TikTok plans to invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia to strengthen its presence in the region.
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Southeast Asia is one of TikTok's largest markets, with over 325 million app visitors every month.
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Despite its large user base, TikTok has yet to generate significant e-commerce revenue in the region due to competition from major players like Shopee, Lazada, and Tokopedia.
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TikTok aims to invest in training, advertising, and supporting small sellers on its e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop.
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The platform's content is diversifying as it expands beyond advertising into e-commerce, allowing users to purchase goods through in-app links during livestreaming.
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TikTok currently has 8,000 employees in Southeast Asia and 2 million small sellers in Indonesia, the region's largest economy
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E-commerce transactions in the region reached nearly $100 billion last year, with Indonesia accounting for $52 billion.
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TikTok's total transactions in Southeast Asia amounted to $4.4 billion last year, but it still lags behind Shopee's $48 billion in regional product sales in 2022.
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TikTok faces scrutiny and regulatory challenges due to concerns over data security and its Chinese ownership.
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While TikTok has not faced major bans on government devices in Southeast Asia, it has been scrutinized for its content in countries like Indonesia and Vietnam.