Africa, ME Home Devices Market Tops $2bn in 1st Qtr

The Middle East and Africa (MEA) smart home devices market saw its value increase 6.1% year on year during the first quarter of 2021, according to the latest insights from International Data Corporation (IDC).

The global technology research and consulting firm’s Worldwide Quarterly Smart Home Devices Tracker shows that the MEA market’s value reached $1.95billion in Q1 2021.
“As people continued to stay at home, they had time to review and adjust their requirements for home devices,” says Isaac T. Ngatia, a senior research analyst at IDC. “Over the last four quarters, the home has become the center of many activities that were previously conducted in other locations. This adjustment came with a need not only for convenience, but also for saving money and energy.
“As the pandemic rolled on, people not only shifted to working and schooling from home, but also ended up conducting many aspects of their lives from home. Entertainment and gaming from home, experiments and research from home, meetings and conferences from home all became part of daily life. This called for investments in better and more convenient smart home facilities.”
The product categories driving this growth included smart lighting, small smart appliances, thermostats, smart outlets, and switches as end users sought to reduce their utilities bills while having to remain at home for prolonged periods of time.
“Smart products that supported and enhanced convenience in day-to-day activities saw stronger demand in Q1 2021. On one hand, this shows that these products are now readily available in the market, and on the other hand, it shows that end users are realizing the benefits of incorporating smart devices into their homes.”
Other categories that witnessed growth included streaming sticks and set-top boxes, driven by the demand for home entertainment.

However, panel-based devices such as smart TVs and smart hubs were negatively impacted by a global shortage of components. In addition, other entertainment devices such as DVD/Blu-ray players and AV receivers declined by 9.5% YoY in Q2 2021 as demand shifted to streaming-based services.