Well tech illiterate people are the last ones I’d trust to properly side load and doing their due diligence of knowing the source of their apk instead of a random one they found on the web.
Personally when I install F-droid on a new phone I make sure to check the signing keys or at the very least the checksum. As unsafe as Google Play can be I trust tech illiterate people even less of safely getting apks.
If that is enough to turn them away I don’t buy them being able to get apks properly.