Trump to skip G20 Summit in South Africa

The US president says he has encountered a “lot of problems” with Pretoria, accusing it of pursuing “some very bad policies”.

US President Donald Trump has said he will probably not attend the G20 Summit in South Africa, citing Pretoria’s “very bad policies” as the reason.

Speaking on Air Force One on Tuesday, Trump said he will send someone else because of the “problems” he has with South Africa.

”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,” he said.

”They have some very bad policies… A lot of people are being killed. I’d like to, but I don’t think I will.”

This remark reflects Trump’s ongoing criticism of South Africa, particularly his repeated references to unsubstantiated claims that Pretoria has targeted white farmers—a narrative the South African government has consistently and categorically rejected.

Further signalling strained diplomatic ties, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not attend the July G20 finance ministers’ meeting in Durban, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly opted out of a G20 foreign ministers’ summit in Johannesburg earlier this year.

During the early months of his second term, Trump amplified allegations of systematic discrimination against white citizens, a narrative promoted by Elon Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur and then-ally of Trump.

The White House has also expressed formal concerns over South Africa’s policies, notably the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) framework and controversial land expropriation legislation, the latter of which was enacted in January 2023.

Although South African authorities maintained that the law would not be used to unjustly seize white-owned land, it has sparked significant concern in international policy and investment circles.