Sara-Jayne Makwala King31 July 2025 | 6:26

Trump 'probably won't' attend G20 in Johannesburg. Will US skip hosting duties next year?

What are the chances G20 members choose to bypass the US presidency of the summit in 2026? Lester Kiewit interviews Sanusha Naidu of the Institute for Global Dialogue.

Trump 'probably won't' attend G20 in Johannesburg. Will US skip hosting duties next year?

FILE: US President Donald Trump

CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit speaks to Sanusha Naidu of the Institute for Global Dialogue about how South Africa will deal with US President Donald Trump refusing to attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November.

Listen below

Citing his current 'problems with South Africa', Trump said on Wednesday that he 'probably won't' attend the G20 Summit in November, which South Africa is hosting.

It follows similar comments he made earlier this year when asked if he would attend.

The relationship between the US and South Africa has been particularly strained since Trump's return to office.

Earlier this year announced he was halting all aid to South Africa, accusing the country of 'confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly'.

Then followed the awkward Oval Office meeting between the US President and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

But Naidu says nothing is certain until Trump communicates a formal notification that he will not attend.

"As long as Donald Trump is not formally saying, in a written communication, that he or his deputy, or whoever else from his cabinet, is not attending the G20 Summit... then it leaves everything in limbo."
- Sanusha Naidu, Senior Research Fellow - Institute for Global Dialogue

And as long as the situation remains in limbo, President Ramaphosa will have to remain diplomatic and say the 'door is open', says Naidoo.

But other countries, including Canada and India, are reportedly growing impatient with the US, which is due to take over hosting duties for the 2026 summit.

There's been a growing conversation around bypassing the US presidency of the G20.

"The challenge with the G20 is it's an informal meeting... there's no higher decision-making body... that is not possible."
- Sanusha Naidu, Senior Research Fellow - Institute for Global Dialogue
"To skip the US... that also creates this very difficult discord around the G20 and consensus."
- Sanusha Naidu, Senior Research Fellow - Institute for Global Dialogue

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.