Must-have security gadget for South African homes — priced from R399

There are many affordable smart home cameras in South Africa that can greatly improve home security by quickly detecting intruders and other unusual activity.

While CCTV security cameras have been around for a long time, they were primarily limited to larger households with higher incomes.

That is because they required extensive wired installations with all units routed to a control or junction box and a monitor for viewing feeds.

Like an alarm system, the CCTV system could also be linked to a private security company’s control room, from where the feeds could be monitored for unusual activity.

Increased high-bandwidth broadband connectivity and smartphones have made it possible for homeowners to easily and quickly view their home camera feeds wherever they have their phone and a data connection.

In addition, higher resolutions and smarter software — including artificial intelligence (AI)-based video analysis tools — have further enhanced their practicality.

Instead of requiring users to constantly monitor a video feed or follow up whenever movement is detected, these devices can detect signs of human shapes or movement within their viewing areas.

They can also be set to notify their owners if this happens during scheduled times — like when the user is sleeping or away from home.

Some models also feature built-in alarms and two-way calling, both of which can help deter criminals who become aware that they are being watched.

The prices of smart home cameras have reduced substantially over the past few years due to greater economies of scale and intensified competition between numerous brands.

MyBroadband assembled a list of the most affordable smart home cameras in South Africa.

All of these cameras can record and stream video at a minimum of 1080p resolution, have infrared night vision, and can recognise humans or potential human activity, reducing false alarms.

The most affordable model was the EZVIZ H1C indoor camera, which was priced at R399 from Security King at the time of publication.

There were also several other models from reputable brands selling for under R1,000.

One of the most impressive in terms of features was the Eufy C220 Indoor Cam, which has a 2K resolution and 4x digital zoom support.

The Wyze OG camera also stood out, with support for outdoor usage, 8x digital zoom, and a built-in spotlight.

When it comes to choosing your preferred model, it may also be important to consider the manufacturer’s subscription price for video cloud storage.

This will be necessary if you want to view historical incidents captured by the camera without using a microSD card for local storage.

Certain smart home cameras — like those from Amazon’s Blink and Ring brands — have no onboard storage options.

Below are the most affordable cameras from seven of the best-known smart security device manufacturers.

EZVIZ H1C — R399 (Security King)

• Outdoor usage: No
• Field of view: 108° horizontal
• Motion tracking: No
• Expandable local storage: MicroSD up to 512GB
• Smart assistant integration: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Cloud storage monthly subscription: From $5.99 (R113)

Tapo C60 — R469 (Computer Mania)

• Outdoor usage: No
• Field of view: 105° horizontal
• Motion tracking: No
• Expandable local storage: MicroSD up to 128GB
• Smart assistant integration: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Cloud storage monthly subscription: From R49.99

Xiaomi AW200 Smart Camera — R599 (CaCellular)

• Outdoor usage: Yes
• Field of view: 120° horizontal
• Motion tracking: No
• Expandable local storage: MicroSD up to 256GB
• Smart assistant integration: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Cloud storage monthly subscription: Not supported

Eufy Indoor Cam C220 — R799 (Incredible)

• Outdoor usage:
• Field of view: 360° horizontal pan, 75° vertical tilt
• Motion tracking: Yes
• Expandable local storage: MicroSD up to 128GB
• Smart assistant integration: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Cloud storage monthly subscription: From $2.99 (R56)

Wyze Cam OG — R745 (GeeWiz)

• Outdoor usage: Yes
• Field of view: 102° horizontal
• Motion tracking: No
• Expandable local storage: MicroSD up to 256GB
• Smart assistant integration: Amazon Alex and Google Assistant
• Cloud storage monthly subscription: From $2.99 (R56)

Blink Mini Compact Indoor camera — R775 (GeeWiz)

• Outdoor usage: Yes
• Field of view: 110° diagonal, horizontal unspecified
• Motion tracking: No
• Expandable local storage: No
• Smart assistant integration: Amazon Alexa
• Monthly subscription: From $3.00 (R56)

Ring Indoor Cam 2nd Gen — R999 (Takealot)

• Outdoor usage: No
• Field of view: 115° horizontal, 60° vertical
• Motion tracking: No
• Expandable local storage: No
• Smart assistant integration: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Monthly subscription: From $4.99 (R94)