African Business Chronicles

Chapter 86: Coffee

At the foot of Mount Kenya, Ernst's planned coffee plantation was under construction.

Coffee, being one of the most popular beverages in Europe, America, and the Middle East, had an enormous market. In his previous life, Kenya was already known for its high-quality coffee, but it wasn't until the late 19th century that British colonizers introduced superior coffee varieties.

Now, Ernst had started developing coffee plantations here ahead of schedule.

Ironically, just north of Kenya lies Ethiopia—the birthplace of coffee—yet it wasn't until modern times that the plant truly took root in Kenya. A few Arab settlers had previously introduced coffee trees from Yemen, but never at a large scale.

Ernst drew directly from Kenya's historical experience, importing coffee varieties from Brazil.

The eastern highlands around Mount Kenya sit between 1,400 and 2,000 meters in elevation. The first planned plantation already covered over 28,000 mu (about 4,600 acres).

Ernst might not have the confidence to compete directly with the British and French in global markets, but in the German-speaking world, he had ambition.

While colonial powers like Britain and France operated their own coffee plantations overseas—such as France's in Vietnam and formerly in Haiti—German states lacked colonies and had no suitable domestic conditions for coffee production. This gave Ernst a unique opportunity.

Kenya's natural conditions produced excellent coffee. As the saying goes, good products sell themselves. Land costs in East Africa were extremely low. While labor costs couldn't compete with British and French colonies, Ernst wasn't worried. Sacrificing some profit was acceptable.

In addition to making money, coffee cultivation would create jobs for immigrants.

In his past life, Kenya's coffee industry supported a million jobs. Ernst's target wasn't so ambitious—even if it only provided work for 100,000 to 200,000 people, it would be enough for the East African colony.

Coffee takes at least three years to bear fruit, so results wouldn't come quickly. But the colony could now support long-term agricultural ventures.

With the Hohenzollern Company's established commercial network in the German regions, Ernst could swiftly seize a share of the German coffee market. The upcoming opening of the Suez Canal would make shipping easier and cheaper.

Products would travel along the Indian Ocean, through the Red Sea and Mediterranean, to Trieste. From there, they could be distributed across the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany via the railway network.

If possible, Ernst also intended to use East Africa's geographic advantage to open a Far East coffee trade route.

The Far East was increasingly influenced by the West, and coffee consumption there was on the rise—an emerging market.

The Meiji Restoration in Japan was not far off, and the new government would undoubtedly seek to emulate the West.

Knowing the Japanese tendency to "depart from Asia and enter Europe," coffee would be their ticket into the "civilized world." How else could they feel European if they didn't drink coffee?

At that time, Japan's demand for coffee would likely spike. Ernst planned to introduce instant coffee to the Japanese market.

Europeans, with more refined palates, might not accept instant coffee's taste. But in Japan, where people would be trying coffee for the first time, many would likely dislike its bitterness.

Instant coffee, sweetened and flavored, could easily win over Japanese consumers. Ernst would market it as Europe's latest "industrial" coffee innovation—and charge a premium for it.

Traditional ground coffee was considered pure by enthusiasts, while instant coffee was almost heretical. But in this era, food safety didn't exist. Additives and "tech ingredients" wouldn't raise any eyebrows.

To a Japan aspiring toward Western industrial civilization, even the black smoke from London's factories seemed romantic. So what harm could a little artificial flavoring in coffee do? They'd just see it as dessert.

Kenyan coffee would then be split into two categories: high-quality beans for the European market, and lower-quality ones for Japan.

This way, Kenyan coffee would build a strong reputation in Europe. After all, the quality was already good, and Ernst would further sort the beans—ensuring only top-grade product reached Europe.

If the Japanese ever complained, the Hohenzollern Company could confidently say: "These are all Kenyan beans, just like the ones Europe raves about. How could there be a problem?"

"We even adjusted the taste to suit your country's preferences. How is that dishonest?" And if Japan asked why Europeans didn't drink instant coffee—"Well, you didn't do your market research."

Instant coffee wasn't poison. It just tasted different and had more additives. As for the increased risks of cancer, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes compared to traditional coffee—no one could prove that yet in this era.

During the Meiji Restoration, coffee would be a luxury item in Japan—only the elite could afford it. Ordinary people wouldn't even come into contact with it, so health risks weren't a concern.

And as long as instant coffee wasn't consumed like water, what was there to fear?

Ernst fully intended to profit from this opportunity. He planned to flood Japan with advertising, hyping his products in a time with no strict regulations. Claiming that coffee cured diseases wouldn't even be considered outrageous—after all, the British were still treating opium as a miracle drug.

Compared to that, Ernst felt like a saint.

To prepare for entry into the Japanese market, Ernst began laying the groundwork. Japan's open-door policy would create a huge market.

They would import Western goods in large volumes, send observers abroad, and sponsor students to study in the West.

Speaking of which, Ernst thought he might even open a fake university in Europe—to siphon off some of Japan's education funding.

He could set up a fake college under the guise of British or French affiliation, charge low tuition, and attract Japanese students. After all, studying abroad in this era was costly.

Ernst might even recruit students in Japan directly—charge them for tuition and passage—and take them… well, wherever.

Not because he was cruel, but due to lingering biases from his previous life. Resentment and prejudice couldn't be erased by reincarnation. His worldview was still shaped by his past.

Besides, if he could make money, prank a rival country, and even gain some strange goodwill in return—why not?

After all, weren't Japan and Alaska both soaking in the same North Pacific "bathtub"? Helping a neighbor a little didn't hurt.

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