The Landscape and Financial Access of Social Commerce Sellers in Indonesia

Social commerce sellers have emerged as Indonesia’s new generation of entrepreneurs. They hold massive potential to expand the country’s MSME ecosystem. They can create new pathways for women and small businesses to participate in the digital economy. Unlike formal e-commerce platforms, social commerce uses channels, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, which are already familiar to many sellers and provide a flexible entry point into the market. 

This report hinges on data from 458 respondents across seven provinces, 70% of whom are female sellers. It presents two core findings: 1) The journey of social commerce sellers, and 2) their access to credit and financial services. Together, these findings offer a comprehensive view of the challenges that sellers face. For many, social commerce serves as their first step towards digitalization. 

The report also identifies pressing issues in the social commerce ecosystem, such as unclear regulatory frameworks, limited trust and protections for customers and sellers, and fragmented digital tools for each sales step that make transactions inefficient. At the same time, the report identifies opportunities for policymakers, regulators, and financial service providers to strengthen this ecosystem.