'Their loss,' says Ramaphosa on US absence from G20 summit, but what’s behind Trump’s boycott? ‘White Genocide’, diversity, climate and more

South Africa, the host of the G20 Summit, is brushing aside the boycott by the US from the event in Johannesburg on November 22-23, with President Cyril Ramaphosa saying it is “their loss.” President Donald Trump has ordered a full American boycott of all the G20 events including the summit, being held for the first time on African soil. The US pullout means no delegation will attend either. Speaking about it on Thursday (Nov 13), Ramaphosa said, “In the end we will take fundamental decisions… and their absence is their loss.”

Why is the US staying away from G20 events in South Africa?

For months now, Trump has alleged human-rights abuses against South Africa's white Afrikaner minority, which he and some of his supporters have termed as “white genocide.” The allegations are on land reform and violent attacks allegedly targeting descendants of European settlers, including Dutch, German, and French ancestry, who arrived in South Africa during colonial times. Trump, whose country will hold the next G20 presidency in 2026, called the Johannesburg summit “a total disgrace.”

What’s behind the “white genocide” and land reform row?

Trump and his administration claim that white farmers in South Africa are being systematically persecuted, alleging that their land is being confiscated, farms illegally taken, and people killed. South Africa has rejected these claims, stating that there is no evidence of a coordinated campaign of violence or racial genocide targeting white communities. Independent data does not support the notion of “white genocide” either. Right-wing US media have amplified these claims.

Other ideological issues over the G20 summit: From climate to diversity

American officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have criticised the summit’s themes of “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” as “anti-American.” From the US perspective, these themes promote climate action, which Trump has dismissed as a hoax, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, which his administration has opposed. South Africa dismissed what it called “imperialist interference” and accused the US of using race-based grievances to undermine the Global South’s voice.

Is the US absence from G20 really its loss?

Observers say that the absence of the world’s largest economy from one of the biggest international summits weakens US leverage in multilateral fora. It also gives space for rivals such as China and Russia, both members of the G20, to fill the gap. The absence of the US is being seen as a signal of disengagement from collective global governance.

Also : 'It's not only white farmers': South Africa's richest man rebukes Trump's claims of racial persecution and 'white genocide'

The US–South Africa relationship is at its lowest ebb

In recent months, Pretoria expelled the US ambassador following harsh US criticism. The G20 boycott adds another layer to the worst estrangement between the two countries since the end of Apartheid. With the US scheduled to host the G20 in 2026, the Johannesburg summit may mark a turning point in US global engagement and prestige. Ramaphosa’s message is clear: the US may want to sit out, but the G20 show will go on, and Washington is the loser.