In a last-minute twist, South Africa says the United States has unexpectedly indicated it will now participate in this weekend’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, reversing its earlier decision to skip the meeting. President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed the development on Thursday, calling it an “eleventh-hour” message that Pretoria is still trying to understand.
Earlier, the Trump administration had formally notified South Africa that it would not attend the November 22–23 summit, insisting that no joint leaders’ declaration could be issued without US approval. Months of disagreements over global governance priorities, domestic political tensions, and South Africa’s agenda for the first African-hosted G20 meeting had led to the standoff.
Ramaphosa told reporters: “We have received notice from the United States, a notice which we are still in discussions with them over, about a change of mind about participating in one shape, form, or other in the summit.” He emphasised that the timing of the message was far from ideal, saying, “We do need to engage in discussions to see how practical it is and what it really means.”
So far, US officials have not confirmed the change publicly. South Africa has requested more clarity to understand Washington’s intentions. The development came less than a week after the US embassy reiterated that it would not attend, arguing that Pretoria’s G20 priorities “run counter to US policy views.”
Ramaphosa used the summit curtain-raiser to address global power imbalances, saying: “It cannot be that a country’s location, income, or military strength determines who has a voice. There should be no bullying of one nation by another.” He described Washington’s last-minute rethink as encouraging but reaffirmed that South Africa will not abandon its agenda or compromise on securing consensus for a leaders’ statement.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola echoed this sentiment: “We will not be told by anyone who is absent that we cannot adopt a declaration or make any decisions at the summit.”
Relations between Pretoria and Washington have been tense, reaching their highest strain since Trump returned to office in January. Controversial social media claims, the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador, and 30% tariffs on South African goods have all fuelled diplomatic friction. Disagreements also extended to South Africa’s G20 agenda, which focuses on “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” disaster resilience, debt sustainability, just energy transition, and sustainable use of critical minerals—priorities that Washington had objected to earlier.
Despite the political strains, economic ties remain strong. Over 600 US companies operate in South Africa, and at a Business 20 event in Johannesburg, US Chamber of Commerce chief Suzanne Clark praised South Africa’s role in fostering “real collaboration between G20 nations during a time of rapid change.”
With G20 members collectively producing 85% of global GDP and representing two-thirds of the world’s population, Washington’s participation in Johannesburg is a significant development as Africa hosts the summit for the first time.