The AI Platform Is Closer Than Some Rivals, but It Still Faces Barriers

In 2022, four of the six Southeast Asian countries in our forecast will see double-digit growth in their number of proximity mobile payment users. Beyond delivering convenience to consumers, a host of other factors are driving adoption in the region.

In Southeast Asia, total media ad spending snapped back to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 and will continue rising strongly this year. The growth in digital ad spending, though tamer in 2022, will again outpace that of the overall ad market.

AirAsia, one of the world’s largest budget airlines, is on a mission to build a regional super app. While it follows in the footsteps of titans like WeChat in China and Gojek in Southeast Asia, if AirAsia succeeds, it will blaze a path for travel and other industries not endemic to the mobile space.

Super app Grab is the food delivery leader in Southeast Asia, generating $5.9 billion in gross merchandise value from those sales in 2020.

Like many regions around the world, Southeast Asia experienced an ecommerce boom in 2020, as various pandemic-driven social lockdowns encouraged more shopping from home. According to our estimates, ecommerce grew by 35.2% collectively in the region last year, and our newest forecast projects 14.3% growth this year. However, traditional retail is still overwhelmingly dominant.