Foreign ministers from Group of 20 (G20) countries are meeting this week in Johannesburg, South Africa. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X earlier this month that he will not be in attendance. Rubio accused South Africa’s G20 agenda of promoting “DEI and climate change,” deepening tensions between the United States and South Africa that have been simmering over the last four years. Rubio’s comments were followed by a Feb. 7 executive order signed by President Trump, announcing restrictions on U.S. aid and assistance to South Africa and accusing the South African government of discriminating against white landowners.
What’s behind the Trump administration’s current tensions with South Africa – and what are the implications for the U.S. future role in the G20? Rubio’s G20 snub follows Trump’s announcements that the U.S. will exit the World Health Organization, the Paris Climate Accords – and the U.N. Human Rights Council, ending U.S. funding for the UNRWA, the U.N. relief agency for Gaza. And, of course, the Trump administration is actively working to dismantle USAID, the U.S. government’s foreign aid and humanitarian assistance agency.
Trump and Musk have strong opinions on South Africa
There’s no question that Rubio’s decision not to attend the G20 meetings in Johannesburg is also influenced by U.S. opposition to South Africa’s International Court of Justice case against Israel – and by South Africa’s open embrace of Russia and active role in the BRICS, an alliance of economies designed to challenge the power of European and North American countries. Not to be ignored is Trump’s allegiance to South African native Elon Musk, whose misinterpretation of South Africa’s Expropriation Act has escalated tensions between the two countries.
Questions about new priorities and continuities in foreign policy frequently arise whenever there are transitions in the U.S. presidency. However, Rubio skipping the G20 ministerial meetings and the U.S. exit from multilateral organizations jeopardizes the U.S. ability to work effectively in these organizations, especially as the new administration has also strained bilateral relations with other G20 members.
At this point, the White House has made no statement on whether Trump will attend the annual G20 leaders summit, scheduled for November 2025 in South Africa. The G20 is a collective of countries constituting 19 of the world’s developed and emerging economies, as well as the African Union and European Union. The group’s primary objective is to manage international economic and financial stability. The presidency of the G20 rotates annually, giving each member country the opportunity to establish an agenda that will inform the work of the bloc for the duration of the presidency.
What is South Africa’s G20 agenda?
South Africa has the G20 presidency this year, and established the theme of “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.” This aligns with South Africa’s own foreign policy of advancing the “Africa agenda,” aiming to reformulate aspects of the global governance system and strengthen the position of “Global South” countries through international institutions.
South Africa is using its G20 presidency to promote a number of initiatives that would amend what the South African government defines as extractive characteristics of the international system. Take international financial stability, for example. South Africa is using its G20 presidency and its standing in other international institutions to advocate for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to rechannel Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) – the IMFs reserve assets – to multilateral development banks. This move, supporters note, would increase the capacity for developing countries to manage their debt and respond to financial crises. South Africa’s push to rechannel SDRs began during India’s presidency of the G20 in 2023 and continued during Brazil’s presidency in 2024.
South Africa’s G20 presidency is also focused on sustainable and predictable climate financing – a key pillar in the U.N. Paris Climate Agreement. South Africa and other G20 members have embraced the principle of “common, but differentiated responsibilities.” They have called for developed countries who are parties to the Paris Agreement to take the lead in mobilizing climate financing, given the lack of financing capacity within developing countries and emerging economies.
Other goals take aim at economic inequality
South Africa also proposed a “cost of capital” commission, aimed at outlining the disproportionate amount of money African countries spend on debt servicing. The proposed commission would bring experts together to overhaul credit rating methodologies and regulations around the access to capital. The goal is to limit the economic volatility of African countries and other emerging economies.
In other words, South Africa’s G20 agenda seeks to amend the economic inequalities that exist between members of the G20. Rubio referenced the term “DEI,” echoing Trump’s campaign to eradicate all traces of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the U.S. government and, more broadly, in America. But using DEI in a post about the G20 seems a racialized trope to object to South Africa’s G20 agenda. This ignores the fact that South Africa’s G20 agenda is explicitly calling for collective action as a means to achieve collective self-reliance, particularly for countries in the Global South. Rubio’s criticism of the G20 agenda also alludes to a history of racially driven opposition to South African calls for global equality.
Why snubbing the G20 hurts the United States
If the job of the U.S. secretary of state is to advance America’s national interests, snubbing the G20 might not be Rubio’s most prudent move. Between the 2008 global financial crisis and the covid-19 pandemic, the G20 functioned effectively as the main forum to manage global crises. The U.S. will likely participate in G20 activities via its ”sherpa” – the envoy from each country who is responsible for representing G20 leaders and overseeing G20 negotiations in preparation for the November leaders summit. But the absence of the U.S. secretary of state at the foreign ministerial level signals a retreat from an inclusive G20 structure that the U.S. played a key role in shaping.
Research shows that former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama used the G20 to deepen partnerships with regional allies and bolster the U.S. foreign policy agenda in other areas such as climate change. Similarly, the Biden administration used the G20 as a forum to signal an elevated role for African countries in global governance. The U.S. joined other G20 countries in supporting a permanent G20 seat for the African Union.
And there’s a further complication: The U.S. will assume the G20 presidency in December 2025. Causing friction with multiple G20 members now will limit the U.S. ability to be effective during its presidency. The G20 operates on a consensus model of decision-making. So disengagement from the G20 will make it difficult for the U.S. to advance its interests.
The G20 is a forum for global cooperation
Conversely, there is strong support for South Africa’s initiatives from other G20 members. The last four G20 presidencies have been held by countries in the Global South – Indonesia, India, Brazil, and South Africa. Three of these were BRICS members, and Indonesia formally became a member of BRICS in January 2025. Each of these presidencies saw these four countries work together to elevate the development concerns of Global South countries by creating multiple frameworks of cooperation in the face of climate crises, global pandemics, and trade wars.
As longstanding U.S. alliances face uncertainty and the Trump administration looks to eliminate U.S. diplomatic tools such as foreign aid/assistance, the U.S. loses credibility among other G20 members. And the U.S. risks being underprepared for the next global financial crisis. Research has shown why the G20 is the most capable forum to undertake massive fiscal responsibilities in the event of a crisis – a good tool to have for a president who campaigned on the promise to “end inflation” and other shocks to the global economy.
Emmanuel Balogun is a 2024-2025 Good Authority fellow.
