Malaysian women entrepreneurs are making steady strides in cross-border trade, supported by increased access to digital platforms and stronger collaboration across the export ecosystem. This was among the key messages from the Women in Export (WiEX) Forum 2025, organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), where Shopee Malaysia joined a panel on expanding global access through e-commerce.
Held at Menara MATRADE, the forum convened senior policymakers, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners, to explore actionable strategies to help more women-led businesses reach international markets.
Speaking at the session “Mengakses Pasaran Global melalui Platform Digital”, Shopee Malaysia’s Head of Business Development, Saovanee Chan-Somchit shared how local women entrepreneurs are leveraging e-commerce to scale regionally. She also highlighted the critical role digital platforms play in providing structured, accessible support at every stage of their growth.
“At Shopee, we work with hundreds of thousands of MSMEs in Malaysia, and about one-third are women-led,” said Saovanee. “We’ve seen first-hand how women entrepreneurs bring incredible determination to overcome constraints, whether it’s limited access to digital training, managing caregiving responsibilities, or navigating new market risks. Our role is to support them with the right tools, infrastructure, and guidance to scale on their terms.”
Shopee’s export enablement strategy is designed to meet Malaysian sellers where they are, offering structured yet flexible support tailored to different levels of readiness. The Shopee International Platform (SIP) provides an end-to-end managed solution that helps Malaysian sellers reach overseas buyers while Shopee handles cross-border logistics, customer service, and payment processing. By removing operational complexities, SIP allows sellers to focus their time and energy on growing their business, from improving product quality to expanding their assortment and optimising marketing. Through SIP, over 30,000 Malaysian sellers are now active in international markets, particularly in Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand, with more than 20,000 daily export orders fulfilled across these countries. Shopee aims to further expand its export network across Southeast Asia, opening up even more opportunities for Malaysian MSMEs.
Meanwhile, the Malaysia-Singapore (MY-SG) Direct programme offers the opportunity for sellers to operate and grow their business independently on Shopee Singapore. Sellers benefit from full flexibility in managing their storefront, pricing, product listings, and promotions, while still enjoying integrated logistics, payment solutions, and access to curated campaigns. With over 5,000 active sellers and 10,000 daily orders, MY-SG Direct provides a scalable, high-control route for export-ready businesses seeking to build long-term brand presence abroad.
These programmes have opened new opportunities for women-led brands to scale meaningfully beyond local borders. One example is Karen Ng Pei Voon, founder of AUDIO KING which sells the locally developed MOGAD electronics brand. After joining the MY-SG Direct programme, the business saw a tenfold revenue increase within six months driven by continuous improvements in listings and participation in targeted campaigns.
Another is Joey & Mom, a baby essentials brand founded by a mother of two, Purani Selvaratnam. By using Shopee’s fulfilment and marketing tools, the brand successfully expanded to Singapore, all while operating fully out of Malaysia, demonstrating how digital commerce can complement family responsibilities and business aspirations.
Also among the many inspiring stories is that of Sheryn Chin, who began her baby food business from home.Despite initial hurdles with cross-border customs procedures and onboarding challenges on other platforms, she found a seamless path to international growth through Shopee’s MY-SG Direct programme. By leveraging Shopee’s suite of marketing tools, Sheryn actively participated in platform-led campaigns, tapped into voucher incentives to attract new customers, and enhanced her product visibility by optimising listing elements such as titles, descriptions, and visuals. These strategic efforts led to a steady increase in her export volumes, reaching hundreds of orders each month. Today, she shares her experience as a certified Shopee Xpert trainer and mentor to other women entrepreneurs navigating similar challenges.
“These stories reflect not just entrepreneurial talent, but the resilience and ingenuity of Malaysian women,” Saovanee added. “We’re encouraged by their success and committed to doing our part to ensure more women can scale with confidence.”
Looking ahead, Shopee remains committed to making e-commerce accessible for all by continuing to work with government and local agencies to accelerate digital transformation and create new online opportunities. This includes close collaboration with MATRADE to support more structured and scalable approaches to export development. “With MATRADE’s strategic guidance and Shopee’s on-the-ground experience supporting MSMEs, we see strong potential to contribute to impactful programmes that empower women entrepreneurs nationwide,” added Saovanee.
The WiEX Forum, held on 10 June, was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and witnessed by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Abdul Aziz, alongside Chairman of MATRADE YB Dato’ Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, CEO of MATRADE YBhg. Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz, and Chair of HAWA Malaysia Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. The event also marked the launch of the Women Exporters e-Directory, a national initiative aimed at enhancing the visibility of women-led businesses in global markets.
As digital commerce continues to evolve, Shopee remains committed to fostering a more inclusive digital economy, empowering Malaysian women entrepreneurs with the tools and support they need to grow their businesses and seize new opportunities, both at home and beyond.