CHAPTER 534: CHAPTER 212 APPLICATION

As the former capital of the Matebel Kingdom, Bulawayo, now the second largest city in the East African Matebel Province, is developing rapidly.

The fundamental conditions were already relatively good here, and the Central Railway passing through provided excellent transportation conditions for its development.

In its previous life, Bulawayo was renowned for its industry and was the largest manufacturing center in Zimbabwe. This included steelmaking, machinery manufacturing, food, textiles, fertilizers, and daily chemical industries. This configuration demonstrates Bulawayo’s economic status in Zimbabwe, as industry is quite rare for African countries.

The main factors shaping Bulawayo’s industrial status in Zimbabwe are historical legacy, transportation advantages, and abundant mineral resources.

After the Far East occupied Bulawayo, it inherited most of Bulawayo’s assets. However, the main assets the Ndebele people left were houses, which solved the early housing needs for the resettled population in East Africa. As for the national treasury of the Ndebele, it had long been handed over to the East African treasury, mainly consisting of gold and other precious metals and gemstones, though East Africa paid little attention to other items.

The world shares the same fondness for gold, as do the Ndebele. The Matebele Kingdom’s treasury was the largest gain since East Africa colonized Africa because the Matebele Kingdom covered a large area and accumulated much wealth.

Previously, East Africa had also eliminated many indigenous states, but most did not accumulate as much wealth as the historically rich Zimbabwe. Others migrated entire nations, taking their accumulated wealth with them, like the Mwesili regime and the former Great Lake (Lake Victoria) regional countries.

Zimbabwe’s history is fragmented; however, this did not prevent the later conquering Ndebele people from inheriting the Shona tribe’s ancestral heritage. The power capable of constructing the Great Zimbabwe Ruins must have been a regional overlord in its era.

As for whether the Great Zimbabwe Ruins were built by the Shona tribe, Ernst believed that the Shona tribe certainly participated. Much like Egypt, although conquered many times, the ethnicity remained the same. It would not change by merely switching cultures unless there were massacres or radical transformations like the United States or East Africa.

"Bulawayo has abundant coal resources, and compared to Mbeya, its greatest advantage is its flat and open terrain, although it receives slightly less rainfall. However, this also provides conditions for cotton planting. Therefore, not only is Bulawayo suitable for developing the steel industry, but it is also suitable for developing the textile industry, like in Nairobi."

"Mayor Luo’an, are you envious of Nairobi?"

"Hehe, there’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. Nairobi is a ’city of textiles.’ Bulawayo may have started late, but we also want to make progress!"

"That needs to be determined after our investigation. We can’t just build textile enterprises based on your word. After all, Bulawayo’s development isn’t slow; having a steel industry is something many cities desperately desire."

The steel industry in Bulawayo mainly focuses on steelmaking, relying on the rich coal and iron resources in the Matebel Province.

The reason Bulawayo concentrates on steelmaking is to lay the groundwork for the stainless steel industry. After all, East Africa is the world’s largest country in terms of ferrochrome reserves. The ferrochrome reserves in Matebel Province are second only to the Heixinggen Province. If these two provinces were singled out, they would rank first and second in the world, respectively.

Chromium, the main product of ferrochrome, is one of the primary raw materials for stainless steel. East Africa also has significant resources of other minerals like manganese and nickel.

Of course, East Africa has not yet developed a stainless steel industry. The British metallurgical expert Henry Brearley invented stainless steel in 1912, so currently, stainless steel doesn’t exist. Ernst knew about stainless steel’s origin from Brearley’s discovery of ferrochrome alloy (stainless steel), but he planned not to prematurely reveal stainless steel, only experimenting within the Bulawayo Metal Research Institute to minimize historical interference.

East Africa holds nearly ninety percent of the world’s ferrochrome reserves, so there is no concern about being surpassed by other countries in the future. Like the tungsten mines in the Far East Empire, the future stainless steel market will not slip away from East Africa’s grasp, so Ernst is not in a hurry to develop it.

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture has conducted experimental verifications in Bulawayo, setting up three cotton experimental fields in the Brava District, all achieving good results. They are waiting for the harvest to analyze cotton samples. Regardless of the final results, the land is undoubtedly suitable for cotton cultivation, with very good growth in the cotton fields.

"Is that so? Then the Ministry of Agriculture must have plans for Bulawayo, right? Mayor Luo’an, you don’t need to seek our help?"

"It’s different. The Ministry of Agriculture doesn’t handle factory construction. They just think the environment around Bulawayo is suitable for cotton cultivation. They can’t ensure a textile factory will settle in Bulawayo, so this matter still requires assistance from your industrial department! Besides, the textile industry is a massive industry, and a single city like Nairobi surely can’t handle it. We in Bulawayo are willing to share part of it."

The textile industry is naturally enormous. In Britain, it is a pillar industry, and with East Africa’s rapid population growth in recent years, Nairobi’s production indeed cannot keep up.

Therefore, Mayor Luo’an continued: "You see, our city of Bulawayo is suitable for growing cotton, the industrial base is also good, and the transportation conditions are the same. The East African industry is currently concentrated in the eastern region, and the inland, especially the south, will undoubtedly be extensively developed in the future. The population growth is unstoppable, and demand will certainly greatly increase, so building a textile factory in Bulawayo definitely has many advantages."

"That’s not for us to decide, but we will submit your suggestion to higher-level departments. However, I must remind you that you need to first resolve the issues of raw materials and personnel if you want to build a textile factory. I’m not too worried about personnel, as higher-level departments will certainly consider it, and it is highly possible to draw personnel from Nairobi for support. The raw material issue is more tricky. You must discuss with the Ministry of Agriculture to quickly expand the cotton planting area."

"You are right. Our city government will prioritize this aspect. If this year’s experimental cotton proves to be of good quality, we will apply for large-scale planting west of Bulawayo next year to strive to resolve the cotton production issue in a short time."

"Hehe, aren’t you afraid of blindly expanding the planting area and then being unable to secure a factory, resulting in severe waste?"

"You’re underestimating me. I have already inquired with the East African Import and Export Trade Company. Even if Bulawayo doesn’t build a factory, they can handle the cotton production. On one hand, domestic demand is huge. East Africa also imported several batches of cotton from the Far East this year. On the other hand, foreign demand is high. For example, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire have limited land area and large populations, so the market is quite sizeable."

"It seems, Mayor Luo’an, you are well prepared. Then I won’t dissuade you anymore. Based on what you said, the probability of success is quite high, and you might be able to elevate your market position at that time."

"Haha, thanks for your good wishes. If it really succeeds, I’ll host and treat you to dinner."