It appears the tension between the United States and South Africa won’t end anytime soon. On Thursday, the White House pushed back sharply against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s comments about the United States’ decision to boycott this weekend’s G20 summit in Johannesburg. What began as a dispute over attendance quickly turned into a broader diplomatic spat.
Ramaphosa told reporters that the United States had signaled a last minute shift on its boycott, saying the U.S. wished to take part in the leaders’ events at the “11th hour.” That claim got an immediate response from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who rejected his version of events and aimed pointed criticism at the South African president.
“I saw the South African president running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the president of the United States earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the president or his team,” Leavitt said during her briefing. She insisted the administration was only sending a diplomatic representative to acknowledge the upcoming transfer of the G20 presidency to the United States.
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According to a White House official, the representative from the U.S. Embassy in South Africa will attend the formal handover ceremony at the end of the two-day gathering. The official said the United States still does not intend to join any negotiations at the summit and spoke on condition of anonymity, AP reported.
The president had already announced that no U.S. government officials would participate in the meeting. Trump cited his belief that South Africa was violently persecuting white Afrikaner farmers as justification for the boycott. Those assertions have been broadly dismissed.
Ramaphosa had earlier expressed disappointment that he might be handing over G20 leadership to what he described as an “empty chair,” since no senior American figure would be present. On Thursday, though, he signaled that even limited participation represented a welcome shift. He said he was pleased to see the United States engage at Africa’s first G20 summit “in one shape or form or another,” calling the change in communication “pleasing.”
“The United States is a member of the G20, they are an original member of the G20, so they have the right to be here,” he said. “And all we are seeking to do is looking at the practicalities … for them to participate.”
The South African leader also addressed the boycott earlier in the day while highlighting the work toward a joint declaration at the summit. U.S. has urged South Africa not to pursue a declaration, arguing that no consensus could be reached if the United States is absent. A South African G20 official said the United States had communicated that position in diplomatic channels.
Instead of a collective agreement, U.S. officials have pushed for a short statement issued only by South Africa at the close of the summit. South Africa hosts the gathering after holding more than 120 meetings as part of its rotating presidency of the bloc.
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Ramaphosa brushed off the pressure. Speaking after an earlier address, he said, “We will have a declaration. The talks are going extremely well. I’m confident we are moving towards a declaration, and they are now just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.” He added, “Without the United States, the whole process of the G20 is moving forward. We will not be bullied. We will not agree to be bullied.”
Several world leaders have said they hope the summit concludes with a declaration. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted Wednesday that he hoped for “joint decisions,” while acknowledging that the outcome was uncertain.
The tensions come after months of criticism from Trump, who has repeatedly targeted South Africa since returning to office. A meeting at the White House in May was reportedly tense, with Trump challenging Ramaphosa using unfounded claims of widespread violence against Afrikaners, descendants of European settlers who arrived in South Africa centuries ago. He has continued to accuse Ramaphosa’s government of pursuing anti-white policies as the summit approached.
The G20 comprises nineteen of the world’s largest economies along with the European Union and the African Union. It is designed to bring developed and developing nations together to address major global issues. South Africa, the first African nation to lead the group, has sought to use its presidency to advance goals important to poorer nations. Those priorities include addressing climate change, confronting disasters linked to extreme weather, easing debt burdens and tackling global inequality.
Ramaphosa met on Thursday in Johannesburg with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, both of whom expressed support for South Africa’s agenda.
The United States has previously criticized that agenda. Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped a G20 foreign ministers meeting earlier this year and dismissed South Africa’s priorities as overly focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and climate change. Rubio said he would not spend U.S. taxpayer money on those efforts.
Other major leaders are also absent from the summit, including China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and Argentina’s Javier Milei. Each has dispatched a delegation in their place.
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“The only country that is not in the room is the United States and, of course, it is their choice not to be in the room,” Xolisa Mabhongo, a South African ambassador to the G20, said to national broadcaster SABC.
