US Absent from South Africa's G20 Summit Amid 'Baseless Allegations'

United States Boycotts G20 Summit in Johannesburg

The United States was notably absent from the G20 Leaders' Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from November 22-23, 2025. The boycott, led by US President Donald Trump, was attributed to what he described as 'baseless and false allegations' concerning the treatment of white Afrikaners and land confiscation in South Africa. This move drew strong condemnation from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who labeled the claims as 'blatant misinformation'.

Ramaphosa Rejects 'Baseless and False Allegations'

In a national address on Sunday, November 30, 2025, President Ramaphosa expressed regret over the United States' non-participation. He stated that the reasons provided for the absence were 'based on baseless and false allegations that South Africa is perpetrating genocide against Afrikaners and the confiscation of land from white people'. Ramaphosa emphasized that such disinformation was 'endangering and undermining South Africa's national interests, destroying South African jobs and weakening our country's relations with one of our most important partners'.

Diplomatic Protocol Breached in G20 Handover

The G20 Summit concluded with a significant breach of diplomatic protocol regarding the traditional handover of the G20 presidency. South Africa, having concluded its term, was set to pass the presidency to the United States, which is scheduled to formally take over on December 1. However, with no senior US official present, the customary gavel handover did not occur. South Africa reportedly refused to accept a junior embassy official for the ceremony, deeming it an insult. President Trump had previously indicated that the US would host the next summit at his golf club in Doral, Florida.

Summit Achieves Declaration Despite Absences

Despite the high-profile absence of the United States, and other leaders including Argentine President Javier Milei, Russian President Vladimir Putin (represented by a lower-level official due to an ICC warrant), and reportedly Chinese President Xi Jinping, the G20 Summit successfully concluded with a Leaders' Declaration. President Ramaphosa hailed this achievement as a 'significant victory' for the hosts and a triumph for multilateralism, demonstrating that 'multilateralism can and does deliver'.