Solidarity or Spin: Is the US–South Africa G20 Rift Overblown?

Is the perceived rift US-SA G20 rift a real fracture — or simply overblown?

That’s the question I found myself grappling with as the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors wrapped up their two- day meeting in Ballito, South Africa — concluding with a communique that was signed, sealed, and delivered. It marked the first such consensus since Brazil’s presidency in October 2024, and only the second since the G20’s expansion during the 2007/08 global financial crisis. The symbolism was hard to miss.

Enoch Godongwana, Finance Minister, South Africa

That this happened on African soil, on Mandela Day no carried echoes of Madiba’s legacy — whether by design or by poetic coincidence.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana called the consensus a milestone, especially amid a fraught global climate marked by trade wars and geopolitical tensions. He likened South Africa’s moment to Indonesia’s in 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine loomed large. 

What Made It Into the Communiqué?

The statement reaffirmed multilateralism, backed WTO reform, acknowledged debt pressures in low- and middle-income countries, called for more financing for adaptation and energy transition, and committed to pandemic preparedness and global tax reform. Most notably for Africa, it included support for the continent’s sustainable growth.

Lesetja Kganyago, Governor, South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB)

Between the Lines

Despite the warm rhetoric around “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” questions linger about the depth of commitment. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent skipped the meeting — for the second time — citing scheduling conflicts, although he reportedly joined a G7 meeting virtually. The US was officially represented by Acting Under Secretary Michael Kaplan, and SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago assured the media of full US participation. Still, the optics didn’t go unnoticed.

Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Tariffs, Tension and Tee Times

Adding to the ambiguity is Washington’s pending 30% tariff threat on South African goods, due August 1. Hopes were high after a high-profile Oval Office visit in May — featuring Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and Richemont chair Johann Rupert — but it may not have moved the needle.

Haoliang Xu, the Acting Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Discord Elsewhere

Meanwhile, several other G20 working groups, including the critical Sherpa Track, failed to reach consensus — derailed by unresolved issues like:
·        Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine 
·        The Israel–Hamas conflict, complicated by South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, which the US opposes These tensions reinforce the fragility of G20 unity.

Elisa de Anda Madrazo, President, Financial Action Task Force (FAFT)

The Trump Factor

Which raises the question: Will Donald Trump, likely to reclaim the White House, accept President Ramaphosa’s invitation to the November G20 Leaders’ Summit — and perhaps a round of golf? If Bessent’s absence is any guide, don’t hold your breath. But if Trump hasn’t yet taken to Truth Social to denounce the communiqué, there may still be hope.

And in politics, as in golf, sometimes a surprise swing changes everything!

Duncan Pieterse, Director General, National Treasury, South Africa