South America Social Commerce - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026 - 2031)

According to Mordor Intelligence, the South America social commerce market size was valued at USD 149.19 billion in 2025 and estimated to expand from USD 183.90 billion in 2026 to reach USD 470.93 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 20.69% during the forecast period 2026-2031.

This report is Segmented by Product Type (Apparel, Personal and Beauty Care, Accessories, Home Products, Health Supplements, Food and Beverages, and More), Device (Laptops and Desktops, and Smartphones), Sales Channel (Video Commerce, Social Network-Led Commerce, Social Reselling, Group Buying/Team Purchase, and More), and Geography. The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

South America Social Commerce Market Trends and Insights

Embedded Instant Payments and Conversational Checkout

Pix processed USD 6.7 trillion in 2025, 34% more than in the prior year, and approached 7.9 billion monthly transactions in December 2025. Its use among Brazilian online consumers reached 84% in 2025, which reduces checkout friction for purchases initiated on social platforms. Sellers can share a Pix key in a WhatsApp conversation, allowing payment confirmation without requiring a separate storefront. This payment pattern gives informal merchants a simple way to complete sales with limited upfront cost. The South America social commerce market benefits where sellers can connect content, customer questions, and payment in one conversation. Banco Central do Brasil Resolution BCB No. 1/2020 established Pix as an open real-time payment arrangement, creating the regulatory basis for this form of conversational checkout.

Rising Smartphone and Mobile Internet Use

South America recorded strong handset demand in 2025, with the wider regional smartphone market shipping 140.5 million units. Mobile internet reached 413 million users by the end of 2024, or 64% of the regional population, although a 32% usage gap remained among people already covered by mobile networks. A smartphone can now serve as a discovery channel, review source, payment device, and basic seller storefront. This lowers the operational threshold for consumers and small merchants entering the South America social commerce market. Argentina already had 8 in 10 adults who purchased online in 2024, shifting competitive attention toward purchase frequency and basket value. Lower-cost Android devices and messaging-led storefronts are likely to remain important in secondary cities, where storage limits and connectivity conditions can make full app downloads less practical.

Fraud, Counterfeit Listings, and Social-Engineering Scams

Serasa Experian identified 37,845 fraudulent advertisements, profiles, pages, and applications impersonating legitimate brands in 2025. Social media platforms accounted for 77% of those cases, exposing consumers at the discovery stage. Fraud-related losses consumed 2% of online-store revenue in the region in 2025, and regional chargeback rates exceeded the 3.0% global average. Fake-store schemes often copy established brand profiles, collect Pix payments, and fail to fulfill orders. Brazil established an e-commerce fraud task force in April 2026 through Senacon and the National Council for Combating Piracy and Intellectual Property Crimes. The South America social commerce market needs stronger seller verification and visible consumer protection to reduce hesitation among first-time buyers.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

1. Short-Form Video and Live Shopping Adoption
2. Creator-Led Product Discovery and Affiliate Commerce
3. Uneven Logistics and Returns Infrastructure Outside Major Cities

For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.

Segment Analysis

Apparel held 30.20% of the South America social commerce market size in 2025, supported by established fashion creators and frequent product discovery on Instagram and TikTok. Personal and Beauty Care is projected to expand at a 20.75% CAGR through 2031. Live demonstrations help beauty sellers explain product use, respond to questions, and address concerns before buyers leave checkout. This format provides an advantage for products where routine, texture, shade, or application affect buyer confidence. Natura converted its consultant network into a digital selling channel, with more than 52,000 live broadcasts in 2025 and 60% produced by consultants. The scale of this activity gives established direct-selling brands an advantage in the South America social commerce industry.

Accessories, Home Products, and Health Supplements occupy mid-tier positions and have more room for creator specialization. Health Supplements need more careful content because many product demonstrations require clinical knowledge that general affiliates do not have. Food and Beverages remain more suited to shelf-stable products and subscription models because cold-chain fulfillment limits the role of perishables. The South America social commerce industry has broadened beyond its earlier concentration in fashion and electronics. By 2025, five product categories had meaningful participation in social selling. This diversity supports continued category testing while leaving different fulfillment and content requirements in place.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Product Type
  • Apparel
  • Personal and Beauty Care
  • Accessories
  • Home Products
  • Health Supplements
  • Food and Beverages
  • Other Product Types
• By Device
  • Laptops and Desktops
  • Smartphones
• By Sales Channel
  • Video Commerce
  • Social Network-Led Commerce
  • Social Reselling
  • Group Buying / Team Purchase
  • Product Review and Discovery Platforms
• By Geography
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of South America

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

1. Meta Platforms, Inc.
2. ByteDance Ltd.
3. MercadoLibre, Inc.
4. Amazon.com, Inc.
5. Walmart Inc.
6. Magazine Luiza S.A.
7. Via S.A.
8. Lojas Renner S.A.
9. Natura &Co Holding S.A.
10. Grupo Boticario (O Boticario S.A.)
11. Alibaba Group Holding Limited
12. Shopify Inc.
13. VTEX, Inc.
14. Tiendanube S.A.
15. Pinterest, Inc.
16. OLX Brasil

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support