World leaders converged on Johannesburg this weekend for a historic G20 summit—the first ever held on African soil—against a backdrop of sharp geopolitical tensions, high-profile absences, and heated debates over global inequality. The summit, hosted by South Africa at the Nasrec Expo Centre near the iconic Soweto township, was meant to spotlight the continent’s priorities and give the Global South a greater say in international affairs. Instead, it has been overshadowed by a boycott from U.S. President Donald Trump, disputes over race and representation, and questions about the future of the G20 itself.
The G20, established in 1999, is a forum of 19 of the world’s largest economies plus the European Union and, as of 2023, the African Union. Collectively, these 21 members represent more than half the world’s population, about 85% of global GDP, and 75% of international trade, according to France 24 and DW. The group’s rotating presidency this year is held by South Africa, a first for the continent. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government set out an ambitious agenda focused on disaster resilience, debt sustainability for low-income countries, financing a just energy transition, and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth. The summit’s theme: “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.”
Yet, the absence of the leaders of the world’s three biggest economies—the United States, China, and Russia—has cast a long shadow over the event. President Trump’s decision to boycott the summit came after he accused South Africa of persecuting its white Afrikaner minority, alleging land confiscations and violence. “South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore, because what happened there is bad,” Trump declared earlier this month, as quoted by NPR. These claims, however, have been widely rejected by the South African government, international observers, and even some Afrikaners themselves, who have labeled them as misinformation or outright falsehoods, as reported by the Associated Press and DW.
In a pointed response, President Ramaphosa said, “Their absence is their loss,” referring to the U.S. boycott. The spat deepened when the U.S. made an eleventh-hour request to send a delegation after all, but only the U.S. Embassy’s chargé d’affaires attended the symbolic handover ceremony, since the U.S. will assume the G20 presidency next year. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt retorted, “The United States is not participating in official talks at the G20 in South Africa,” and took issue with Ramaphosa’s public remarks about the U.S. absence.
Trump’s boycott was echoed by his ally, Argentine President Javier Milei, who also refused to attend, sending only his foreign minister. Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the summit, citing reduced international travel, while Russian President Vladimir Putin was absent due to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant related to the war in Ukraine. Russia was represented by a lower-level delegation, and China sent Premier Li Qiang. The absence of these leaders, especially those of the world’s two largest economies, has raised questions about the summit’s ability to forge meaningful consensus on pressing global issues.
Despite the drama, European leaders seized the opportunity to strengthen their ties with Africa. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, “The African states are searching for partnerships, and so I will go to Johannesburg in any case and hold talks there. I expect that we will return to Germany with good results.” European Council President Antonio Costa echoed this sentiment: “The European Union is here. We are predictable, reliable and trustworthy partners. We are here to work with our G20 partners. We are here to work together because nobody can tackle global challenges alone.” The EU also announced a new critical minerals agreement with South Africa, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling the summit an opportunity to “double down” on their economic partnership.
South Africa’s government has made clear its priorities for the summit: addressing climate change and disaster relief, financing the green energy transition, easing sovereign debt for poor countries, and tackling global inequality. The country proposed an independent international panel on global wealth inequality, inspired by the U.N.-appointed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This followed a summit-commissioned report led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, which concluded the world faces an “inequality emergency.” According to France 24, the report noted that 2.3 billion people worldwide are hungry, underscoring the urgency of action.
However, the U.S. administration has dismissed these priorities as a “DEI and climate change” agenda, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticizing South Africa’s focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability. Trump has gone further, imposing 30% tariffs on South African goods—the highest in sub-Saharan Africa—and questioning whether South Africa should “even be in the Gs any more.” He has also pledged to reduce the G20’s scope when the U.S. takes over the presidency, raising concerns about the group’s future direction.
The summit has not only exposed global rifts but also domestic tensions within South Africa. Johannesburg, home to about six million people and Africa’s richest square mile, has struggled with crumbling infrastructure, chronic power and water shortages, and mismanagement. The city received a $139 million loan from the African Development Bank for upgrades ahead of the summit, but residents complained that the clean-up was only for foreign guests. “Oh they are fixing, the traffic lights are up…the grass has been cut, all for? G20... You’re showing off for visitors but you have no regard for the people that live in that city,” journalist Redi Tlhabi remarked on her podcast, as cited by NPR.
Meanwhile, the summit’s arrival has reignited debates about race and identity in South Africa. Competing billboards from right-wing Afrikaner groups and progressive associations have greeted G20 delegates, highlighting both claims of white persecution and the country’s post-apartheid achievements. One progressive billboard featured two white Afrikaner rugby players carrying their Black captain, Siya Kolisi, with the tongue-in-cheek tagline: “Terrible things are happening in South Africa.”
Protests and counter-summits have also marked the occasion. Thousands of South African women dressed in black staged a day of action against gender-based violence, lying flat in parks and university campuses to draw attention to high rates of femicide. Activists have used the summit’s global spotlight to demand change at home, even as leaders debated the world’s problems behind closed doors.
As the summit wraps up, uncertainty lingers over whether a joint declaration will be issued—especially with the U.S. unlikely to sign. South Africa will hand the G20 presidency to the United States, ending a run of “Global South” leaderships. The world will be watching to see whether the G20 can remain a forum for tackling global challenges or if political divisions will continue to erode its relevance.
For now, Johannesburg’s moment in the international spotlight has revealed both the promise and the peril of global cooperation in a fractured era.
