As the G20 Summit Begins in the Shadow of the US Boycott, South Africa’s Ramaphosa Meets the UK’s Starmer

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Johannesburg on Friday to attend the opening of the G20 summit, where South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warmly received him. Local performers welcomed Starmer with an energetic display, marking his first official visit to South Africa since taking office.

However, Africa’s first-ever G20 leaders’ summit has already been overshadowed by controversy. U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to boycott the gathering, withdrawing American participation over his disputed claims that South Africa discriminates against its white Afrikaner minority. His decision removes one of the world’s most influential powers from the negotiations. It poses a challenge to South Africa’s efforts to rally support for global issues impacting developing nations, such as climate financing, rising green energy costs, and growing sovereign debt.

Adding to the diplomatic tension, Chinese President Xi Jinping is also absent, scaling back his international travel schedule. With both Washington and Beijing missing, the world’s two largest economies are notably absent from a summit aimed at narrowing the gap between developed and developing nations.

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