U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he will not attend the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, scheduled for November 22–23. Instead, Vice President J.D. Vance will represent the United States. The decision comes with a sharp rebuke of South Africa’s place in the group of major economies.
“South Africa Shouldn’t Be in the G’s”
Speaking at the American Business Forum in Miami, Trump criticized South Africa’s domestic policies, particularly its land reform efforts. He accused the government of targeting white farmers and committing “massive human rights violations,” claims that Pretoria has firmly rejected as “factually incorrect.”
Aid Cuts and Resettlement Support
Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order to cut U.S. aid to South Africa and pledged support for the resettlement of white Afrikaners in the U.S., describing them as victims of “unjust racial discrimination.” The move drew international criticism and heightened tensions between Washington and Pretoria.
South Africa Responds
The South African government has dismissed Trump’s remarks as distorted and misleading, defending its land reform policies as part of a broader effort to address historical inequalities. Officials have expressed concern over the politicization of domestic issues on the global stage.
As the G20 summit approaches, Trump’s absence and his call for South Africa’s exclusion underscore deepening geopolitical divides and raise questions about the future of multilateral cooperation.