identity with its democratic character, runs educational and research programs, and engages with legal professionals and decision-makers at all levels to promote a united and prosperous Israeli society. In 2021, Haim was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his longstanding philanthropic work for communities in developing countries in Africa and his contribution to strengthening Israel’s national resilience.
In line with the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that Haim leads, the Menomadin Foundation also invests in Israeli impact-driven startups in fields such as agriculture, food security, energy, healthcare, and technological education.
With the outbreak of the Iron Sword war, Haim Taib decided to strategically redirected all resources, expertise, and years of experience of the Menomadin Foundation toward fostering unity, bolstering national resilience, and supporting the rehabilitation and revitalization of communities in the Gaza envelope region and the north. This effort is carried out through a series of initiatives that promote unity and mutual responsibility between communities in Israel and the diaspora. In June 2024, Haim Taib received a special certificate of recognition from President Isaac Herzog for this important work.
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Taib is husband to Iris, father to Meital, Maayan, Noa, David, Maya and Din, and grandfather to Omer, Ariel, Uri and Alma. He is highly committed to making the world a better place for his descendants and future generations.
“Every great thing that ever happened began as a dream. When people can dream, they can create. They can change. They can reinvent themselves and rewrite their own stories. But, for some, dreaming is not as easy as it is for others. The greatest challenge of humanity, therefore, is to ensure that people, all people, will never lose the ability to dream a better life for themselves.”
Haim Taib