South African President Cyril Ramaphosa slammed the gavel on Saturday, effectively closing the G20 summit in Johannesburg amidst a diplomatic standoff with the United States. The contentious row over who would hand over the reins of the global economic forum came to a head when Ramaphosa rejected a US proposal for him to transfer leadership to a relatively junior embassy official.
The two-day summit was touted as a triumph for multilateralism, but it was marred by a boycott from the US, which has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against its white-minority Afrikaners. The claims have been widely discredited, yet they continue to fuel tensions between the two nations.
In his closing speech, Ramaphosa acknowledged the "significant challenges" faced during the summit but praised the ability of world leaders to come together in pursuit of a better future. However, he made no mention of the US, instead stating that he looked forward to meeting with the next president of the G20 – which would be Donald Trump's successor.
The White House had accused Ramaphosa of "weaponising" his presidency to undermine the G20's founding principles. A spokesperson for the administration claimed that South Africa's push for a declaration on climate change and gender equality was an attempt to "facilitate a smooth transition of the G20 presidency". The US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement under Trump's presidency has left many questioning the legitimacy of its claims.
Despite the tensions, Ramaphosa seemed to downplay the controversy, saying that the ball had moved on to the next president. South Africa's foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, appeared more pragmatic, stating that his country was available to host the US if it wanted to attend.
The absence of several major nations from the summit has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the G20 as a global forum. Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping skipped the event due to diplomatic tensions and travel restrictions, respectively. Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum also declined to attend.
As the 2026 G20 summit approaches – scheduled to take place at Trump National Doral Miami golf resort – it remains to be seen how Ramaphosa will navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries that shape global politics. One thing is certain, however: the G20's future hangs precariously in the balance, as world leaders struggle to find common ground on key issues like climate change and human rights.
The two-day summit was touted as a triumph for multilateralism, but it was marred by a boycott from the US, which has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against its white-minority Afrikaners. The claims have been widely discredited, yet they continue to fuel tensions between the two nations.
In his closing speech, Ramaphosa acknowledged the "significant challenges" faced during the summit but praised the ability of world leaders to come together in pursuit of a better future. However, he made no mention of the US, instead stating that he looked forward to meeting with the next president of the G20 – which would be Donald Trump's successor.
The White House had accused Ramaphosa of "weaponising" his presidency to undermine the G20's founding principles. A spokesperson for the administration claimed that South Africa's push for a declaration on climate change and gender equality was an attempt to "facilitate a smooth transition of the G20 presidency". The US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement under Trump's presidency has left many questioning the legitimacy of its claims.
Despite the tensions, Ramaphosa seemed to downplay the controversy, saying that the ball had moved on to the next president. South Africa's foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, appeared more pragmatic, stating that his country was available to host the US if it wanted to attend.
The absence of several major nations from the summit has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the G20 as a global forum. Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping skipped the event due to diplomatic tensions and travel restrictions, respectively. Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum also declined to attend.
As the 2026 G20 summit approaches – scheduled to take place at Trump National Doral Miami golf resort – it remains to be seen how Ramaphosa will navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries that shape global politics. One thing is certain, however: the G20's future hangs precariously in the balance, as world leaders struggle to find common ground on key issues like climate change and human rights.
Russia and China skipped it due to diplomatic tensions, and Mexico didn't even bother attending. It's like, what's the point of having 20 heads if only 15 or so are gonna be there? 
And then you got this whole thing with the US and South Africa... I don't know, man, it just feels like a big ol' mess 
. But at the same time, Ramaphosa did say something about world leaders coming together for a better future, which is kinda cool 
. Maybe this is an opportunity for them to actually make some progress on those climate change and human rights stuff? A guy can dream, right? 
️.
. And South Africa isn't about to let its voice be silenced when it comes to issues like gender equality and climate change 
.
. Are they just gonna sit this one out? I hope not, because if the G20 can't even get some of the biggest players on board, what's the point of it all 
. We need world leaders to put their differences aside and work towards something bigger than themselves 
. Otherwise, we'll just keep spinning our wheels 
.
, can't believe how this whole summit went down! South Africa was just trying to push for some important stuff like climate action & equality 
, but the US is always gonna be a buzzkill 
. And now they're worried about finding common ground on climate change & human rights? Like, what's taking them so long? 
.
. South Africa just wanted to do some good work, and the US had to come in and throw a wrench in the works 
. I guess we'll just have to wait & see how Ramaphosa navigates the next summit 
. Fingers crossed he can get some real progress done 
. I mean, come on, we've been over this before - there's no evidence to support that claim. It's just a bunch of noise from people who don't want to acknowledge the real issues at hand.
. The G20 should be about finding common ground and working together, not just serving the interests of one powerful country.
, I can feel it! World leaders are really going to have to step up their game if they want to make any progress on the issues that matter. Fingers crossed for a more collaborative approach 
they just tried to take the g20 reins and the US came at them hard 
doesn't mean he didn't feel the heat, though. i also think the us should stop making claims about south africa discriminating against afrikaners 
but maybe we can use this as an opportunity for world leaders to come together and talk about climate change and human rights 
like climate change and inequality - shouldn't our leaders be working towards solutions, not creating more drama? 
The US withdrawal from the Paris agreement was a big deal, and it's crazy they're trying to spin South Africa as the villains here... I mean, come on, guys, let's focus on making progress 
. And what's up with Russia and China skipping the summit? Are we really that divided globally that we can't even get together on basic human rights stuff? 
. I mean, come on, you can't just dismiss the importance of addressing this issue and expect everyone else to follow suit 
. What's concerning is that this kind of diplomatic standoff could have major implications for global cooperation and progress 
.
The US will just try to muscle in on other global forums too. Anyway, I'm more worried about the Paris climate agreement situation... it's like Trump's legacy is going to haunt us forever 
. And now, with Trump's successor taking over next year, it's anyone's guess what'll happen. The G20's supposed to be about bringing nations together, but instead we're getting more divisions and mistrust. I mean, Russia and China skipped the whole thing because of diplomatic tensions? That's not exactly a confidence booster 
. And South Africa's foreign minister is trying to play it cool, but I think there's more at play here than just a simple "ball moved on" excuse 
. The future of the G20 is precarious, and that's putting it mildly...
anyway i think it's time for us to take matters into our own hands as a global community we need to find ways to work together without relying on these toxic alliances. let's make the 2026 g20 summit one to remember