Donald Trump’s absence from the G20 summit has created an unexpected opening for the South African hosts, who are determined to set the agenda despite the U.S. president’s opposition to multilateral diplomacy.
Washington says it will not attend the first G20 summit to be held in Africa, citing allegations that the host country, once governed under an explicitly racist apartheid regime until 1994, now mistreats white people.
Trump has also rejected South Africa’s summit priorities for November 22–23, which focus on promoting global solidarity, helping developing nations confront worsening climate disasters, supporting clean energy transitions, and reducing the burden of unsustainable debt.
While the absence of the world’s most powerful country means the summit is unlikely to produce a transformational declaration, the event remains a significant platform for Africa, home to fast-growing economies, abundant minerals and a young population.
Trump’s non-attendance will be impossible to ignore. At the summit’s close, President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to symbolically hand over G20 leadership to the next host, Trump himself. “I don’t want to hand over to an empty chair, but the empty chair will be there,”
Ramaphosa said last week during preparations at a venue in Soweto, the Johannesburg township where Black residents were once forced to live under apartheid laws that barred them from residing in the city. He said he would “symbolically hand over to that empty chair and then talk to President Trump.”
South Africa’s agenda includes boosting preparedness for climate-driven disasters, ensuring sustainable debt for low-income countries, supporting energy transitions, and securing fair value for producers of critical minerals.
According to Reuters, Trump’s ally, Argentine President Javier Milei, is also boycotting the summit for ideological reasons. Russia’s Vladimir Putin will skip it due to the International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued over the Ukraine invasion. China will be represented by Premier Li Qiang rather than President Xi Jinping.
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Chris Vandome of Chatham House said Washington’s withdrawal gives countries such as China and European powers an opportunity to fill a leadership vacuum.
“Without the U.S. playing its traditional role, such forums are even more important for cooperation,” he said.
Piet Croucamp, associate professor of political studies and international relations at North-West University, noted that U.S. Vice President JD Vance had already disrupted his first European trip with a combative speech and argued that a similar display at the G20 would have been “a distraction.” He added, “Trump not coming to South Africa may be the best thing that could happen to the G20.”
The summit offers a platform for national leaders eager to highlight their presence in Africa. Jérémie Robert, Africa adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron, said Macron plans to discuss energy transition, launch a Franco–South African business council, and honour French citizens who contributed to the struggle against apartheid.
Two officials familiar with planning said some countries view the summit as a chance to strengthen bilateral ties, with potential trade deals and partnerships taking shape on the sidelines.
South Africa’s aim of elevating Africa’s voice, supported by the presence of an African Union delegation representing the continent, also creates opportunities to push for fairer mineral extraction practices. Busisipho Siyobi, a public policy researcher at Good Governance Africa, noted that Africa’s 600 million people without electricity stand to benefit significantly from an energy transition, one of the key themes on the table.
Still, the summit is likely to test the patience of leaders who remain committed to multilateralism, a model long criticised by Trump, who has cut foreign aid, imposed unilateral tariffs, and dismissed international climate efforts.
Even before Trump entered the White House, disagreements within the G20, particularly over how major polluters should share the burden of climate action, had made it difficult for summits to produce more than cautious, diluted statements.
According to two officials familiar with the matter, the United States had already signalled it would veto any mention of climate change. “South Africa wanted it to be about … keeping multilateralism alive,” said veteran journalist Steven Friedman. “A very nice-sounding idea … but it’s running against the tide. At the moment multilateralism is dead.”
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Image Credit: News 18
