South Africa has officially transferred the G20 presidency to the United States in a low-key ceremony held on Tuesday morning, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed.
The handover took place two days after the conclusion of the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg and marks the end of South Africa’s historic tenure as the first African nation to hold the rotating presidency.
DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor, who also served as South Africa’s G20 sherpa, described the event as a brief administrative exchange between senior officials of the two countries. No photographs or public statements were issued immediately after the ceremony.
The United States was represented by its chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, Reuben Brigety II, heading a low-level delegation. Neither President Donald Trump nor any cabinet-level official attended the handover.
The subdued proceedings follow weeks of diplomatic friction. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, had stated in the lead-up to the summit that South Africa would not hand over the presidency to a chargé d’affaires, insisting on representation of equivalent rank. Pretoria had also rejected proposals to travel to Washington for the ceremony.
The United States boycotted the Johannesburg summit at leaders’ level, citing concerns over alleged human rights abuses in South Africa. Washington sent only technical officials to the two-day meeting, which concluded on 23 November.
Despite the absence of a U.S. head of state or government, the summit adopted a leaders’ declaration – an unusual step taken at the opening rather than the traditional closing session.
The document was endorsed by the remaining 18 full G20 members, the African Union, and guest nation Spain.
The United States will formally assume the G20 presidency on 1 December 2025 and is expected to host the next leaders’ summit in 2026.
