10 years of MSME growth

The Star

13 hours ago

Through Shopee, Kerpok Mfaizz in Terengganu has expanded nationwide, providing jobs for 25 locals and fulfilling over 100,000 orders.
TEN years ago, selling online in Malaysia was something only a few could manage, mostly businesses with time, capital, and technical know-how.
Setting up an online store meant building a website, sorting out payment systems, and managing deliveries – a tall order for most small traders.
Today, tens of thousands of Malaysians run online shops, earn side income, or build fullfledged businesses – often with nothing more than a smartphone.
One of them is Emilhan Mokhtar, founder of KitaShop Sabah, a homegrown brand specialising in Sabah pearl accessories.
With a working capital of just RM2,000, he purchased brooches made with Sabahan freshwater pearls and listed them for sale on Shopee.
Since then, he has generated over RM1.3mil in sales, hired a growing team, and expanded into a larger storefront in Wisma Sabah.
Emilhan believes that e-commerce can create more demand for brooches made of Sabah freshwater pearls, especially when it gives sellers the ability to interact with interested users and potential buyers in real-time.
'Over the last few years, we have noticed that a customer may spend at least three times more during a Shopee Live session compared to buying normally from our Shopee store.
'We believe that they feel more confident with the product quality when they can see it live,' he added.
Saovanee said it's been rewarding to see small businesses grow and make an impact in their communities.
As Shopee celebrates its 10th anniversary in Malaysia this year, it marks a decade of empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through advanced technology, comprehensive training, and innovative tools, all of which contribute to the continued growth of Malaysia's digital economy.
'When Shopee first started, we set out a simple goal of making online buying and selling easier for everyday Malaysians,' said Shopee Malaysia's country director Saovanee Chan-Somchit.
'Malaysian sellers then had very few options if they wanted to sell online. Moreover, buyers were still reluctant to buy online due to uncertainties such as transaction safety, timeliness, reliability, and the reach of deliveries.
'From the very beginning, we wanted to make sure we are creating a safe, reliable, and simple platform where consumers could shop confidently and small businesses could get their start.'
Muhammad Faizz, the owner of Kerpok Mfaizz in Besut, Terengganu, is able to reach a broader customer base and scale his business.
His story reflects a growing trend where traditionally offline products, like keropok lekor, are now being sold and delivered nationwide through e-commerce.
'Thanks to Shopee, our keropok lekor is now reaching customers in Selangor and Johor, something we never thought possible.
'With this expanded reach, I've been able to build my own home and provide jobs for 25 local workers.'
Since joining Shopee, Faizz has fulfilled over 100,000 orders, averaging approximately 100 orders per day.
Shopee's logistics network, backed by local partnerships, has enabled him to handle larger volumes while ensuring timely deliveries nationwide.
'Shopee has given me financial stability that I couldn't achieve relying only on local customers. Now, our business is thriving as we deliver across the country,' he added.
Shopee recognised early on that for digital commerce to truly take root, it needed to build an ecosystem that would equip and empower sellers, especially those with little to no online experience.
That effort began with onboarding support for new sellers, followed by the rollout of Shopee University — a free training and resource for sellers offering in-person workshops, online modules, and live coaching sessions.
Over the past decade, Shopee has conducted over 2.5 million hours of training, helping sellers gain essential skills in customer service, branding, data analysis and marketing.
'We knew that helping sellers embrace technology would be just as important as providing the platform itself,' said Saovanee.
'Many were unfamiliar with selling online. Some didn't even know how to upload a product listing or even the basics of taking product images that would appeal to buyers.
'That's why we focused on building programmes that guide them step by step, starting from where they are, and growing with them over time.'
Today, sellers who complete Shopee's training are significantly more likely to hit monthly sales milestones.
Shopee has also enlisted its most experienced sellers to support their peers, introducing initiatives like ShopeeXperts, which trains top performers to become certified trainers for others on the platform.
This peer-to-peer approach has helped strengthen community learning and created a network of support that extends across seller categories.
In states such as Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan, and Perlis, the platform has collaborated with local councils and community groups to bring training and seller support closer to those operating in more remote areas that have been previously underserved.
'Over the past decade, our investment in Malaysia-specific seller initiatives, from launching new seller features to targeted projects in underserved states, enabled us to help millions of Malaysian MSMEs go online for the first time,' Saovanee added.
'It's been deeply rewarding to watch these small businesses grow, and to witness the impact they've made in their communities.'
Shopee has helped onboard almost two million MSMEs in Malaysia over the past decade, with more sellers being onboarded from nearly all states.
Many of them began selling part-time before eventually turning their side hustle into a primary source of income.
These MSMEs have collectively generated over RM154bil in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) on the platform over the past ten years.
Thousands of sellers have also expanded beyond local borders, exporting their products through Shopee's regional network, with nearly four million items already shipped to overseas customers since Shopee Malaysia launched its export initiatives last year.
Connecting Malaysian sellers to markets such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore, more businesses are able to build their international presence supported by initiatives like the Shopee International Platform (SIP) and the MY-SG Direct programme.
Building on this momentum, Shopee plans to expand its cross-border capabilities across South-East Asia further.
As Shopee enters its second decade, its focus remains firmly on innovation that supports the growth of local businesses, from building tools, programmes, and experiences that help sellers thrive in an increasingly dynamic digital landscape.
The platform is actively developing new seller solutions, including fulfilment warehouses across East and West Malaysia, AI-generated tools to ease image and video generation for sellers' listings, auto-translation to BM for product descriptions, a Chat AI Assistant for 24/7 response to buyers, and a digital relationship manager to provide all sellers a personalised touchpoint for commercial enquiries, all designed to help sellers optimise performance and reach the right audiences, maximising their growth potential.
'Our teams are constantly testing and exploring new technologies not for the sake of innovation, but to solve real challenges for real sellers,' said Saovanee.
'We want to make it easier for them to sell smarter, not harder, especially for first-time sellers who may be just starting.'
While much progress has been made over the past decade, Shopee acknowledges that the work is far from over.
Strengthening Malaysia's online retail ecosystem, deepening e-commerce adoption, and contributing to the broader digital economy remain ongoing priorities.
As the platform scales to support these goals, its focus remains rooted in the mission it started with.
'We want to be a partner that sellers can grow with through every stage of their journey,' she added. 'At the heart of it, it's always been about using technology to make lives better for buyers, for sellers, for communities. That commitment hasn't changed.'
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