Instagram Shops vs TikTok Shop: Where Are African Brands Finding Real Sales?

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At a glance; Instagram vs TikTok Shop

• Discovery: TikTok’s algorithm gives African brands viral exposure, while Instagram’s reach is flattening.
• Conversion: Instagram still converts better per customer; TikTok is on top-of-funnel reach.
• Payment Friction: TikTok’s checkout is inconsistent across African markets; Instagram relies on external sites.
• Trust & Logistics: Delivery delays and refund issues still affect trust in both, but brands report fewer challenges from Instagram-driven sales.

When it comes to eCommerce, we could say every brand is pushing, but not everyone’s cart rolls straight.

In 2025, over 500 million Africans are projected to shop online, but most of those purchases still happen through social media posts, not dedicated e-commerce stores. 

TikTok and Instagram are now the continent’s foremost markets. But let’s look beyond viral reach and revenue, which one actually closes the sale?

Nigeria specifically, has become the testing ground for social commerce. According to DataReportal, Instagram had 9.90 million users in Nigeria in early 2025, representing about 4.2% of the population. Meanwhile, TikTok had an estimated 37.4 million users aged 18+ in Nigeria early 2025, roughly 30% of adults. 

Instagram’s reach is declining in Nigeria (down ~20% year-on-year), while TikTok is expanding. That alone shows a shift in where brands might focus.

This means that platform reach is important, but sales depend on much more, including checkout flows, trust, logistics, and discovery mechanics. I set out to test five key questions:

Hypotheses

1. Which platform converts followers into paying customers more reliably in Africa?
2. Which platform delivers higher average order value (AOV) and repeat purchase rate?
3. How do discovery algorithms and content formats affect buyer intent?
4. Which platform offers less friction at checkout/payment/delivery?
5. In the African market context, which is a better target for ad spend and ROI?

Platform features & mechanics

Discovery & organic reach
TikTok’s feed mechanics (“For You Page”) prioritise virality, short videos can reach thousands of users quickly. In Kenya, for example, TikTok ad reach grew by 42.7% between 2024 and 2025. Instagram, however, is showing decline in Nigeria: a 20.2% drop in potential ad reach year-on-year.

This means TikTok gives better odds for organic discovery of a product if your content hits. Instagram still gives reach, but the ceiling is lower, particularly for newer brands.

Product catalogue, storefront & listing mechanics

Instagram Shops allow brands to tag products in posts and run a “Shop” tab as part of their profile. It is integrated with Meta’s Commerce Manager. However, Meta has announced changes to checkout flows which may impact how brands handle fulfilment. 

TikTok Shop provides in-app product pages, live shopping and creator affiliate integration. That said: in Africa the full commerce layer is patchy. For example, according to analysis, TikTok Shop in Nigeria lacks unified mobile wallet integration, in-app checkout remains inconsistent, and there are logistics challenges.

So while TikTok offers the outline for a full commerce funnel, real-world readiness in many African markets is still a limitation.

Checkout & payments (friction) 

On Instagram: many brands in Africa still redirect from Instagram to an external website, which adds steps and drop-off risk. On TikTok: the approach is seamless checkout. 

However, in Nigeria local challenges like fragmented mobile money systems, low average order values (under $20), and weak refund/charge-back infrastructure, hit TikTok.

The result is that brands on TikTok may gain discovery but still have friction converting to payment. On Instagram, the payment model may be more stable, but you trade off some discovery and virality.

Ads & promotion mechanics (paid performance)
Paid ads on Instagram are mature; brands know how to optimise them. On TikTok, ad formats are newer, creative demands are higher (video must hook fast), and scaling spend usually drops return on ad spend (ROAS). One advertiser reported ROAS dropping from 10× to below 2× when scaling TikTok spend. 

Thus: TikTok shop may give high ROAS at low spend (if content works), but scaling remains tricky; Instagram offers more predictable paid behaviour, but with less surprise upside.

