President Donald Trump announced that no US government representative will attend the G20 summit scheduled for November 22 and 23 in South Africa. The decision stems from tensions with the South African government over a land expropriation law and Pretoria's stance on Israel's actions in Gaza. As a result, the US will be absent from a key forum for global economic coordination.
Trump had already stated he would not attend the summit due to disagreements with Pretoria. The Republican criticized the January approval of a law allowing land expropriation to reduce inequalities, labeling it racist against whites. According to Trump and Elon Musk, born in South Africa, the measure targets white owners. The South African government denies racism and states that uncompensated expropriations occur only in rare cases, such as abandonment or speculation, updating a 1975 law.
In May, during President Cyril Ramaphosa's White House visit, Trump confronted him with baseless claims of a 'white genocide' in the country, showing a video in the Oval Office. Pretoria counters that the legislation is being distorted to create panic and recognizes expropriation as a legitimate act for public purposes.
Trump favors Afrikaners — descendants of European settlers — in migration policies, allocating refugee spots to this group and other 'victims of illegal or unfair discrimination'. In announcing the boycott on Truth Social, he wrote: 'It is a total disgrace that the G20 is being held in South Africa. Afrikaners are being killed and massacred, and their lands and farms are being illegally confiscated'. He added: 'No US government official will participate while these human rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!'.
Tensions also stem from South Africa's complaint to the International Court of Justice last year, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza — a key US ally, while Pretoria is a major critic of military actions in the Palestinian territory. The G20 comprises 19 countries and two blocs, including Brazil, to discuss growth and trade.