JOHANNESBURG — The United States will be notably absent from this weekend’s G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa, intensifying a public diplomatic spat between the two countries. The Trump administration declined to participate in official summit talks, citing what it calls false race-based allegations about South Africa and opposition to the summit’s emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Since returning to office, President Trump has repeatedly accused the South African government of seizing land from white owners and allowing violence against white Afrikaners. “You know we have a G20 meeting in South Africa, South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore, because what happened there is bad,” he said earlier this month. South African officials have pushed back repeatedly, but the exchanges have left relations strained.
President Cyril Ramaphosa kept a measured tone as the summit approached, saying simply, “Their absence is their loss.” Still, the U.S. decision is a significant reputational blow for the host. Argentina’s President Javier Milei announced he would not attend in solidarity with Trump. Chinese President Xi Jinping also will not be present, though officials say his limited international travel is the reason. Russian President Vladimir Putin is unable to attend because of an outstanding International Criminal Court arrest warrant related to the war in Ukraine.
“It is symbolic of the fractured global moment that we are in… it’s almost an alternative summit without China and without America,” said William Gumede, an associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Summit themes of “solidarity, equality, sustainability” have been criticized by U.S. officials who see them as aligned with a DEI and climate agenda. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the summit is pushing “DEI and climate change,” language echoed by other administration spokespeople.
Tensions escalated further when Ramaphosa said the United States had informed South Africa at the last minute that it might send some form of representation. “We have received notice from the United States…about a change of mind about participating in one shape, form or another in the Summit,” he said, adding that South Africa needed to clarify what late participation would mean. He also noted that “the United States being the biggest economy in the world, needs to be there, so it is pleasing there is a change of approach.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded sharply: “The United States is not participating in official talks at the G20 in South Africa, I saw the South African president running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the president of the United States and that language is not appreciated.” The U.S. will still be present for a symbolic handover of the G20 rotating presidency to its side, represented by the embassy’s chargé d’affaires — a junior diplomat — a role Ramaphosa’s spokesman publicly rejected, saying, “The president won’t hand over to a chargé.”
Observers are also watching whether the summit will conclude with a joint leaders’ declaration. Given Washington’s stance, a U.S. signature on any unified communiqué appears unlikely.
Back home, the summit has stirred local criticism and activism. Many Johannesburg residents complained that the city received a short-term facelift—cleaned streets, repaired traffic lights—primarily for visiting delegations while chronic issues like crumbling infrastructure, frequent electricity outages and water shortages remain unresolved. “Oh they are fixing, the traffic lights are up…the grass has been cut, all for? G20… You’re showing off for visitors but you have no regard for the people that live in that city,” journalist Redi Tlhabi said on her podcast.
On the eve of the summit, thousands of women dressed in black observed a day of action against gender-based violence. Organized by Women for Change, participants stayed home from work and held peaceful “laying flat” demonstrations in parks and on university campuses to highlight high rates of femicide and violence in South Africa as world leaders gathered.
The summit has also magnified domestic cultural conflicts. In response to the Trump administration’s race-based claims, a right-wing Afrikaans group erected billboards welcoming delegates to what it called “the most race-regulated country in the world,” a jab at affirmative action policies. A progressive Afrikaner organization countered with its own campaign featuring the national rugby team: a photo of Springboks players hoisting Black captain Siya Kolisi, accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek line, “Terrible things are happening in South Africa.” The exchanges illustrate how international controversy has amplified long-running debates over race, policy and national image.
As leaders arrive and protests continue, the summit will test South Africa’s diplomatic standing and spotlight deep fissures in global and domestic politics alike.