Creator & influencer ecosystem
Tick any brand box and you’ll find the creator economy of Africa is booming. Many small brands turn to TikTok creators to drive sales. However brand-creator commerce models still suffer from limitations: limited payout options, regional eligibility issues, and tracking problems. 

Instagram still offers stable influencer collaborations, but at higher cost and less immediate conversion.

Logistics, delivery & returns
Logistics in many African markets is challenging. The World Bank Logistics Performance Index places Nigeria 88th globally. That means delivery delays, cost increases, and return friction. 

For commerce platforms that promise quick delivery or live-shopping impulses (like TikTok), these infrastructure gaps matter. Instagram-driven sales sometimes redirect to brands’ website or to offline pickup models, slower but more predictable.

Trust, fraud & safety
Buyer trust is essential. On platforms where checkout is embedded, buyer protection and refund policies impact how comfortable people are with purchase. 

TikTok still has service gaps in Africa on refunds/charge-backs. Instagram brands usually have to rely on external fulfilment but benefit from Meta’s brand association and existing user familiarity. 

For African brands, Instagram Shops currently provide more predictability of sales, albeit at a lower growth ceiling. TikTok Shop offers greater upside, especially if your content catches, but also greater risk, especially around payment and fulfilment.

Practical playbook for African brands

Here is what I advise based on brand size, product type and infrastructure readiness:

• Micro-brand (cash-strapped, low inventory): Use TikTok for discovery, produce highly native content, use local creators, accept low AOV but aim for volume. Ensure you have a reliable fulfilment partner or localised dispatch strategy.
• Medium brand (some inventory, higher AOV): Use Instagram Shops for steady performance; invest in paid ads + retargeting; use TikTok for top-of-funnel awareness but send conversion through Instagram or website.
• Export-focussed brand: Use TikTok to tap international viral potential, but ensure checkout/payment/fulfilment are export-ready. Use Instagram and your site to manage repeat customers and higher order value purchases.
• Way forward (90-day roadmap):
  1. Audit your checkout and fulfilment set-up (payment, shipping, returns).
  2. Run a small TikTok test campaign (budget ~5–10% of monthly marketing) tracking CAC, ROAS, AOV, repeat rate.
  3. Parallel: optimise Instagram Shop tags + retargeting ad flow.
  4. Compare metrics after 30, 60, 90 days. Make decision: focus where ROI is stronger, with platform backup.

Policy, payments & infrastructure implications

There’s a bigger story here. Meta (Instagram’s parent) announced changes to its in-app checkout policy which will impact how African brands operate Instagram Shops. For TikTok, payment rail fragmentation and logistics delays are key constraints. 

In markets like Nigeria where delivery infrastructure is weaker, impulse live-commerce still runs into friction. Brands must understand that platform mechanics are only part of the equation, external factors (payments, shipping, refunds) matter just as much.

Risks, limitations & open questions

• Platform data transparency is limited: public GMV figures for TikTok Shop in Africa are sparse.
• Rapid changes: platform policies, country-eligibility of features, and logistic networks evolve fast, data is date-sensitive.
• Infrastructure gaps: rural markets in Africa still have slower internet, higher shipping costs, which may bias results toward urban centres.

If I were to sum this up: TikTok Shop gives the bigger chance for African brands to break out and scale, especially if you’ve got creative content and basic infrastructure in place. 

But for most brands right now, Instagram Shops brings the safer path, with a more stable ecosystem, predictable performance and higher order values.

My recommendation: Do not pick one and ignore the other. Use TikTok for discovery and volume, and Instagram as your conversion engine, unless you have the logistics and payment setup to fully exploit live commerce for your online shop at scale.

For the next 90 days: test both Instagram and TikTok Shop, measure CAC, conversion, repeat purchase and scale what works. In Africa’s social commerce space of 2025, the brands who win will be the ones who combine creative reach with flawless execution.