JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Johannesburg on Friday for the opening of the G20 summit, where he was welcomed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of a weekend of high-stakes talks.
Starmer received an energetic greeting from local performers after landing, marking his first official visit to South Africa as prime minister.
U.S. Boycott Overshadows Summit
Africa’s first-ever G20 leaders’ summit has been overshadowed by controversy after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a boycott, withdrawing American participation over his disputed claims that South Africa persecutes its white Afrikaner minority.
The absence of the United States — one of the world’s most influential players — threatens to undermine South Africa’s efforts to rally support for issues affecting poorer nations, including climate funding, the green energy transition, and mounting sovereign debt.
Ramaphosa has rejected Trump’s allegations, calling them “completely false.”
China Also Absent
Adding to the void, Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending the summit as he scales back international travel. The absence of both Washington and Beijing means the leaders of the world’s two largest economies are missing from a meeting designed to bridge divides between developed and developing nations.
Expanded Participation
Despite these setbacks, the summit has drawn representatives from 42 countries, including all members of the expanded G20, which now incorporates both the European Union and the African Union.
Starmer and Ramaphosa are expected to focus on strengthening U.K.–South Africa ties and advancing global economic cooperation as the talks begin.