President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected the United States’ decision to boycott the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, asserting that Washington’s absence will not affect the meeting of the world’s major economies.
In a press conference in Cape Town on Wednesday, Ramaphosa remarked that the boycott announced by President Donald Trump over the weekend would only weaken America’s global standing, not hinder the summit’s success.
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“We will make significant decisions, and their absence is their own loss,” Ramaphosa emphasized. “In many ways, the United States is relinquishing its crucial role as the largest economy in the world.”
Scheduled for November 22–23, the Johannesburg summit will be the first G20 meeting on African soil. As the current chair of the bloc, South Africa intends to promote Global South issues, such as climate resilience and debt relief for developing nations, under the theme of “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.”
However, the US has labeled the agenda as “anti-American,” escalating tensions between the two countries. Pretoria and Washington have had ongoing disputes regarding South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, as well as laws designed to empower black citizens affected by apartheid.
Trump, who returned to office in January, has also accused South Africa of “targeting” white farmers—claims the government has firmly denied. Earlier this year, Trump even offered refugee status to Afrikaners, with the first group of 50 settlers flown to the US in May.
Despite the snub, Ramaphosa asserted that the work of the G20 will continue as planned:
“They’ve chosen to boycott, and boycotting rarely leads to significant outcomes. Decisions will still be made and will advance global progress.”
Established in 1999, the G20 accounts for 85% of global GDP and about two-thirds of the world’s population. South Africa is expected to pass the chairmanship to the United States next year.
