The United States boycotted the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, marking an unprecedented absence for a founding member. Tensions between the Trump administration and South Africa, fueled by claims of Afrikaner persecution and policy disagreements, led to no US participation. President Trump later announced South Africa would be excluded from next year's summit.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit concluded in Johannesburg over the weekend of November 23-24, 2025, without any US representatives present. Hosted by South Africa under President Cyril Ramaphosa, the event focused on themes of solidarity, equality, and sustainability, and included expanded invitations to observer nations from Africa, such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Equatorial Guinea. The summit was deemed a success, attributed to Ramaphosa’s negotiation skills, resulting in a joint resolution on various global issues.
The Trump administration's decision to absent itself evolved over the year. Initially, President Donald Trump planned to attend, but objections to the agenda and South Africa's policies led to the announcement that neither he, Vice President JD Vance, nor any other officials would participate. Bilateral frictions intensified since Trump's January 2025 inauguration, including his claims of a 'genocide' against white Afrikaner farmers, which prompted changes to US refugee policies favoring their asylum and the termination of participation in the Pepfar HIV/Aids program—a major loss for South Africa as a key recipient. Additional strains involved declaring South Africa's US ambassador persona non grata, imposing tariffs on South African products, and aid cuts.
At the closing ceremony in Nasrec, South Africa declined a symbolic handover of the G20 presidency to a US embassy official, citing protocol, opting instead for a low-key event at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. In response, Trump posted on Truth Social on November 27, 2025, stating South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 summit in Miami at his Doral resort, citing the handover refusal and unaddressed 'human rights abuses' against Afrikaners. He also announced an immediate halt to all US payments and subsidies to South Africa.
This absence echoes the US's historical refusal to join the League of Nations post-World War I, which contributed to its failure. Despite no formal mechanism to exclude G20 members, Trump's threats highlight ongoing US-South Africa discord, potentially complicating implementation of the summit's non-binding resolutions without US buy-in. Business leaders from the US attended the preceding B20 meeting, showing interest in African opportunities.