Kazakhstan is turning to livestreaming to boost exports to China and expand into new markets across Europe and the Arab world, according to Aitmukhamed Aldazharov, head of QazTrade, Kazakhstan’s trade policy development center. He made the announcement at a recent press conference at the Central Communications Service in Astana.
In November 2024, during the China International Import Expo, QazTrade and Jiangsu Soho Holding Group hosted a livestream on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, and launched a national streaming pavilion featuring Kazakh products.
Viewers from China and other countries could purchase goods in real time. One broadcast generated sales of 450,000 yuan (about $61,500) for Kazakhstani companies.
«This event confirmed the high efficiency of this expo format and the demand for our products in international markets,» Aldazharov said.
QazTrade plans to increase support for Kazakh goods on Alibaba and expand to other e-commerce platforms, including Europages in Europe and Noon in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. The organization also aims to leverage TikTok Shop, which is showing annual growth of 31%, to promote domestic brands.
Kazakhstan’s national pavilion is also active on JD.com, one of China’s largest online marketplaces. Currently, 44 products from 15 Kazakhstani brands, including food products and cosmetics, are available. In 2024, sales on JD.com surpassed 1.1 million yuan ($164,000), with cumulative sales reaching 2.4 million yuan ($330,000) since the pavilion’s launch.
Global e-commerce continues to surge, with 2.71 billion online shoppers recorded by the end of last year. That number is expected to climb to 3.6 billion by 2029, with an average revenue per user of $1,700. China is projected to maintain the largest share of the global e-commerce market. In Kazakhstan, e-commerce accounted for nearly $6.2 million in retail turnover last year or 14.5% of the total.
