TikTok announced a new education initiative in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce. The program will provide digital training opportunities for small businesses across select markets in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, according to a press release.
The project will primarily focus on digital commerce and helping SMB owners maximize their promotion and sales opportunities in the app in order to drive more opportunities for a broader range of businesses.
As explained by TikTok: “Businesses of all sizes thrive on TikTok and use the platform to reach new customers and build their brands. The initiative will leverage TikTok’s suite of digital commerce tools and reach with ICC’s expertise on international trade, powerful network of national committees and chambers of commerce to expand access to training, mentorship, and digital resources.”
TikTok said the training program is designed to expand market access, build long-term resilience and increase revenue opportunities.
“By connecting global expertise with local business communities, the Digital Commerce Labs will create a scalable education model that can be replicated across markets to help entrepreneurs translate digital knowledge into real-world growth opportunities,” TikTok said.
The project will also help to boost TikTok’s in-app sales push, by showing more business owners how they can use the platform’s shopping functions to drive business.
After seeing success with in-stream shopping in China, TikTok sought to use the same approach in other markets with the hope that it can generate more revenue from items sales in the app.
Douyin, the China-based version of the app, generated more than $500 billion in gross merchandise volume in 2025, as reported by KrAsia. By comparison, Marketmaze reported that TikTok generated $130 billion in GMV in the same period. TikTok and parent company ByteDance take a percentage of those sales for hosting, which is why TikTok envisions this element as a key opportunity for expansion and enhanced revenue intake.
Expanded training across more developing regions could be another way to ensure wider take-up of the app’s in-stream shopping tools. It could also enable TikTok to gain support and favor from local authorities.
TikTok said the Digital Commerce Labs program is expected to launch across Latin America and Africa this spring, followed by a broader expansion across Africa and to Thailand later in the year.
