US President Donald Trump has announced a boycott of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa, alleging that Afrikaners are being ‘killed and their land seized’, accusations that Pretoria has strongly rejected as unfounded.
Trump made the remarks on his Truth Social platform on Friday, calling it a ‘total disgrace’ that the global summit will take place in Johannesburg on 22 November 2025.
He claimed that Afrikaners descendants of early Dutch, French, and German settlers are being ‘killed and slaughtered’, and that their farms are being “illegally confiscated.
“No US Government Official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue,” Trump said, adding that he looked forward to hosting the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami, Florida.
South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) dismissed the comments on Saturday as ‘regrettable’ and ‘not substantiated by fact’. The claim that this community faces persecution is not supported by evidence,” DIRCO said in a statement.
“Our nation remains committed to democracy, equality, and unity through diversity.”DIRCO added that South Africa’s focus at the upcoming summit would remain on promoting inclusive global growth and cooperation.
“Drawing from our journey from racial division to democracy, South Africa seeks to advance shared prosperity and global solidarity,” the ministry said.
Trump’s statement is the latest in a string of diplomatic flashpoints between Washington and Pretoria. Earlier this year, Trump accused South Africa of pursuing a ‘white farmer genocide’ under its land policy.
Relations have worsened further since Washington imposed sanctions on several ANC figures and introduced a 30 percent tariff on key South African exports measures economists warn could hurt manufacturing and agriculture.
