African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1492: Chapter 35: Film Industry Base

In fact, before World War I, Russia’s railway network had already covered surrounding countries and regions as much as possible, such as the Far East Empire, Persia, Central Asia, and some Eastern European countries.

East Africa does not have such conditions; if East Africa wants to further extend the railway network in Africa, basically only moving towards West Africa can make a significant impact.

Heading north is the Sahara Desert, and to the south remains only a small area of the United Kingdom’s South African colony.

However, the exchange and trade between East Africa and West Africa, due to Guinea Bay, are more cost-effective through maritime transport compared to railways. East Africa doesn’t need railways to exert significant influence on West Africa.

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Let’s shift our focus to Kitwe City in the copper belt.

It has been a year since Kitwe City began its transformation in the economic sphere, but the road to transformation for Kitwe City has not been smooth.

After all, being accustomed to a long-term command economy, many officials in East Africa have yet to adapt to the rules and methods of the market economy, and likewise, the Kitwe City government should feel confused about the reforms.

Kitwe City has indeed issued some reform measures and policies that are quite in line with reality, but either they are difficult to see results in a short period, or they are restrained by huge financial demands and cannot start for a long time.

Is there a project that can produce quick results, one that Kitwe City can afford economically, and meets the various needs of Kitwe City’s economic development?

Through more than a year of exploration, Kitwe City’s mayor, Deberne, truly found a shortcut to development, which is the film industry.

”The film industry is an entirely emerging industry. Its emergence has been much later than the automobile industry, nearly approaching the end of the 19th century, it can be said to be a blue ocean.”

”Moreover, the film industry belongs to the scope of the tertiary industry, and due to its cultural attributes, it is beneficial for raising Kitwe City’s reputation, and with the reputation established, our other plans can be based on it.”

At the Kitwe City year-end economic conference, Deberne vigorously promoted to his subordinates that developing the film industry is certainly a farsighted idea, but this point may not be accepted by everyone.

”Mayor Deberne, although your idea is good, over the course of this year, we have been under fiscal pressure and have just launched comprehensive management of the city environment, whether it be shutting down highly polluting mines or factories, or restoring forest and river ecology...”

”All of this makes the city government’s finances seem precarious. Besides the massive expenditures, our economic transformation policy in 1921 has also led to a significant decline in government revenue. It is certain that the government’s financial reports will not look good in the next two to three years.”

Kitwe City is a typical industrial mining city, so the first cut of economic transformation falls on the city’s economic artery, which is copper mining and non-ferrous metal processing.

This can be said to be fatal for Kitwe’s economy, but of course, Deberne does not see it that way.

Deberne said, ”Indeed, copper mines and related industries surrounding copper mines are currently the lifeline of our Kitwe economy, but this industry has almost no upward potential.”

”Especially in the increasingly fierce market competition environment, we cannot even compete with neighboring Lubumbashi, let alone a bunch of coastal cities that are also eyeing us vigilantly.”

”If we do not make changes, then the ultimate result is that even if we continue to invest heavily in the copper industry development, it will become increasingly difficult and unable to achieve good results, and ultimately, we may be surpassed by coastal areas.”

”Therefore, finding a new economic outlet is something Kitwe City must do; we cannot pursue short-term economic achievements at the expense of Kitwe City’s development potential.”

”As for the current fiscal pressure faced by the city government, in my view, it is not entirely a problem; after all, economic transformation requires some sacrifices, so promoting the landing of the film industry in Kitwe City is one of our key economic projects for next year.”

”I hope that during the five-five planning period, Kitwe City can become the country’s fourth film industry center and even build the first film city in East Africa.”

Currently, the film industry centers in East Africa are recognized to be distributed in three cities, the first of which is the cultural and international exchange center of East Africa, the Eastern Africa Capital, Rhein City.

However, Rhein City’s film industry largely serves political purposes, as it is the nation’s political center after all.

Commercially successful ones are Mombasa City and Dar es Salaam City. These two cities, as the most developed cities in East Africa, inherently possess economic advantages for developing the industry.

For example, funds, talents, technology, and markets; these advantages are not possessed by most cities in East Africa.

Comprehensively, Mombasa City’s film industry development is best because besides the economic advantages, it also combines international exchange and natural conditions advantages.

This aspect of international exchange is very important for the film industry, as it means Mombasa’s film industry practitioners can better connect internationally, thereby maintaining continuous progress in technology and creative content.

Although East Africa is a country where the film industry developed relatively early, the progress of the film industry development in Europe and America is actually not slow, and the main reason for this is the looser management in Europe and America, or almost no management of the film industry.

As a result, the content they can shoot is much more diverse than in East Africa. Although it may result in mixed quality, it is beneficial for opening the film market; after all, only with more diverse content can more adequately meet market demand.