Washington, DC – November 21, 2025 – In a sharp escalation of transatlantic tensions, the United States has firmly rejected claims of reconsidering its boycott of the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, set for November 22-23. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a pointed rebuke to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday, dismissing his assertions of a U.S. "change of mind" as unfounded and accusing him of "running his mouth" against American leadership.
The exchange highlights deepening rifts between Washington and Pretoria, strained by a series of high-profile disagreements over human rights, foreign policy, and the very agenda of the G20, the world’s premier forum for international economic cooperation. South Africa, assuming the rotating presidency of the group on December 1, 2024, marks a historic milestone as the first African nation to host the summit. With leaders from 42 nations expected to converge on the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, the absence of U.S. representation, a founding member of the G20, threatens to undermine efforts to forge consensus on pressing global issues like climate resilience, debt relief for low-income countries, and inequality reduction.
Leavitt’s comments came during a White House briefing, where she addressed reporters’ questions about Ramaphosa’s earlier statements. The South African leader, speaking at a press conference ahead of a European Union–South Africa leaders’ meeting in Johannesburg, revealed that his government had received “communication from the U.S. at the 11th hour” indicating a potential reversal on attendance. “We are discussing with the United States their participation in the summit following a change of mind,” Ramaphosa said, expressing optimism that the world’s largest economy could still join the talks. He emphasized the summit’s inclusive theme, “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” and noted logistical preparations were underway to accommodate any U.S. delegation.
However, Leavitt swiftly poured cold water on the speculation. “I’d be happy to explain because there is not a shift. The United States is not participating in official talks at the G20 in South Africa,” she stated. She clarified that only the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Pretoria would attend a ceremonial handover of the G20 presidency to the United States on December 1, 2025, a formality recognizing America’s upcoming role as host in 2026, potentially in Miami, Florida. “The ambassador or the representative of the Embassy in South Africa is simply there to recognize that the United States will be the host of the G20; they are receiving that send-off at the end of the event, they are not there to participate in official talks despite what the South African president is falsely claiming,” Leavitt added.
Her remarks took a personal turn, reflecting the acrimony that has characterized U.S.–South Africa relations since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. “I saw the South African president running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the President of the United States earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the president or his team,” Leavitt said, alluding to Ramaphosa’s prior criticisms of Trump’s boycott as an attempt to “coerce by absence.” Ramaphosa had previously described the U.S. stance as an effort to derail the summit’s outcomes, including a potential leaders’ declaration on global challenges.
The boycott’s roots trace back to early November, when Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that no U.S. officials would attend, citing alleged “human rights abuses” against white Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers who form South Africa’s white minority. “It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” Trump wrote on November 7. “Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue.” This echoed longstanding claims amplified by far-right groups, including assertions of a “white genocide” in the post-apartheid era, which South African officials and independent fact-checkers have repeatedly debunked as baseless.
South Africa’s government has vehemently rejected the allegations, pointing to official crime statistics showing that farm attacks affect all racial groups and are driven by broader criminality rather than targeted racial persecution. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana described Trump’s narrative as a “falsehood” that ignores the country’s progress toward racial equity since apartheid’s end in 1994. Prominent Afrikaner figures, including business leaders and academics, echoed this in an open letter, stating: “We reject the narrative that casts Afrikaners as victims of racial persecution in post-apartheid South Africa.” They argued that such claims not only alienate white South Africans from their Black compatriots but also undermine the reconciliation efforts symbolized by Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
The dispute extends beyond human rights rhetoric. Trump’s administration has clashed with South Africa over its foreign policy stances, including Pretoria’s 2024 case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, a move Washington views as hostile. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio boycotted a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, followed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent skipping the finance ministers’ gathering in Cape Town. In February 2025, Trump issued an executive order halting U.S. aid to South Africa and prioritizing Afrikaner refugees for resettlement, a policy critics called unprecedented and racially selective.
These frictions have broader implications for the G20’s effectiveness. The U.S. sent a diplomatic note warning South Africa against issuing any summit outcome document without American input, arguing that Pretoria probiotics such as debt sustainability for developing nations and financing a “just energy transition” from fossil fuels conflict with U.S. views. Ramaphosa, undeterred, has vowed to proceed with a consensus declaration, potentially symbolizing the G20 presidency handover to an “empty chair” for the U.S. “We didn’t convene the G100; we have convened the G million,” he quipped, underscoring South Africa’s push for inclusivity by inviting 22 additional guest nations and African regional bodies.
The summit arrives against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, with inflation lingering in advanced economies and debt crises gripping the Global South. South Africa’s $38.7 million investment in hosting, including street clean-ups and vibrant G20 billboards adorning Johannesburg, reflects its ambition to elevate Africa’s voice. Yet, the U.S. boycott, joined by Argentina’s Javier Milei and absences from Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum and Russia’s Vladimir Putin (due to an ICC warrant), leaves key players missing. European leaders from France, Germany, and the UK are attending, as is UN Secretary-General António Guterres, signaling continued multilateral momentum despite the void.
Analysts warn that the impasse could erode trust in the G20, originally formed in 1999 to stabilize global finance after the Asian crisis. “This is coercion by absence,” one diplomat noted, pointing to U.S. efforts to block joint statements in prior meetings. South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola affirmed that 65 delegations would still engage, focusing on actionable outcomes like $1 trillion in annual climate finance for vulnerable nations.
As Johannesburg buzzes with preparations, from security sweeps to cultural showcases, the Leavitt–Ramaphosa spat underscores a larger geopolitical fracture. Trump’s “America First” doctrine clashes with South Africa’s “African Agenda.” Whether the summit yields a declaration or dissolves into discord, it will test the G20’s resilience in an era of unilateralism.
In Pretoria, spokesperson Vincent Magwenya reiterated Ramaphosa’s commitment to dialogue post-summit, including a potential call with Trump. “The U.S. needs to be here,” Ramaphosa had said Thursday, a plea for unity amid division. For now, the empty chair looms large, a stark symbol of strained alliances on the eve of Africa’s G20 debut.
