African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 859: Chapter 163: East African Cowboys

If Lake Malawi didn’t exist, the Central Railway wouldn’t have to move north, and northern Mozambique, rich in natural harbors, could entirely replace the role of Dar es Salaam City.

Of course, the existence of Lake Malawi has both advantages and disadvantages for East Africa overall; naturally, it’s better to have the lake. After all, lakes are precious natural resources, and a giant lake like Lake Malawi is a rare resource for many countries. Moreover, the presence of Lake Malawi doesn’t necessarily mean a complete disadvantage in transportation. The Malawi Lake Industrial Zone took shape by relying on the local lake transport industry.

The natural conditions along the Lake Malawi shore are excellent, and it serves as an important transportation link connecting East and Central Africa, allowing for rapid resource circulation within the region.

The local natural resource base is not bad; lakeside cities, with Mbeya City at the forefront, could become East Africa’s most important early heavy industrial bases, thanks to the region’s rich coal and iron resources.

Moreover, Mbeya City benefits from the Central Railway, making its economic strength quite formidable in East Africa, and it’s poised to be a major transportation hub for the central eastern land.

Certainly, Lake Malawi’s conditions are excellent, yet they limit the development of the lake’s eastern and northern Mozambican regions due to insufficient transportation infrastructure to support local and inland economic connections.

Take, for example, the new Württemberg Province north of northern Mozambique, which has a railroad connection that bridges the coast and Malawi Lake Industrial Zone. This, in turn, has made the new Württemberg Province one of the economically stronger provinces in East Africa.

So, strictly speaking, it’s not Lake Malawi restricting the development of the east, but rather the late development of northern Mozambique, even without the Lake Malawi factor.

With tens of thousands of square kilometers of land in northern Mozambique, the potential isn’t too bad—for instance, the western Tete Province of Mozambique has rich coal resources.

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”Bowers, the town ahead should be Marling Town; today, we’ll camp outside the town. You guys are responsible for going to the town to procure supplies while we communicate with the local government to provide accommodation,” said Launis.

”Yes, Captain, shall we head out first?” said Boris, a middle-aged man.

Along the highway four kilometers north of Marling Town, a long line of East African cowboys and a herd of cattle stretched for an entire kilometer, looking quite spectacular.

Cowboys can also be called East African cowboys; this is an organized profession in East Africa, mainly responsible for transporting large livestock such as cattle and horses across various regions in East Africa.

In East Africa, northern pastures have long maintained the key task of supporting livestock labor across the country. Thus, the East African government has organized professional teams to handle large-scale escort missions.

This has led to the formation of a professional ”cowboy” team—they are similar to American western cowboys who drive cattle long distances to their destinations.

It’s just that the purposes differ. The U.S. has a massive beef consumption market and is also the world’s most significant beef exporter, so cowboy tasks are mostly money-making jobs demanded by employers.

East African cowboys also have to support their families, but due to East African market rules, they receive a drought-and-flood-proof salary without being greatly affected by market price fluctuations.

Of course, East African cowboy salaries are higher than ordinary agricultural workers’ because this job poses significant risks, and roughing it is commonplace. The primary issue is wasted time; there are hardly any stable days throughout the year. So this bit of hardship money is necessary, albeit not excessively high.

However, the East African cowboy community is also happy to embrace this; at least, a stable job and income cushion family expenses from worry. As East Africa continues to develop, this job has become increasingly easier.

Just like now, the current stopping point, Marling Town, if it were a few years ago, it was just a village, and going back another decade or so, it might have been just a wilderness.

The population growth in East Africa has led to increased villages, towns, and cities along the way, with improved road conditions.

In the past, East African cowboys could only spend nights on the savannah, worried about attacks from lions, leopards, hyenas, and other predators.

Nowadays, the most common sights are well-maintained roads, developed farmland everywhere, occasional passing vehicles, and sporadic traces of human presence, which was unimaginable before.

It can be said that the East African cowboy community is one of those who have witnessed East Africa’s development most profoundly. After all, they have long been active across East Africa, familiar with its geographical environment, and most experienced with East Africa’s ever-changing transformations.

Launis and Boris are the so-called ”East African cowboys,” their skin tanned from years of exposure to the elements, wearing signature cowboy hats, riding horses, accompanied by vehicles carrying life supplies and firearms, driving thousands of cattle.

By less than three o’clock in the afternoon, the cowboys reached Marling Town, located in the southern part of the new Württemberg Province, a necessary stop for this journey.

Town mayor Val warmly welcomed the group of ”cowboys” because most residents across East Africa are not unfamiliar with them. A few years ago, most of Marling Town’s livestock was driven in by cowboys.

Val said, ”Mr. Launis, I remember you; it was five years ago, it seemed, when you led the team delivering plow oxen to our town, wasn’t it?”

Relying on the familiar Mayor Val in front, Launis asked uncertainly, ”Who are you?”

Val explained, ”I used to be a villager from Mulin Village, a subordinate village of Marling Town; you can’t remember me, which is normal. Back then, I wasn’t yet Marling Town’s mayor. It’s just that you guys visited our village, so I remember quite deeply.”

After all, in the process of promoting plow oxen in East Africa as replacements for black slaves, Launis played a significant role. He’s walked the new Württemberg Province’s routes for years, so he’s somewhat known locally.

”I see!” Launis nodded.

”Mr. Launis, where are you headed this time? There seems to be quite a number of cattle transported this time,” Val asked.

Regarding this, Launis didn’t hide: ”We’re heading to northern Mozambique; these plow oxen are meant to assist in the cultivation efforts there.”

”Northern Mozambique? That’s a bit far; I’ve heard it was once Portuguese territory. Now the country is making a big push to develop there?”

Launis replied, ”That’s right, I’ve heard there is a relatively small population there, and now that East Africa’s livestock farming has taken off, our task is to deliver cattle to northern Mozambique.”

Val said, ”I’ve been there once before, during the war years. Our town organized manpower to help the army transport supplies; I remember crossing a large river called the Lufuma River!”

Launis nodded, saying, ”Yes, we’re crossing the Lufuma River this time and then coordinating with local government personnel.”

For northern Mozambique, Launis wasn’t familiar, so they needed local guidance. However, East Africa has been developing northern Mozambique for several years, so there is some population, making it not too much of a problem.

And the decision to have Launis lead the team was based on his rich experience as a cowboy with no history of getting lost. Moreover, Northern Mozambique still has quite a number of wild animals, given it’s been only a few years since development started, calling for seasoned cowboys like Launis to handle unexpected situations.