When it assumed the presidency of the G20 last year, South Africa hoped that as the first African country to host the gathering of world leaders, it could champion issues that mattered most to developing nations.
For instance, it wanted the 20 heads of state from the world's largest economies to consider arguments that borrowing should be cheaper for developing countries, who pay two to four times more in interest on debts than more advanced economies.
Other themes of this weekend's summit include securing climate change financing, increasing the participation of African countries in multilateral forums, and ensuring they get the best value from their critical minerals.
But so far, discourse surrounding the meeting has been dominated by Donald Trump's very public decision not to attend.
The U.S. president cited the widely discredited claim that South Africa's white minority is the victim of large-scale killings and land grabs as his reason for skipping the event.
Tensions have heightened between the two nations over the past year, following the expulsion of South Africa's ambassador from Washington, cuts in aid funding, and the imposition of high tariffs.
Shortly before the summit, Trump reversed plans to send Vice-President JD Vance, resulting in no U.S. representatives attending.
In Pretoria, South African officials adopted a diplomatic yet defiant stance, denying claims of a white genocide and affirming that the summit would proceed regardless of U.S. participation.
The U.S. eventually decided to send a small team of diplomats to the handover ceremony, but would not participate in discussions.
There are rising concerns that South African diplomats may face exclusion from meetings once the U.S. takes over the G20 presidency next year.
Amid the brewing controversy, South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana asserted that the country remains a G20 member and attendance relies on the issuance of visas, not invitations.
Experts express optimism that South Africa can still achieve progress at the summit without U.S. leadership. According to Professor Richard Calland from Cambridge University, Trump’s absence might encourage consensus among other leaders, freeing them from the need to navigate U.S. positioning.
Other leaders, including China's Premier Li Qiang and Russia's Vladimir Putin, will also be absent, although they are sending senior delegations to represent their interests.
As South Africa seeks to bridge the developmental divide between the global north and south, the effectiveness of its presidency will hinge on its ability to navigate the summit without the world’s wealthiest nation.
For instance, it wanted the 20 heads of state from the world's largest economies to consider arguments that borrowing should be cheaper for developing countries, who pay two to four times more in interest on debts than more advanced economies.
Other themes of this weekend's summit include securing climate change financing, increasing the participation of African countries in multilateral forums, and ensuring they get the best value from their critical minerals.
But so far, discourse surrounding the meeting has been dominated by Donald Trump's very public decision not to attend.
The U.S. president cited the widely discredited claim that South Africa's white minority is the victim of large-scale killings and land grabs as his reason for skipping the event.
Tensions have heightened between the two nations over the past year, following the expulsion of South Africa's ambassador from Washington, cuts in aid funding, and the imposition of high tariffs.
Shortly before the summit, Trump reversed plans to send Vice-President JD Vance, resulting in no U.S. representatives attending.
In Pretoria, South African officials adopted a diplomatic yet defiant stance, denying claims of a white genocide and affirming that the summit would proceed regardless of U.S. participation.
The U.S. eventually decided to send a small team of diplomats to the handover ceremony, but would not participate in discussions.
There are rising concerns that South African diplomats may face exclusion from meetings once the U.S. takes over the G20 presidency next year.
Amid the brewing controversy, South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana asserted that the country remains a G20 member and attendance relies on the issuance of visas, not invitations.
Experts express optimism that South Africa can still achieve progress at the summit without U.S. leadership. According to Professor Richard Calland from Cambridge University, Trump’s absence might encourage consensus among other leaders, freeing them from the need to navigate U.S. positioning.
Other leaders, including China's Premier Li Qiang and Russia's Vladimir Putin, will also be absent, although they are sending senior delegations to represent their interests.
As South Africa seeks to bridge the developmental divide between the global north and south, the effectiveness of its presidency will hinge on its ability to navigate the summit without the world’s wealthiest nation.
