• Trump's U.S. boycott of the G20 summit is termed "their loss" by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.
• Ramaphosa questions the effectiveness of boycott politics, stressing that the G20 will proceed without the U.S.
• South Africa's finance minister rejects Trump's allegations of genocide against white Afrikaners, calling them false.
• Relations between the U.S. and South Africa are currently at a low, exacerbated by Trump's claims and previous diplomatic actions.
• South Africa is set to host the G20 summit on November 22-23, with significant global implications.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that no U.S. officials would attend the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, declaring it as “their loss.” Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of U.S. participation, stating that the G20 will continue its agenda without the U.S. and suggested that the U.S. should reconsider its boycott strategy, claiming it “doesn’t work” based on his experience. He noted that this absence could be detrimental to the U.S. itself, given its role as the world’s largest economy, which it seems to be relinquishing by skipping the summit, according to latimes and aljazeera.

Trump's decision to boycott the G20 stemmed from his assertions regarding the alleged persecution of white Afrikaners in South Africa—a claim that has been repeatedly rejected by South African officials as misinformation. Ramaphosa also linked this stance to recent criticisms of South Africa’s calls for accountability regarding Israel's actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice, which has further strained U.S.-South Africa relations, reports aljazeera and africanews.

Additionally, South Africa’s Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, strongly rejected Trump’s claims, characterizing them as false accusations aimed at undermining the South African government. He described the rhetoric as a form of propaganda that could lead to punitive sanctions based on baseless fears, stressing that such narratives do not reflect the reality in South Africa. Godongwana commended local Afrikaner communities for their opposition to these claims, calling them unpatriotic, according to africanews.

The upcoming G20 summit, taking place on November 22-23, represents a crucial gathering of world leaders, further emphasizing the importance of the U.S. attending to maintain its influence in global matters. The summit is particularly significant as it marks the first time Africa is hosting the event, with Ramaphosa expressing regret over the U.S.'s decision to withdraw, highlighting that discussions will proceed with or without their presence, thereby diminishing the U.S.'s potential contributions to the dialogue, as per latimes and aljazeera.