Shopee Celebrates 10 Years of Empowering MSMEs

New ‘Shopee: Keeping Cultures Alive’ docuseries spotlights MSME sellers preserving heritage and uplifting communities through e-commerce

Shopee, a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Brazil, commemorates its 10th anniversary with the release of ‘Shopee: A Decade of Impact for Sellers’, its inaugural impact report, and ‘Shopee: Keeping Cultures Alive’, its new regional docuseries. Together, they spotlight how local businesses and communities around the world have leveraged Shopee and the digital economy to grow, preserve cultural heritage, and improve livelihoods over the past decade.

Empowering Local Businesses in the Digital Economy

Since launching in 2015, Shopee has been committed to helping sellers take part and succeed in the digital economy. Over the past decade, micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sellers have grown their businesses to achieve more than US$270 billion in sales on Shopee, underscoring the transformative role of e-commerce in driving business growth and creating economic opportunity.

Each year, more sellers have onboarded with Shopee, with the number of MSMEs doubling annually on average. Around 80% of these businesses operate outside capital cities, using Shopee to reach new buyers within their home markets and even across the region.

Beyond access, MSME sellers continue to strengthen their digital skills and confidence through learning resources on Shopee. To date, more than 7.6 million MSME sellers have taken part in Shopee University programs, which include over 1,500 online learning modules, as well as in-person workshops held across 318 cities in Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

“The past decade has been a time of tremendous change as the digital economy opened new opportunities for people and businesses everywhere. We are deeply grateful to our community of MSME sellers who first kickstarted their online journey 10 years ago on our platform, and continue to partner us as they grow and unlock greater success through e-commerce,” said Terence Pang, Chief Operating Officer, Shopee.

Helping MSMEs Engage Today’s Buyers and Grow Online

As the digital landscape evolved, MSME sellers adapted by using Shopee’s content ecosystem tools and features to reach buyers more effectively online. These include Shopee Live and Shopee Video, which enable sellers to connect with customers in more interactive ways. Since launch, MSME sellers have seen an average yearly increase of more than 300% in Shopee Live orders, enabling them to scale customer engagement and drive stronger sales growth.

To reach even wider audiences, sellers without marketing experience or dedicated teams can also expand their customer base through Shopee Affiliate Marketing Solutions (AMS). By collaborating with trusted creators and key opinion leaders, MSME sellers have increased visibility and sales, with AMS contributing to 30% of order increases, further demonstrating how simple, accessible tools can drive meaningful business growth. 

For those ready to expand internationally, the Shopee Export Program (SEP) simplifies cross-border expansion by enabling MSME sellers to seamlessly list their products across multiple markets in the region. Since 2018, more than 2.1 million MSME sellers have joined SEP to extend their reach beyond borders, showing how digital commerce continues to create opportunities for regional growth.

Connecting Consumers and Communities Across the Region

Over the past decade, Shopee has connected millions of consumers to essential goods and services, no matter where they live. To date, users from more than 400 cities regularly shop on the platform, with over 140 billion items purchased by buyers living outside capital cities. This growth highlights how e-commerce continues to enhance everyday life by bridging geographic barriers and supporting more inclusive access to the digital economy.

The growth of the digital economy has also supported local employment and income opportunities across the region. More than 97% of Shopee employees are local talent, while over 23 million affiliates and creators have joined the Shopee Affiliate Program (SAP) to build an alternative source of income. To date, affiliate earnings have grown by over 90% on average each year, helping individuals across the region create new and sustainable income streams.

Launch of New ‘Shopee: Keeping Cultures Alive’ Docuseries

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, they will be launching a regional docuseries titled ‘Shopee: Keeping Cultures Alive’. The series spotlights local sellers across Southeast Asia and Taiwan whose inspiring journeys reflect how entrepreneurship and culture go hand-in-hand in shaping a more inclusive and connected digital future.

Through the seven themes of passion, tradition, transformation, modernisation, heritage, community, and empowering women, the docuseries captures the spirit of sellers who are building their businesses online while preserving what makes their culture unique. 

The docuseries will launch soon on Shopee’s official YouTube channels, celebrating the people and partnerships that have shaped its first decade, and the shared progress that will define the next.