South Africa G20 presidency gavel
JOHANNESBURG - The South African G20 term of presidency ends on Sunday.
South Africa is meant to work with next year's hosts, the US and 2027 hosts, the UK, as the G20 Troika.
South Africa assumed presidency of the G20 on 01 December 2024.
The body represents about 85-percent of the global economy, with its summits becoming major gatherings for world leaders since the economic crisis of 2008.
From 22-23 November 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa led the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, during which the Johannesburg Declaration was adopted.
The Leaders' Declaration is a 30-page document communicating the commitments of the summit as agreed by the leaders of the G20 countries.
The US will officially assume the G20 Presidency on 1 December 2025.
US participation in the G20 has been an ongoing subject of controversy.
READ: US locked out of G20 Leadership Summit's closing ceremony
Last week, President Donald Trump's administration denied South Africa's announcement that the United States was ending a boycott of the weekend's G20 summit in Johannesburg, saying no US official would take part in talks.
The White House said the US ambassador would attend but only for a handover ceremony. The next G20 is expected to be held at a golf club owned by Trump in Florida.
"The United States is not participating in official talks at the G20 in South Africa," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters."I saw the South African president running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the president of the United States earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the president or his team," she said.
Speculation was rife that the US may participate in the Leaders' Summit but it was ultimately absent from the weekend's ceremonial proceedings.
READ: Mogotsi admits to lying, world leaders descend on SA for G20 Summit and SA-US relations tensions
On Friday, President Ramaphosa said that the United States had a "change of mind about participating in one shape, form or other, in the summit." Ramaphosa said the supposed change of heart was "a positive sign".
"All countries are here, and the United States, the biggest economy in the world, needs to be here," he said.
The US embassy in Pretoria sent a notice that it would not attend. In the weekend message, it said South Africa's G20 priorities "run counter to the US policy views and we cannot support consensus on any documents negotiated under your presidency."
The agenda included improving debt sustainability for low-income countries, financing a "just energy transition" and harnessing "critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development".
Trump had initially agreed to send Vice President JD Vance before ruling out any participation.
The G20 summit is the latest major international gathering to be snubbed by the United States under Trump.
The United States is also shunning the ongoing COP30 climate talks in Brazil, with Trump instead defending fossil fuels and rejecting the scientific consensus on the planet's rising temperatures.
Trump has singled out South Africa for harsh treatment since he returned to the White House in January, often seizing on far-right commentary on the internet.
READ: Trump Boycotts SA’s G20 Summit Over ‘Afrikaner Killings’ Claim
Trump has repeated debunked claims that white Afrikaners are being systematically "killed and slaughtered" in the country.
READ: Why is the UK finding it hard to say there is no genocide in South Africa?
The Trump administration also expelled South Africa's ambassador Ebrahim Rasool.
South Africa officially handed over the Johannesburg G20 Leaders' Declaration to the United States at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) offices in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Elizabeth Sidiropoulos from the South African Institute of International Affairs has criticized the US for breaking protocol by sending only a Chargé d’affaires to receive the presidency handover, saying the exchange should occur at a higher level. Tune in to #eNCA, channel… pic.twitter.com/asnLX1TH6F
— eNCA (@eNCA) November 22, 2025
The handover of the G20 presidency was a low-key affair, breaking with protocol.
READ: The show goes on despite Trump's G20 non-attendance - Lamola
On Saturday, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola explained how the handover would happen.
He said, "With regards to how are we going to conduct the handover, and whether we regard this as something that will continue to strain South African and US relations..."
"It is correct we have communicated to the US embassy that South Africa welcomes that the US now wants us to hand over (to the US) the leadership of the G20, and they have communicated this very late."
"Also they stated that it would be a chargé d'affairs of the US mission here in South Africa."
"As you can see, this is a leaders' summit - heads of state - and the heads of state who are not here have designated appropriate officials who are engaging in this platform."
"We want to differentiate between the handover and the deliberations that are currently happening."
"So the handover must happen at a head of state level or at least a minister who is properly designated by the United States of America."
"Now that they have assigned a chargé d'affairs, we have said Dirco has an equivalent official, hence we welcome and we will do the handover."
"We will do it at Dirco offices, any time from Monday, and arrangements will be made on the appropriate date where they can come and we can do the handover of everything."
The handover took place at the Dirco offices in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The President will not hand over to a Charge' d' Affaires.
— Vincent Magwenya 🇿🇦 (@SpokespersonRSA) November 20, 2025
Despite Trump's boycott, US businesses were represented at the B20 event that wound up in Johannesburg on Thursday.
READ: B20 founding member says SA must define success for G20
The head of the US Chamber of Commerce, Suzanne Clark, thanked South Africa for fostering "real collaboration between G20 nations during a time of rapid change" during its presidency."
"The US Chamber of Commerce will use our B20 leadership to foster international collaboration," Clark said.
The G20 Leaders' Summit has been called a success "delivering real progress" despite the tensions with the next Troika member.
🇿🇦 President Ramaphosa successfully concludes the #G20 Summit, highlighting South Africa's commitment to inclusive global growth, sustainable development, and amplifying the voice of the Global South. A productive summit delivering real progress! #SouthAfricaG20… pic.twitter.com/n1SWwRnTKk
— G20 South Africa (@g20org) November 23, 2025#G20SouthAfrica| In other countries, hospitality is a transaction. Here, it feels like a tradition. #Rekaofela #GovZAupdates pic.twitter.com/cV2Xlsxyn4
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) November 26, 2025