South Africa has announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa will not hand over the G20 presidency to a US embassy representative, after President Donald Trump chose not to attend the G20 Summit taking place in Johannesburg this weekend.
The United States is set to take over the 2026 G20 presidency, but the Trump administration said it would not send the president, vice president, or any senior official to the summit. Instead, Washington planned to send the chargé d’affaires from its embassy in Pretoria to receive the handover.
However, South Africa rejected this.
South Africa Says Handover Must Be at the Right Level
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said President Ramaphosa would not hand over the leadership of the G20 to a low-ranking diplomat.
“The United States is a member of the G20, and if they want to be represented, they can still send anyone at the right level,” Lamola said.
He explained that an acceptable representative would be:
a head of state,
a minister, or
a special envoy officially appointed by the US president.
If the US insists on sending lower-level officials, Lamola said the handover could only take place later, in a government office, between officials of matching rank.
Trump Boycotts Summit Amid Tensions With South Africa
President Trump’s refusal to attend the Johannesburg G20 Summit is the latest move in his retreat from major global meetings. His administration has recently skipped several international gatherings and has had public disagreements with South Africa over both foreign policy and domestic issues.
The Trump administration has accused South Africa of persecuting white farmers—claims that Pretoria strongly denies.
According to South African officials, the US embassy also informed them that the summit priorities “run counter” to US policy. Because of these differences, the United States said it would not support a joint statement from the summit.
G20 Leaders Move Forward Without the US
Despite the US absence, the summit continued with nearly two dozen world leaders in attendance. On Saturday, the G20 adopted a leaders’ declaration calling for:
peace in Ukraine, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
an end to violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
stronger protections for global supplies of critical minerals
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya emphasized that South Africa would not allow one country to slow down international cooperation.
“We cannot be held back by one country,” he told reporters.
