U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday that he may not attend the upcoming G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa, citing what he described as disapproval of several South African government policies. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters, “I think maybe I’ll send somebody else because I’ve had a lot of problems with South Africa. They have some very bad policies.”
The G20 summit, scheduled for November 2025, will take place under South Africa’s presidency, which began in December 2024 and concludes at the end of this year. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reportedly extended a formal invitation to President Trump and urged his attendance, amid diplomatic frictions that have grown in recent months.
Relations between the two countries have been strained by a combination of foreign policy disputes and domestic policy critiques from Washington. Notably, the Trump administration has repeatedly objected to South Africa’s legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). South Africa has accused Israel of genocide over its military campaign in Gaza—a case that has drawn attention across the international community. The United States has publicly opposed the ICJ proceedings, aligning itself with Israel, which denies the genocide allegations and maintains its actions in Gaza constitute self-defence in response to the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas that killed approximately 1,200 people and led to over 250 hostages being taken.
South Africa’s case at the ICJ reflects Pretoria’s foreign policy orientation, which has increasingly diverged from Washington’s position on Middle East affairs. The U.S. State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, has previously signalled discontent by boycotting a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa earlier this year.
Further compounding tensions, President Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 to cut U.S. financial assistance to South Africa. The move followed escalating criticisms of the country’s domestic policies, particularly its Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) framework and land reform initiatives. Trump has, on several occasions, made unverified claims about “white genocide” and land seizures—statements that have been widely disputed and rejected by the South African government. President Ramaphosa has stated that land reform is aimed at redressing historical injustices and is being implemented within constitutional bounds and legal processes.
While the Trump administration has maintained a strong bilateral relationship with Israel, its criticism of South Africa’s internal and external policies has contributed to a more complex and occasionally confrontational diplomatic landscape. Analysts suggest that a decision by Trump not to attend the summit could symbolise a further cooling in relations between the two democracies.
The G20 forum, composed of the world’s major advanced and emerging economies, serves as a platform for addressing global economic coordination and transnational issues. Whether or not President Trump attends, the United States will likely be represented at the summit, though it remains unclear who might be designated to lead the U.S. delegation.
