South Africa counts down to historic G20 summit as Trump’s attendance remains unclear

With just 100 days remaining before the historic G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg—the first ever on African soil—South Africa’s preparations are in full swing.

Gearing Up for November

South Africa’s G20 presidency is approaching its climax, with 87 out of 132 G20 meetings across both Sherpa and Finance tracks already in the books. The remaining ministerial meetings in September will set the tone for the Johannesburg Leaders' Declaration, anchored on "Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability." This agenda-driven framework aims to help set the global economic focus for the summit.

Key issues on the table include global inequality and sovereign debt burdens. To address this, President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched a G20 taskforce, chaired by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, to examine wealth disparities and propose actionable remedies.

A major question marking the countdown is whether U.S. President Donald Trump will attend. He has expressed strong disapproval of South African policies—particularly land reform—and signaled he might send a representative instead. Despite this, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola reiterated that South Africa’s invitation stands. “We will proceed with the G20 Leaders’ Summit with or without President Trump. It’s an unpredictable situation,” he said, offering South Africa’s flexibility amid diplomatic friction.