South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday called on the United States to reconsider its decision to boycott the G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for 22–23 November in Johannesburg.
Speaking to reporters outside parliament in Cape Town, Ramaphosa described the US decision as “unfortunate” and said boycotts rarely achieve their intended impact. “The G20 will go on. All other heads of state will be here, and in the end, we will take fundamental decisions — their absence is their loss,” he said.
South Africa became the first African country to host the G20 after assuming the group’s rotational one-year presidency in December 2024. The US decision to boycott followed President Donald Trump’s allegations of “human rights abuses” against the white Afrikaner population and claims of farm confiscations, which South Africa has repeatedly denied.
Ramaphosa said he personally urged Trump to attend, emphasizing the importance of participating in global discussions. “Boycotting never achieves anything of great impact because decisions will be taken that move various issues ahead,” Ramaphosa said, highlighting themes such as inclusiveness, diversity, and solidarity.
“The US needs to think again whether boycott politics actually works. In my experience, it doesn’t. It’s better to be inside the tent rather than being outside the tent,” he added.
The South African government reaffirmed that the summit will proceed as planned, with all other G20 member states expected to attend.