Laskampoli Trading Market was mainly intended to broaden the sales channels for East African goods. Grain, for example, was hard currency, but it had a limited shelf life; if it could not be sold off in time, it risked expiring and spoiling.
Then there was Sisal cloth. The East African colony had produced a whole heap of the stuff in one go, only to find that its market in Europe was extremely limited. European merchants mainly preferred buying rope directly, or purchasing Sisal fiber to process themselves.
Laskampoli Trading Market was also an attempt at overland trade for East Africa. Perhaps in the future, a caravan could be assembled to make the journey from East Africa all the way to Egypt and test the route.
Egypt lay along the Mediterranean coast. European ships could sail directly to Port of Alexandria, while Egypt itself served as the overland link between Africa and Asia. Goods from Asia could likewise reach Egypt directly by land.
There were two main overland trade routes from East Africa to Egypt that could be considered. One was the eastern route, heading north from Somalia or eastern Ethiopia, passing through Sudan to reach Egypt. The other was the western route, heading north from what had been South Sudan in his previous life, passing through Sudan to reach Egypt.
Though land trade routes were inefficient and far more costly than sea routes, they could provide East Africa with another option.
For now, East Africa's coast was still relatively easy to blockade, so there was a potential danger that other countries might sever its overseas connections.
On the Great Lake, Lake Victoria, several small boats raced across the surface. Their stern propellers churned rapidly beneath the water, driving the boats forward, while their engines belched black smoke and roared