SMART HOMES IN SOUTH AFRICA: SLOWLY BREAKING THROUGH
In an age of eco-friendly energy and a lifestyle of continual reliance on technology, a smart home is quite clearly the home of the future for South Africans in estates.
The South African homeowner is typically a homebody and therefore values the size and security of their homes, when compared to their European counterparts. Entertaining at home means that the latest sound system and crystal-clear television is essential when inviting friends and family over for a dinner party or Springbok Test Match.
Essentially, smart home technology makes life more efficient, through a centralised system of controls. A common misconception is that smart homes are linked to automation, but gimmicks are frowned upon in the industry. We are not living in an age of the Jetsons; but rather a time where any device that uses electricity may be put on your home network and at your command. If you want to turn off a TV in another room, it can be done through the interlinked system.
Why not lock your doors and automated garage from the comfort of your bed? Or better yet, use your tablet to monitor your home’s exterior when you are away on holiday. A new mother concerned about leaving her child small child with an untried babysitter? She’ll be able to monitor a camera from her office laptop; not to mention adjusting the temperature at home when there is a chill in the air.
Smart homes should theoretically be dominating our collective daily consciousness (in the same way that smartphones have), but a stumbling block remains the fear of advanced technology that many ‘mature’ South Africans have.
At the moment, smart homes are struggling to find a mainstream audience, but as our country catches up with the First World, it seems to be a matter of time before Developers offer these amenities in their Sectional Title Schemes.