South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded sharply to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to boycott next weekend’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in Johannesburg, calling the move “their loss”, according to Arab News
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament in Cape Town, Ramaphosa said the United States was turning its back on an important global forum. “One must never think the G20 will not go on because of their absence,” he said. “All other heads of state will be here to make vital decisions, their absence is their loss.”
Trump announced last week on social media that no U.S. official would attend the November 22–23 gathering, citing disputed claims that South Africa’s white minority faces violent persecution and land seizures. These allegations, long circulated by conservative U.S. commentators, have been widely discredited by South African authorities and international observers.
The boycott marks a low point in relations between Washington and Pretoria, which have steadily soured since South Africa’s government accused U.S. ally Israel of genocide in Gaza at the United Nations’ top court earlier this year. Trump’s decision also drew criticism because the summit, the first G20 hosted in Africa, was meant to highlight the continent’s growing influence in global economic affairs.
“It is unfortunate that the United States, as the world’s largest economy, is giving up an important leadership role,” Ramaphosa added.
Trump had initially been invited personally by Ramaphosa during a White House visit in May but declined. His administration has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s domestic policies including affirmative action programs designed to reverse the legacy of apartheid as “anti-American.”
The strain deepened when Washington expelled South Africa’s ambassador in March after he criticized Trump’s comments. Earlier in the year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, accusing South Africa of focusing too heavily on issues like climate change and inequality.
Despite the political storm, South Africa vows the summit will go ahead as planned, bringing together global powers including China, India, and the European Union. As Ramaphosa emphasized, the world will keep turning with or without Washington at the table.
