The Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ summit, the first of its kind to be held in an African nation since the United States boycotted claims that the host nation mistreats white people, is taking place this weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic capital.
About 42 countries and institutions will be represented at the meeting that starts on Saturday, but the US, under President Donald Trump – who has condemned South Africa’s position as host – will be conspicuously absent.
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The rotating presidency will be held by Washington, a founding member of the organization, and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to hand it over to an empty chair at any time.
On Thursday, Ramaphosa said the US had reached out at the last minute to agree on some kind of participation, but did not disclose details. However, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt responded by accusing Ramaphosa of “running his mouth” and claiming that Trump’s or his team had not considered the South African leader’s remarks as “not appreciated by the president]” or “the president’s position had not changed.”
She did, however, indicate that the US would send an official for the handover ceremony, as it takes over the G20’s presidency from South Africa. Although it has not been confirmed, the official tasked with this task might be the acting US ambassador to South Africa, Marc D. Dillard.
Despite the drama over the US attendance, Johannesburg has been buzzing with activity all week in preparation for the summit, as workers clean up and decorate the bustling city. When Ramaphosa donned dungarees and picked up cleaning supplies, he also caught surprise.
Bright flowers and colourful G20 billboards adorn the streets through which dignitaries will pass on their way from the OR Tambo international airport into the city.
The army is on standby, while at least 3,500 additional police officers have been stationed to increase security for the high-level guests.
Some South Africans, though, have voiced criticism of the expensive event, pointing to the economic challenges the country faces. Around the airport and the summit’s location are planned several protests, including those involving women’s rights activists and organizations involved in climate change.
Here’s what we know about the summit:
What is the G20, and when is the summit?
The G20 was established in 1999 as a covert economic organization of the world’s largest economic powers.
But it was the 2008 economic crisis that propelled the G20 into prominence: In a world where major Global South economies like China and India were playing increasingly vital roles, the G7 grouping of seven wealthy nations was no longer equipped to stop the financial bloodbath that spanned continents.
G20 leaders have met for summits at least once a year since then.
The grouping originally comprised 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the US), plus the European Union as the 20th entity. The African Union has a membership since 2023. Combined, they represent 85 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) and two-thirds of the world’s population, according to the G20.
Representatives from the G20 nations discuss pressing issues at regular meetings throughout the year. But in November, the leaders meet for the annual summit.
The leaders’ summit typically ends with a non-binding leaders’ declaration, marking the culmination of the host nation’s yearlong leadership. In Brazil last November, leaders issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to achieving the United Nations ‘ Sustainable Development Goals by a 2030 deadline.
South Africa has been in office since November 2024, and it will turn that office over to the US on November 30th, 2025. This weekend’s meeting will take place over two days from Saturday, November 22, at Johannesburg’s 150, 000 square-metre Nasrec Expo Centre, the country’s largest convention centre.
Who will be there?
Forty-two countries and organisations have confirmed their attendance, according to South African officials speaking to reporters on Monday.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola described this attendance rate as a “success” for South Africa, noting that at least six heads of state are not present at the summit but, aside from the US, the others are sending high-level representatives.
Some of the most notable names expected at the summit include: China’s Premier Li Qiang, French President Emmanuel Macron, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
A demanding week ahead will be held in Joburg, South Africa.
• Leaders ‘ Meeting with South Africa, with key discussions on trade, raw materials and clean energy
• First G20 summit ever held in Africa
• Final pledging event of our Scaling Up Renewables for Africa… pic. Twitter.com/twitter.com/txQkN4B0R
Additionally, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the African Union Commission Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, and President of the European Council Antonio Costa will be present.
Why is the US boycotting the summit this year?
The most notable of all the allegations that Trump’s absence from the meeting will overshadow the summit’s goals and undermine South Africa’s position will be made will be in the absence of Trump.
Last week, the US president denounced South Africa’s leadership of the G20 and said he would not attend, citing alleged discrimination against South Africa’s minority white population and inaccurately alleging a “genocide” of white farmers.
Following the passage of a new law in South Africa, which addresses disparities in land ownership, three-quarters of which is owned by the country’s white minority, Trump has made a number of unsupported claims of “genocide” since returning to the White House in January.
In February, the Trump administration cut foreign aid to South Africa, a move which could be a major threat to the nation’s HIV response, according to experts.
President Ramaphosa disputed claims of a “white genocide” during a heated exchange with Trump at the White House in May, saying that all ethnic groups are at risk in South Africa.
