Chapter 589: The Flourishing New City
"Hm, it seems you truly understand your factory well. This is the age of science and technology, and what East Africa lacks most are educated people. So we must heed the advice of experts. But there's a saying: believing everything in books is worse than reading none. Theory and reality will inevitably clash, so our factories must stay grounded and focus on practical production."
Konstantin was most skilled in military affairs and had little knowledge of enterprise management, especially of East Africa's state-owned enterprises. So he refrained from giving blind commands and instead offered encouraging remarks.
Of course, that was his modest view. In truth, the prevailing East African environment had influenced him—he had encountered similar enterprises before. Prussia, being a strong centralist state, had several state-operated factories, particularly in military sectors, such as nationalized railroads.
The difference was East Africa's sheer number of state-owned enterprises. That said, East Africa also had many private businesses, especially in the eastern regions, with German investors. But due to strict regulation, private investment remained modest.
These private companies played only a small role in the East African economy, but they couldn't be ignored. If they complied with East African rules, it meant they were serious about business. East Africa didn't discriminate against entrepreneurs—it simply imposed more rules. Those who accepted the rules were welcome.
The director of the Harare tobacco factory was quite pleased by Konstantin's words. After all, it was rare to receive praise from a top leader—and this was the king's first inspection of Matabele Province. He respectfully said, "We will redouble our efforts and do our utmost to contribute to the national economy!"
With that, Konstantin departed from the tobacco factory, escorted by respectful attendants. His transport was a luxury carriage brought by royal train.
Through the carriage window, Konstantin observed Harare's urban landscape. His visit was unannounced, so no roads were closed—people moved through the streets as usual.
Of course, his motorcade still attracted attention. With mounted police clearing the way and a long procession of vehicles, it was obvious someone important had arrived.
But few residents guessed it was the king himself. That would've been unprecedented in East Africa.
Konstantin, however, watched the bustling streets with interest. Thanks to East Africa's wide road planning, even though his convoy took up half the main road, people could still move freely along the other side.
Harare had a population of about 160,000 and had caught up with older cities in a short time, earning it the title of a "rising star."
As the sub-center of Matabele Province, the former capital of the Matabele Kingdom—Bulawayo—also had a population in the tens of thousands. The scale of both cities reflected East Africa's strong support for the province.
"Your Majesty, next on our itinerary is the Harare Chrome Plant, followed by the steelworks, the new arms factory, and the Harare Locomotive Manufacturing Plant," said the royal steward, Kaid.
Harare was rich in chrome, with major deposits located about 60 kilometers from the city. It had become one of East Africa's key ferrochrome refining hubs—one of Harare's signature industries.
Of course, gold was also found near Harare. But unlike chrome, East Africa wasn't planning to open new gold mines yet—the eastern region already had enough to go around. Even Ernst was curious how much gold lay beneath East African soil.
The arms factory made sense. East Africa's military industry would naturally be placed in Matabele Province—its inland location made it ideal as a strategic rear area. Some confidential institutions and facilities would likely be stationed here in the future.
The steelworks and locomotive factory were standard. Harare was a key node on the Central Railway, much like First Town and Soga. Those two cities had more limited roles in industrial development due to different strategic purposes.
These were just some of Harare's major industries. Around each of them, countless supporting factories and facilities had sprung up.
For example, at the chrome plant, Konstantin would only tour the perimeter, meet with executives and workers. He wouldn't have time to visit every related facility.
This was Konstantin's first in-depth visit to East Africa's interior, and so far, he was impressed by Harare's development.
As a newly planned city, Harare differed from East Africa's eastern cities, which had only been roughly developed during the colonial period.
Back then, East Africa lacked money and manpower to invite European architects for city planning. Early cities grew spontaneously.
Moreover, Europe viewed East Africa as a barbaric frontier—few architects dared venture there.
But with the rise of coastal cities like Dar es Salaam and Mombasa—with their clean, prosperous image and booming trade—a wave of foreign merchants began doing business in East Africa. As word spread, the region's reputation improved.
East Africa's service quality was second to none. Along the Indian Ocean, few places could rival it. Of course, there was one downside—security was too good. For thrill-seekers, there wasn't much excitement. Many seafarers, known for their wild ways, preferred more hedonistic locales.
Still, the security and low petty crime made East Africa's ports a favorite among merchants and sailors. Safety was a huge factor.
With its growing reputation, East Africa was able to attract European talent. Against this backdrop, Harare's urban design stood apart.
After extensive site surveys, an expert panel spent half a year planning before breaking ground.
Harare prioritized waterworks, roads, and basic infrastructure like drinking water systems. It even reserved space for future upgrades.
As in other cities, environmental protection was a key focus—Harare had many parks and green spaces, making it vibrant and livable.
Ernst himself had never visited Harare. His last time here was in a previous life, on a business trip. Back then, Harare was known as "Little Paris of Africa," "Sunshine City," and "City of Flowering Trees."
Its city center was indeed beautiful. But in that life, Harare was also ranked one of the world's least livable cities.
That wasn't a contradiction. Many countries had both slums and luxury zones. Harare was no different. And security issues transcended development levels. In many African countries, there was no order at all.
But none of that applied to today's Harare. In this life, the city had embraced German culture and architecture under East African rule. It was nothing like its British-influenced past.
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