African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 605: Chapter 283: Inspection of Bajamojo

Since Constantine is still on his way back, Ernst plans to take this opportunity to visit the shipyard in Bajamojo.

”Karina, I’m going to the Bajamojo shipyard today and should be back tomorrow. You stay home and have your mother keep you company. If you need anything, instruct the servants, and if you feel unwell, call a doctor...”

Ernst rambled on meticulously. Now that Karina was pregnant with their second child, otherwise, he would have wanted to take Karina with him to Bajamojo for a stroll. But since the trip to Bajamojo requires taking the water route, Ernst was not at ease.

”Alright, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m not a child, and there’s nothing we lack in the palace. There are plenty of servants to command. But you did mention when we might visit Grandmother? She’s been calling often, and Little Friedrich hasn’t seen his grandmother. She’s quite fond of him,” Karina asked.

Karina was raised by Empress Dowager Sophie from a young age and their bond is deep, but ever since coming to East Africa, she hasn’t been able to see her grandmother, with phone calls being their only form of contact to alleviate some of the longing.

”Father sometimes goes to Austria to see Grandmother. She’s still in good health, and your brother Little Rudolph and Uncle are doing well, so there’s no need to worry too much. Next year, I’ll go with you to visit them,” Ernst promised.

In reality, the Austrian Royal Family has a fair amount of bothersome issues, many of which are related to Franz. Little Rudolph often contacts Ernst, which is a relief to have someone for guidance, as during this era, no one cared about psychological issues, so the responsibility for Rudolph’s mental well-being fell a bit on Ernst and Karina’s shoulders.

As for Franz, though his romantic life isn’t smooth, his mindset is exceptionally robust, otherwise, he wouldn’t have lived so long even in his troubled past life.

In this life, their brother Grand Duke Ferdinand didn’t get shot by a Mexican, and he often returns to exchange banter, living a much better life than in his previous one.

Keeping in contact with the Austrian Royal Family helps in the development of relations between the two countries. They always had a good relationship, but East Africa and Europe are separated by an ocean, making visits inconvenient. When Ernst was in Europe, he often visited the Austrian palace.

Thinking this way, Ernst felt that he should balance this with the good relationships he had with the many nobles and royals connected to the Heixinggen crown. It was a good opportunity to visit and strengthen relational bonds.

So Ernst added, ”It’s also a good time to visit other countries with friendly ties to East Africa in Europe. If you have any friends you’d like to see, let me know in advance so you don’t find yourself in a rush later.”

Karina said, ”I don’t have many friends, most are in Vienna. A simple gathering would be enough, it’ll give Little Friedrich a chance to meet people.”

Karina grew up in the Austrian court, so her acquaintances were mostly the children of high-ranking Austrian nobles since ordinary people didn’t have the opportunity to enter the Austro-Hungarian imperial court.

”Of course, there’s no problem, but considering your due date, it’s likely that we can only go to Europe in the second half of next year. There will also be state visits, so it will definitely be tiring with many social engagements,” Ernst reminded.

”That’s not an issue. Before coming to East Africa, I was used to it. It’s rather the lack of nobility and rules in East Africa compared to Europe that’s the difference,” Karina said.

The couple chatted for a while before Ernst prepared to set off.

Because the journey was by water, they had to wait for the ship at the northern port of First Town, which is not far from the city center. The north bank of Little Rhine River is now Third Town, which has already merged with First Town, making both banks of Little Rhine River quite prosperous.

Ernst took a gunboat from the Guard Division, so it was quick, reaching Bajamojo City in just two to three hours.

Although the Central Railway from First Town City takes less than an hour, the water route has obvious cargo transport advantages, thus economic ties between First Town and Bajamojo City are even tighter.

By noon, Ernst arrived in Bajamojo City. Although Bajamojo cannot compare to Dar es Salaam and Mombasa, it holds a significant position in East African shipbuilding due to the shipping industry’s development.

Most importantly, it’s home to the main naval base. Ernst first went to see Ferdinand at the navy but was told that Grand Duke Ferdinand was currently at the Ferdinand Naval Academy on Bemba Island. Therefore, under the company of other naval personnel, he toured the base’s construction.

”As the gateway to First Town City, the mouth of Little Rhine River, our local construction can be described as impregnable. Both the navy and the Guard Division have heavy defenses. No enemy could pose a threat to the nearby seas,”

”Hmm, I’m well aware of this. How are the navy’s new ships this year?” Ernst asked.

”The Bajamojo shipyard completed the building of three gunboats this year, but the latest armored cruiser with a 3,000-ton displacement will still take time. We estimate it will be completed and put into service by early the year after next.”

The shipbuilding technology at Bajamojo Shipyard is steadily improving. They are now striving for the 3,000-ton displacement level; with even higher figures quite achievable, they have opted for a more conservative approach.

”The Bajamojo shipyard still needs to gain experience. This is where we in East Africa are lacking. We are also somewhat inadequate in technology and research and development, and there is a shortage of local talent. However, we should see improvements in a few decades, so you don’t need to be too anxious,” Ernst said.

”Independence has always been the goal of the East African Navy. We still need to learn from other powerful naval countries while trying to keep pace with them, to avoid falling behind. But that’s not too difficult for us; we’ve already achieved partial self-production of weapons and equipment, and the imitation work is proceeding smoothly.”

For the East African Navy to become independent, they cannot avoid taking the route of imitation and adaptation. As for independent research and design, this significantly raises the demands for talent and involves the layout of related industries. Without a robust industry, a strong independent navy is unattainable. Relying on purchases can solve short-term problems, but the ambitions of the East African Navy naturally extend beyond this.

After inspecting the navy, Ernst began surveying Bajamojo’s civilian shipyard.

As the shipbuilding industry hub of East Africa, Bajamojo currently hosts thirteen shipbuilding enterprises, most of which are state-owned, with only two private companies belonging to the Heixinggen Ocean Trade Company.

Thus, Bajamojo’s shipbuilding industry is top-tier in East Africa. The shipbuilding prowess of Dar es Salaam and Mombasa is not lacking either, but their responsibilities are too diverse to focus solely on the shipbuilding industry.

Conversely, Bajamojo City, without the burden of extensive economic development, has space to focus on the shipbuilding industry. In East Africa, shipbuilding cannot rely solely on private enterprise; it requires significant contribution from either the government or the Heixinggen conglomerate.

This undoubtedly limits the vibrancy of the East African shipbuilding industry, but the advantages are evident. The government and the Heixinggen conglomerate can leverage their massive resource advantages to support the initial growth of the East African shipbuilding industry.