DURBAN – G20 finance ministers and central bank governors have shrugged off United States (US) President Donald Trump’s poor endorsement of the bloc’s work under South Africa’s presidency.
The finance track met for a third time in Zimbali in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) this week—with talks wrapping up yesterday.
The global finance leaders met amid heightened geopolitical tensions and trade wars triggered by threats of increased tariffs by Trump’s administration.
With U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent absent from the meeting, questions have again been raised about Trump’s buy-in on the bloc.
Bessent was a no-show at the meeting in KZN—but US officials represented the world’s superpower in talks.
This is the second time Bessent skipped out on the G20 finance track meeting in South Africa—including the February meeting when he said he had other domestic priorities to attend to.
While the most senior fiscal policy head was not physically in SA—Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says Americans participated in discussions.
“At least in our track we can get the Americans to participate; in the Sherpa track they are not [participating], so in that sense we consider it a major success.”
But it’s still everyone’s guess if Bessent’s absence is a precursor for US President Donald Trump’s absence at the leaders’ summit in November—with some delegates this week refusing to be drawn into speculation about what it means for the next G20 host to snub the bloc—opting instead to focus on the work at hand.
