Historic G20 Leaders summit kicks off in South Africa

The annual Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit kicks off today in Johannesburg, marking a historic first as the G20 convenes on African soil.

Heads of state and senior representatives from across the world are gathering at the 150,000-square-metre Nasrec Expo Centre for the two-day meeting, which caps South Africa’s yearlong presidency of the influential economic bloc.

Founded in 1999 and thrust into global prominence during the 2008 financial crisis, the G20 today comprises 19 countries, the European Union, and, since 2023, the African Union.

Collectively, the grouping accounts for 85 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population. South Africa will formally hand over the presidency to the United States on November 30.

Despite several high-profile absences, 42 countries and institutions have confirmed participation—a turnout Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola described as “a success” for South Africa’s chairship.

Security has been escalated across Johannesburg, with 3,500 additional police officers deployed to safeguard visiting delegations.

Confirmed attendees include, but are not limited to:

• China’s Premier Li Qiang;
• French President Emmanuel Macron;
• India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi;
• Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz;
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer;
• Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva;
• Italy’s Giorgia Meloni;
• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi;
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney;
• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
• Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Leaders of major institutions, among them African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, are also in attendance.

US boycott looms large

Overshadowing the summit is the absence of the United States.

President Donald Trump has opted to boycott the meeting, repeating discredited allegations of state-sanctioned discrimination against South Africa’s white population and falsely claiming a “genocide” of the minority white population.

Trump announced last week that no US official would participate, citing supposed “human rights abuses.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed the decision, saying boycotts “never really work” and calling Washington’s absence “their loss.”

In a symbolic gesture later in the summit, Ramaphosa is expected to hand over the presidency to an empty chair reserved for the US delegation.

Other notable absences include:

• Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who is sending deputy chief Maxim Oreshkin due to the ICC arrest warrant binding on South Africa as a Rome Statute signatory.
• China’s President Xi Jinping, who cancelled without explanation and will be represented by Premier Li Qiang.
• Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, both sending foreign ministers instead.

Global South priorities

South Africa has placed a distinctly Global South agenda at the heart of its presidency, pushing major economies to commit to addressing persistent development disparities, inadequate climate finance, and unsustainable debt burdens faced by poorer nations.

The overarching theme for South Africa’s G20 Presidency is “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability“. 

Pretoria is expected to lobby for:

• Increased climate finance flows from wealthy nations to developing economies
• Improved and faster debt restructuring mechanisms through international financial institutions
• Expanded funding for climate-disaster resilience
• Stronger commitments to development financing tools for vulnerable states

The summit unfolds against a backdrop of local frustration, with civil society groups staging demonstrations on issues including femicide, inequality, and South Africa’s staggering 31 percent unemployment rate.

The government has urged protestors to demonstrate peacefully while assuring international delegates of stringent security measures.

Follow Newsday for live updates regarding the G20.