Trump says he may skip G-20 summit in South Africa, cites policy disapproval

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on July 29 he might skip the upcoming Group of 20 (G-20) leaders’ summit in South Africa in November and send someone else to represent the US, citing his disapproval of South African policies.

“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,” Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. 

Mr Trump has taken issue with South African domestic and foreign policies – ranging from its land policy to its case accusing Israel of genocide in the US ally’s war in Gaza. 

Mr Trump signed an executive order in February to cut US financial assistance to South Africa.

In May, Mr Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with

false claims of white genocide and land seizures

during a White House meeting.

Earlier in 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also boycotted a G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa, which has the G-20 presidency from December 2024 to November 2025.

Washington, both under Mr Trump and former president Joe Biden, has complained about the case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, where

it accused Israel of genocide

over its military assault in Gaza. 

Israel’s assault has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza’s entire population and also led to accusations of war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

Israel denies the accusations and casts its Gaza offensive as self-defence after a

deadly October 2023 Hamas attack

that killed 1,200 people and in which over 250 were taken hostage.

Diplomatic relations between the US and South Africa have also been strained under Mr Trump due to South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment policies to address the legacy of centuries of racial inequality.

Mr Ramaphosa, who has urged Mr Trump to attend the G-20 summit, rejects Washington’s claims that South Africa will use its land policy to arbitrarily confiscate white-owned land. REUTERS