President Cyril Ramaphosa says Donald Trump has agreed to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg this November, despite sharp disagreements between the two leaders over land reform and human rights.
At a Glance
- Ramaphosa announced Trump’s G20 attendance following a tense U.S. visit
- The White House has not yet officially confirmed Trump’s participation
- Trump confronted Ramaphosa over alleged “genocide” of white farmers
- Land expropriation without compensation remains a sticking point
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio boycotted an earlier G20 event in protest
Summit Plans Amid Friction
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his weekly newsletter that Donald Trump had committed to attending the G20 summit in Johannesburg this November. The claim follows Ramaphosa’s high-stakes working visit to Washington, where the two leaders engaged in a notably confrontational Oval Office exchange.
According to Reuters, Ramaphosa said Trump “agreed that the U.S. should continue to play a key role in the G20,” despite the tense diplomatic optics. The White House has yet to confirm Trump’s attendance, though he has long advocated for strong U.S. participation in major multilateral forums.
Watch a report: Trump and Ramaphosa spar over South Africa policy.
A Clash Over Race and Reform
The Johannesburg summit announcement comes in the wake of Trump’s controversial accusation of a so-called “white genocide” in South Africa. During their meeting, Trump presented Ramaphosa with video montages and headlines alleging violence against white Afrikaner farmers—claims widely debunked by international monitors.
As Al Jazeera reported, Ramaphosa rejected the charge, retorting, “If there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you, these three gentlemen would not be here,” gesturing toward South African golf icons Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, who joined him at the meeting.
The leaders also sparred over South Africa’s Expropriation Act, which permits land seizures—sometimes without compensation—to rectify apartheid-era injustices. Trump has condemned the policy, and in response previously curtailed USAID operations and froze certain forms of bilateral assistance.
Regional Optics and U.S. Strategy
South Africa currently chairs the G20 and will hand the presidency to the U.S. after the November summit. This leadership transition adds symbolic weight to Trump’s potential attendance. However, tensions remain high, underscored by Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s boycott of a preliminary G20 meeting over what he called South Africa’s “Marxist land theft” and rejection of the summit theme of “solidarity, equality and sustainability.”
Still, Ramaphosa attempted to keep the door open for economic cooperation, particularly in the field of critical minerals. Though no formal trade deals were announced, he framed the talks as productive, calling them “a success” and a step toward “realigning relations.”
With the G20 summit approaching, the stakes are high. Trump’s potential appearance in Johannesburg could either deepen the diplomatic rift or offer a rare opening for recalibration in U.S.-Africa relations.
