Johannesburg G20: South Africa Pushes Debt Relief and Inequality Plan as US Stays Away

South Africa hosts the G20 summit on Nov. 22–23 in Johannesburg, pressing members for concrete commitments on debt relief, disaster financing and measures to tackle deepening global inequality. The gathering proceeds amid a high-profile U.S. absence that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called "their loss."

US boycott and diplomatic friction

U.S. President Donald Trump is not attending the summit, part of a wider pullback from some multilateral forums that has unsettled other members. The United States remains the most powerful G20 member; the group — 19 countries plus the European Union — accounts for roughly 85% of global GDP and about two-thirds of the world’s population.

Relations between Washington and Pretoria have been strained. South Africa has faced tariffs from the United States, including a 30% levy on certain goods, and Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized the country since his return to the White House earlier this year, making statements that drew international rebuttals.

Debt, disaster financing and the summit agenda

Under the presidency theme "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability," South Africa has prioritized debt relief and financing mechanisms to help vulnerable nations respond to climate-related disasters. Delegates argue that heavy debt repayments constrain spending on public services: United Nations figures cited at the summit note that between 2021 and 2023 Africa paid about $70 per capita in interest on external debt, compared with $63 per capita on education and $44 per capita on health.

Senator Marco Rubio publicly described Pretoria's agenda as "anti-American" and skipped a G20 ministers' meeting in February, underscoring how tensions over the summit have political resonance in Washington.

Proposed "International Inequalities Panel"

President Ramaphosa is advocating for an "International Inequalities Panel" modelled on the IPCC to spotlight and coordinate action against stark global inequalities — a challenge that is especially acute in South Africa. A G20 report led by Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz has framed wealth inequality as a global crisis that threatens democratic institutions and social cohesion, urging that it be treated with the same urgency as climate change.

"If adopted, it would mark a significant win not just for Pretoria's presidency, but for the millions across the Global South whose voices are often sidelined in elite economic forums," said Tendai Mbanje, a researcher at the University of Pretoria's Centre for Human Rights.

Consensus prospects and key players

It remains uncertain whether the summit will produce a joint final declaration. Preparatory discussions have reportedly encountered obstruction from Argentina's delegation; Argentina's president, Javier Milei — an ally of President Trump — is also boycotting the summit.

In the U.S. absence, China's Premier Li Qiang is expected to press for multilateral approaches. "Economic globalisation and multipolarity are irreversible," he said at a regional summit in October. Russia will be represented by President Vladimir Putin's economic adviser and deputy chief of staff, Maxim Oreshkin, rather than by senior foreign ministry officials.

Context and what comes next

The Johannesburg meeting begins a day after the scheduled close of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, whose outcomes could influence G20 discussions. The summit also completes a run of Global South presidencies — Indonesia (2022), India (2023) and Brazil (2024) — before the United States assumes the G20 presidency. Washington has signaled it intends to narrow the forum's focus toward economic cooperation when it hosts in late 2026.