U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he will not attend the G-20 summit in South Africa on February 20-21, claiming that the host country is following an "anti-American" agenda. 

In a post on X, Rubio said, "I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote 'solidarity, equality, & sustainability.' In other words: DEI and climate change. My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism." South Africa, as the G20 president from December 2024 to November 2025, will host a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Johannesburg on February 20-21.

Rubio's statement was made just two days after US President Donald Trump criticised South Africa's land reform plans, which aim to fix the unfair land distribution caused by apartheid. Trump pledged to halt all further financing on February 2 on his Truth Social platform, saying, "South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY." Trump also asserted that "a massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see" in South Africa, but he offered no proof or specifics to back up his claims. Since returning to the White House last month, Trump has repeatedly criticised DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Earlier this week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected Trump's claims about land confiscation and said he is open to explaining his government's land reform policy to U.S. officials.

According to the Associated Press, Ramaphosa contacted Elon Musk, a close supporter of Trump, to raise concerns about what he called "disinformation" being spread by the US president. Land ownership is a sensitive topic in South Africa because, even after apartheid ended, most farmland is still owned by white people. The government is facing growing pressure to make changes and correct past injustices. These issues date back to the apartheid era when Black South Africans were forcibly removed from their land and restricted to separate areas. The 20th meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20), known as the G20 Johannesburg Summit, is scheduled for November 22–23, 2025. It will be the first G20 summit to take place on the African continent and in South Africa. The G20 presidency was taken over by South Africa on December 1, 2024, and ended in November 2025. 

The theme for South Africa's G20 Presidency is "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability." South Africa will use its G20 Presidency to advocate for developing economies in Africa and the Global South, with high-level priorities including inclusive economic growth, food security and artificial intelligence and innovation for sustainable development. President Ramaphosa will host the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting on February 20.