On International MSME Day 2024, Ant International, a frontrunner in digital payments and financial services, announces its extensive support for nearly 100 million Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) worldwide. The company reaffirms its commitment to MSME digitalization and inclusion through expanded services, innovative skills development programs with industry partners, and a new global campaign.
Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, emphasized, “MSMEs are vital to our economies, driving innovation, employment, and inclusive development. At Ant International, we champion the potential of small businesses to create significant impacts. Fintech innovations are unlocking new avenues for MSMEs to compete globally, and we are dedicated to ensuring every business has access to the tools needed to achieve their goals.”
Empowering MSME Growth through Digitalization:
Ant International’s initiatives include solutions that enable MSMEs to digitalize, thus opening up new growth opportunities:
- Alipay+ Expansion: Alipay+, renowned for its cross-border mobile payments and marketing solutions, now boasts acceptance by over 90 million merchants across 66 markets as of June 2024. This expansion facilitates seamless connectivity between small businesses and global consumers, crucial for economies driven by tourism.
- National QR Integration: Alipay+ has integrated with national QR systems in Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea, enhancing transaction efficiency for MSMEs. Notably, transactions at Singaporean hawker stalls surged by 52% in H1 2024 compared to H2 2023.
- Antom’s Global Reach: Antom, supporting merchants in over 40 countries, connects MSMEs to 250+ payment methods across 150 markets. Its D-store solution has streamlined operations for over 5000 outlets, with transactions increasing by 27% in Q2 2024.
- WorldFirst’s Impact: WorldFirst empowers over 1 million SMEs with international payments to 200+ markets, with plans to expand further in Southeast Asia and Europe.
- bettr Initiative: Ant International launches bettr, a global digital lending service aimed at MSMEs, fostering financial inclusion through embedded finance partnerships.
Driving MSME Development through Partnerships:
Ant International collaborates with industry leaders to enhance knowledge and skills development for MSMEs:
- SisBerdaya in Indonesia: Ant International and DANA are launching the second edition of SisBerdaya, providing female micro-entrepreneurs with training and mentoring in business management and digital skills.
- 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion: In partnership with the International Finance Corporation, this platform supports digital leaders from MSMEs worldwide, focusing on skill development and community impact.
- Programme Sirius: Launched with 13 Asia Pacific fintech leaders, this initiative empowers MSMEs towards sustainability aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
These efforts underscore Ant International’s commitment to empowering MSMEs globally, driving economic resilience and inclusive growth through digital innovation and strategic partnerships.
Global campaign to ‘Embrace the power of small’
In celebration of International MSME Day, Ant International launches its ‘Embrace the power of small” campaign featuring three business owners and their journeys of digitalization. The business owners are:
Cholthicha Joyyangsuk (Numwan), Thailand – a micro entrepreneur in Bangkok selling Thai desserts on her tuktuk. With Alipay+, she can now easily accept mobile payments from tourists, sharing a slice of culture, while giving her access to a wider pool of customers.
Lem Cheong, The Hainan Story, Singapore – inspired by his grandma’s rich heritage and flavourful recipes, Mr Cheong aims to evolves traditional dishes, just as he evolves his business with digital tools like Antom’s D-store solution to simplify his store operations.
Lewis Ames, Wrimes Cosmetics, UK – starting with neon face paint and pivoting to pet care during the pandemic, Mr Ames uses WorldFirst to pay his suppliers and collect payments from marketplaces easily, so he can grow his business from Stevenage to the world.
These stories will be featured on out-of-home billboards, starting in Europe, in time for the UEFA EURO 2024, of which Ant International is the Official Payment Partner, and rolled out to other global markets, and also on TV and social media.