President Cyril Ramaphosa has downplayed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to skip the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, saying that boycotts achieve little in global diplomacy.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament on Wednesday, Ramaphosa said the absence of the United States from the meeting would not affect its success. “Their absence is their loss,” he said. “The United States is giving up an important opportunity to play its rightful role as the world’s largest economy.”
The G20 Summit, scheduled for November 22 and 23, will be the first ever held on African soil, with South Africa currently chairing the group of the world’s biggest economies.
President Trump announced that no American officials would attend, claiming that white South Africans are being persecuted. His comments have been widely discredited by human rights organizations and researchers. In a social media post, he called South Africa’s hosting of the summit “a total disgrace” and questioned why the country is a member of the G20.
He initially said Vice President JD Vance would attend in his place but later declared that no U.S. representatives would take part in the gathering.
Over the weekend, Trump repeated unverified allegations that Afrikaners, who are descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers, are being killed and having their farms taken illegally.
“No U.S. official will attend as long as these human rights violations continue,” he said.
South Africa’s government has firmly rejected the claims, describing them as false and lacking credible evidence. Officials have maintained that no white farmers have had their land confiscated without compensation.
Ramaphosa said that avoiding dialogue will not help solve global issues. “Boycotting does not move the world forward,” he said. “Decisions will still be made, and progress will continue.”
Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a close ally of Trump, has also indicated he will not attend the Johannesburg summit and will instead send his Foreign Minister, Pablo Quirno.
The United States is expected to take over the G20 presidency next year.
