Chapter 509: Getting Started
Just as Britain had delivered a warning to East Africa, Germany came knocking—but unlike the British, the Germans showed no hostility. On the surface, relations between the two empires remained civil.
"Your Majesty Konstantin, would you require any assistance from Germany? We've heard about Britain's sanctions on East Africa. That doesn't seem very favorable to your country's development," asked Ambassador Klein.
"Thank you for your concern. If we ever need help, we won't hesitate to ask," Konstantin replied, politely declining Germany's offer.
In truth, East Africa didn't really need anything right now. A decade ago, it would've been a different story. But times had changed.
Klein couldn't help feeling regret. If Germany had supported East Africa during its early days, it might've gained a powerful future ally. Of course, what Germany truly wanted was a puppet regime—but East Africa clearly had its own interests and didn't intend to become anyone's lackey.
Now, East Africa was off to a strong start. After lying low for more than a decade, it was back on the international stage—no longer the weakling it once was.
…
South District, Dar es Salaam.
Wooo—
As the train pulled into the station, laborers began unloading resources brought from the interior. The goods were piled onto ox-carts and transported to the industrial zones.
Most of these materials would be processed in the New Port industrial zone—either exported raw, refined and then exported, or consumed domestically within East Africa.
Thus, in South Dar es Salaam, towering smokestacks belched black smoke into the sky, polluting the African air and darkening the daylight. Industrial wastewater ran through pipes into the ocean, where the foul-smelling outflow choked the coast. The whole district resembled a cyberpunk vision of violent beauty.
Visually impressive, yes—but ecologically disastrous. Thankfully, First Town had no industry. If it did, Ernst might have considered relocating.
At Dar es Salaam Cable Plant No. 2, factory director Stephen was thrilled to see carts of copper ore being hauled into the warehouse. This meant the plant could finally begin full-scale production.
"Since the East Africa–Portugal War ended, the Central Railway has resumed operations. Now we can transport copper continuously from the interior. This year, we'll finally expand production capacity."
"During the war, raw materials were prioritized for Plant No. 1. Now we at Plant No. 2 can benefit from the railway too."
During the conflict, the Central Railway had been requisitioned by the military, disrupting production. Copper, rubber, and tobacco were most affected.
Both copper and rubber were vital for cable production. Military use took precedence, limiting the power industry's growth. The Central Railway had high enough specs to serve both military and civilian needs, but there weren't enough train cars to go around.
Now that peace had returned, materials like copper and rubber were in better supply, and the expansion of Cable Plant No. 2 was underway.
Following the principle of not putting all eggs in one basket, new cable plants were also opened in Mbeya and Lubumbashi. One was run by the state-owned East African Electric Company, the other three by the Hechingen Electric Company. These four plants now formed the foundation of East Africa's emerging electrical manufacturing sector—strategically placed along the Central Railway.
"Our current market focus is domestic and the Far East. As for the international market, our product quality still isn't good enough for export. The defect rate is higher than in German factories."
In fact, East Africa couldn't even meet its own demand for cables. But prioritizing clients over domestic needs was considered better business.
So while East African cables weren't the best in quality, they still fetched decent prices—especially in underdeveloped regions that prioritized affordability over performance.
The mid-to-high-end electrical sector was still dominated by the U.S. and Germany.
Though Ernst owned the Hechingen Electric Company—with factories and R&D centers in Germany and Austria—he couldn't just relocate everything to East Africa.
Instead, he transferred low-tech or labor-intensive operations to East Africa—like cable manufacturing. After all, East Africa had the advantage in raw materials.
The main components of cable were copper and aluminum. Since aluminum was still expensive, copper was preferred.
Ernst knew that electrolytic aluminum could drastically reduce costs, but electricity itself wasn't cheap.
Power generation was no joke. In contrast to his previous life, where power plants were commonplace, the first real power plant in history wasn't built until 1882. In this timeline, electricity was still scarce—and expensive.
That made power investment a high-risk, high-cost venture. It also explained why Britain and France were falling behind in the electricity race.
It was like the early days of electric vehicles—initial adoption was painfully slow. No one could predict how fast the technology would evolve. Many entrepreneurs were business-savvy but lacked a scientific mindset.
Once someone made a breakthrough, however, capitalists would swarm in. That's exactly how the Hechingen Electric Company had grown.
"To support business development, the government plans to increase investment in the electrical sector—focusing on communications and lighting. We aim to connect key towns and cities via telegraph and upgrade street lighting in Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, and Nairobi."
"This is our way of cultivating domestic demand. East Africa's consumer market is weak—long stuck in deflation. But that's expected. We've only moved from colony to kingdom in a few short years. No other country could've built a consumer economy so quickly. For now, the government must take the lead."
In East Africa, the wealthiest entities were the Hechingen royal family and the government. Income inequality among the general population was relatively low, so the electrical sector relied on joint efforts from the state and the Hechingen Consortium.
When it came to energy demand, average citizens simply couldn't afford it—nor did they desire it. Most lived simply, rising early and sleeping early, with little in the way of entertainment.
"Government offices, factories, and post offices are the biggest power consumers. Start with them. Then move on to cities—especially Soga and First Town. They must be electrified first."
Soga was East Africa's tech hub. Prioritizing it showed the royal family's commitment to science. First Town, as the capital, was a political priority. Other cities would be ranked by economic strength.
By that metric, Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Nairobi, and Mombasa came next. Strategic outposts, particularly in telecommunications, would also be prioritized for security reasons—especially to monitor Portugal and Britain. For instance, New Hamburg, East Africa's southernmost city.
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