South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)

“The G20 will go on, all other heads of state will be here. In the end we will take fundamental decisions and their absence is their loss,” Ramaphosa told reporters.

Last week, President Trump said no US government official will attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg because of violence against white Afrikaners. "Their land and farms are being illegally confiscated," Trump said. South Africa's government has rejected the accusation. 

The G20 was formed in 1999 to bring rich and developing countries together to address issues affecting the global economy and international development. Members include the US, China, Russia, India, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. The US is due to take over the rotating presidency of the G20 from South Africa at the end of the year.