In July, Trump said that while he might not attend the G20 summit, he would send Vice President JD Vance instead. Trump, however, attacked South Africa’s claims in a post on his social media platform Truth Social on November 8 and said no US official would be present.
“It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa”, he wrote, while recounting his claims again. As long as these human rights abuses continue, no US government official will be present. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida”! he continued.
South African officials have attempted to downplay the US’s absence. After Trump made his announcement, Ramaphosa, who spoke to journalists in Cape Town, said the move was unlikely to have an impact.
“It is unfortunate that the United States has decided not to attend the G20″, he said. According to my political experience, boycotts never actually work. They have a very contradictory effect”.
Ramaphosa made a similar statement to the media, saying that the US boycott was “their loss.” The South African leader, this week, however, said he would hand over the presidency to an empty seat meant for the US representative in a symbolic gesture, and stressed the need to repair ties with Washington.
Who else will not attend?
- Trump ally Javier Milei won’t attend the meeting, but Pablo Quirino will, too. Milei did not state why he withdrew.
- President Xi Jinping was informed by China’s Foreign Ministry on November 14 that Li Qiang would be the one representing him at the meeting. The ministry did not state why, but South Africa and China have a thriving trade relationship. The 2023 BRICS summit, another informal grouping of developing nations, was held there as President Xi.
- The Kremlin announced in October that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would not attend the meeting and would instead send his deputy head of the presidential administration, Maxim Oreshkin. Puntin is the subject of an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine, and South Africa is required by law to detain him if he enters the nation.
- Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cancelled his trip after 25 girls were kidnapped this week from their school amid a security crisis in the country.
- Due to scheduled national events, the Mexican government announced this week that Claudia Sheinbaum would not be present. Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente usually represents her abroad.
What’s on the schedule?
South Africa, as host, will emphasise issues which affect Global South countries and is hoping to persuade leaders to collectively pledge their commitment to addressing topics from economic inequalities to improving development financing for vulnerable countries.
South Africa will also lobby nations to pledge to increase global spending on climate-related disaster resilience and response efforts, increase global funding for climate-related projects, and provide better debt restructuring and relief for poorer nations through bilateral lending and international financial institutions, and give local communities and source countries priority in a global resource war for access to crucial minerals, some of which are concentrated in African countries.
South Africa has not hosted an international event on this scale since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. According to Gilad Isaacs, executive director of the South African think tank, the Institute for Economic Justice, this is an important time for the country and for Africa, despite the criticism from the US, where Pretoria has raised “real issues” affecting African countries at this time.
“The US boycott will not derail the work”, Isaacs said. The presidency’s credibility will be determined by whether the agenda put forth in the interests of the Global South is implemented and used in other forums, not by the presence of any one country.
What protests are on the horizon?
Several protests are planned around the event, and started on Friday. Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, the deputy national commissioner for policing, informed reporters on Tuesday that protests are expected in Johannesburg and other significant cities in South Africa.
“We will allow that right]to protest] to be exercised”, she said. However, within the law’s proper guidelines and restrictions.
Femicide protests
The Women for Change advocacy group planned one of the biggest demonstrations to protest femicide and the rise in violence against women in South Africa. The group demanded a national shutdown on Friday, the eve of the summit. Three women are killed by intimate partners every day, according to government figures.
In order to raise awareness, the organization had spearheaded a significant social media campaign in the days leading up to the event. On Friday, it asked South African women to boycott work and school and to wear all black to signify mourning. In honor of the women who had been murdered, women were also urged to lie down for 15 minutes at 12 p.m. (GMT).
“Because, until South Africa stops burying a woman every 2.5 hours, the G20 cannot speak of growth and progress”, Women for Change said in a campaign statement.
President Ramaphosa made an emotional statement at a G20 event on Thursday evening, calling gender-based violence and femicide both a national and global crisis. Women’s rights groups, however, say they are pushing for femicide to be declared a national disaster.
Protests against climate change
On Thursday, a coalition of climate change and wealth inequality activists called The Citizen began an alternative summit in Johannesburg, decrying the G20 gathering as “for the rich”.
White minority protests
Separately, Solidarity, a trade union representing members of South Africa’s Afrikaner white minority, is also set to protest against the alleged marginalisation of white South Africans. The organization has placed controversial billboards in Johannesburg that read, “Welcome to the most RACE-REGULATED country in the world.”
