2020 Entertainment TrendsThere is an increase in popularity for retro-looking products. As turntables and record sales continue to grow, Klipsch have invested in their Heritage range of products. Many of them have kept the ‘old school’ appeal that they had created back in the 1970s. While aesthetically untouched, music fans will appreciate the innovations inside the box that takes advantage of some of the newer technologies that have been developed since the products initial launch. Klipsch have also introduced a whole range of new products like wireless audio distribution solutions, powered bookshelf speakers, headphones and passive soundbars which all take their styling cues from the Heritage range of products and are up to date with the latest trends in consumer audio demands.2020 Security TrendsIntegration will be the buzzword when it comes to security. Homeowners are looking to unify their multiple devices and services.

Control4 allows “stand alone” systems like alarms, CCTV cameras, smart lighting and audio-visual systems to be integrated to each other.

A main benefit of an integrated system is that the homeowner only needs one app to control these systems instead of each system needing a separate app. A control system like Control4 allows the homeowner to interact with their system using multiple types of interfaces like apps on smart phones and tablets, remote controls, keypads and touchscreens as well as voice commands. In addition to this, with an integrated solution like Control4 these separate systems can be orchestrated to work together in the event of a trigger. For example, wouldn’t it be great if when your alarm system went off, your lights could come on and the camera for that zone is shown on touchscreens and TV’s to immediately show the homeowner what triggered the alarm. Seeing as though more than 90% of alarm triggers are false alarms (normally the neighbour’s cat which jumped over the wall) you could active the garden irrigation system in the triggered zone and play dog barking sounds through the garden speakers, to chase the animal away… with Control4 this is a living reality… 2020 Eco Trends

Denon AV Receivers ECO mode on a Denon AV Receiver limits the amount of power drawn by the AVR when it’s not being used to its fullest potential. An Audio/Video Receiver is the central routing and processing component in a home theatre. When you start to increase the volume of a movie, the Denon AVR will unlock the extra power and processing so that the experience is immersive.

With Control4 Smart Home homeowners can achieve an eco-friendlier environment in their homes, by turning off lighting, HVAC and AV systems in rooms that are not in use. In the event of a power outage and the home is running on a generator or batteries with an inverter, then the Control4 system could allow only critical services to be used while running on a limited power source. In the event of running on a generator or inverter it is also possible to limit how devices are used to further lengthen this power source. Lighting can be limited to a predefined maximum and HVAC systems can be limited on their hot and cold setpoints, to use less energy.

A smart home could also prevent an irrigation system from activating if the ground moisture level is high enough to conserve water too.Available exclusively through the Homemation distribution network.   Homemation is a specialist supplier of premium branded audiovisual, home automation and home theatre products. The brands in their stable offer some of the most advanced and sought-after home automation, AV and sound technology in the world. Homemation has the exclusive distribution, in Africa, of global leading brands such as Control4, Definitive Technology, Denon, Heos, Klipsch, Monitor Audio, Polk Audio, Steinway Lyngdorf, Stewart Filmscreen, SVS, Lutron and Roksan.

Call Homemation on 011-781 8887 for your nearest stockist, or visit www.homemation.co.za or www.control4.co.za ; Facebook

It seems to be standard practice that at the end of every year, financially savvy investment guru’s give us their take on what they think the investment landscape for the following year will yield.  Predicting the future direction of financial markets is fraught with left and right turns. This year is no different, and even though nobody has a crystal ball, based on what 2019 has yielded to date, Daniel Kibel, Founder of CM Trading, gives us his take on what he thinks 2020 will look like.

Looking abroad, massive events have been dominating the global investment landscape for the last few years. These events are going to substantially change the way investors approach investment. The election of Boris Johnson has cemented the fact that Brexit is definitely going to happen. What is important to consider now, is how this will fundamentally change your investment journey over 2020. The second important global event is the 2020 Presidential elections, and amidst impeachment woes, whether Trump will still be a key player? Both of these international events are sure keep the markets interesting, to say the least, for 2020. Closer to home, investors must keep in mind the Eskom issues, SAA and the future of the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

Moving away from the news making events that will dominate 2020, an aging worldwide population coupled with the rise of a middle class in emerging markets leads me to believe there will be a shift in consumer habits and tastes over the next 10 years. As things go generally, aged investors are more sensible, more investment savvy and they usually have more money to invest. With pension plans around the world falling short of the lifetime expectations of those who have paid them their entire lives, investors will need to be much wiser in their choices. Both locally and globally, people must ensure that they have a long-term plan for their financial stability in retirement.

Consumers are increasingly focused on the many and broad implications of what is happening in terms of sustainability. A massive shift has taken place towards meat alternatives specifically, and the investment opportunities in companies that offer these alternatives is huge. The investment stalwarts such as Coca Cola, Disney, Amazon etc. will remain solid, but an influx of new companies have raised massive awareness and people are always comfortable to invest in something that is creating ripples. Alternative energy and alternative meat sources are definitely creating ripples, so they will definitely be top of mind for new investment opportunities.

Within our borders, according to the Where to Invest in Africa 2020 report, South Africa has fallen to third place. It’s no secret that South Africa is facing a problem.  The currency is unstable and the problems faced by the leadership is not inspiring investor confidence. The impact this has had is a complete lack of funds in the country. There are many more attractive African markets that are available to investors, which has an effect on the dollar rand which rolls over to the economy, making imports a lot more expensive, in turn making life more expensive. Investment players must keep this top of mind and South African investors should be certainly be following global trends when making their 2020 investment decisions. You cannot invest if you’re not aware of and following global trends. Fact. Global trends lead the world, but South Africa is part of world. The world is a very small place these days and one thing we can all bank on is the fact that if something makes waves in England, for example, the waves will be felt in South Africa. As an investor you can’t ignore the rest of the world, especially when playing in a market as small as South Africa’s.

In terms of investment trends in 2020, I don’t see many changes on the horizon. Investors will still be interested in trading gold, trading Euro Dollar, oil, the NASDAQ etc. I do think people will still be leaning towards South African stocks, but I also think there is a growing degree of wariness. People who have traditionally invested in SA stocks are holding on and waiting to see what’s happening internationally. The interest in bitcoin and other digital currencies has definitely gone down a lot and people seem to be moving away from them.

When it comes to the South African economy, we are going to have to focus heavily on that before we can even consider investing abroad. Even if there is a huge upturn in the world’s economy, we are a long way behind. The problems with Eskom are case in point. I would suggest that SA investors should absolutely be looking for global investment opportunities. The SA market is simply not stable enough and there are so many unknowns, it would be a complete miss for investors to only keep things local.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, a huge positive is that the SA investor is a lot more aware than they were five years ago. They are a lot savvier in global markets and that is certainly going to continue. The final thing I can say to anyone wanting to invest is ‘don’t shut your eyes’. Keep them open as to what is happening not only in SA’s economy but also keep a firm eye on what’s happening around the world. What is creating opportunity for investors? Certainly Brexit; maybe look at trading against the pound. Watch the relationship between America and China; that’s going to have a huge effect on the dollar. Just carry on learning because you literally have a smorgasbord of information right at your fingertips.