Trump G20 Boycott Ramaphosa Says It’s ‘Their Loss’

Trump G20 boycott shocks South Africa; President Ramaphosa calls it “their loss” and assures the summit will continue despite US absence.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized the United States’ decision to boycott the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit in Johannesburg, describing it as “their loss” and warning that such boycott politics rarely succeed.

US Boycott Sparks Tensions

The decision by US President Donald Trump to skip the G20 summit on November 22-23 has intensified already strained relations between the two countries. Trump has cited South Africa’s treatment of white farmers, claiming a “genocide” against the Afrikaner community—a claim repeatedly rejected by the South African government.

In addition, the US has expressed disapproval of South Africa’s push for Israeli accountability at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over alleged genocide in Gaza. This stance has fueled a diplomatic rift between Washington and Pretoria.

Ramaphosa: G20 Will Continue Without the US

Speaking outside the South African Parliament, President Ramaphosa emphasized that the absence of the US would not derail the summit. “The United States by not being at the G20, one must never think that we are not going to go on with the G20. The G20 will go on. All other heads of state will be here. In the end, we will take fundamental decisions, and their absence is their loss,” he said.

Ramaphosa also stressed that the US is forfeiting a key role in global economic leadership by skipping the summit.

Background: White Farmer Claims and Gaza Case

Trump has repeatedly claimed that South Africa’s Black-led government is persecuting white farmers and seizing their land, a narrative widely disputed by the South African government and Afrikaner community leaders. These claims have been amplified in US conservative media, despite a lack of evidence.

South Africa, meanwhile, has pursued a genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, submitting 500 pages of evidence in October 2024. Oral hearings are expected in 2027, with a final judgment anticipated by 2028. Israel has not fully complied with provisional measures requiring humanitarian aid access and the prevention of genocidal acts in Gaza.

US-South Africa Relations at a Low Point

Since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, US-South Africa relations have deteriorated. Ramaphosa previously lobbied Trump to attend the G20 during a tense Oval Office meeting in May, but the president continued to promote unverified claims about violence against white South Africans.

Relations have reached their lowest point since the end of apartheid in 1994, including the expulsion of the South African ambassador to the US earlier this year.

G20 Summit: Importance Beyond Politics

Formed in 1999, the G20 brings together the world’s major economies, including the US, China, Russia, India, Japan, and the European Union, to address global economic and development issues. Despite the US boycott, Ramaphosa assured that the summit’s work will continue, highlighting the resilience and importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges.