Newsroom, November 27, 2025: U.S. President Donald Trump announced that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit in Miami, Florida, accusing the nation of refusing to hand over the presidency to a senior U.S. Embassy representative at the recent closing ceremony. The decision, detailed in a Truth Social post, also directs a halt to all payments and subsidies to Pretoria, framing the exclusion as a response to perceived slights and broader grievances.
Trump, who chose not to send a full American delegation to the Johannesburg-hosted event, alleged "violent persecution" of white Afrikaners, a claim swiftly dismissed by South African officials as unfounded.
Trump's post stated: "At the conclusion of the G20, South Africa refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our U.S. Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony. Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20." This marks a rare public rebuff in G20 history, potentially straining the bloc's consensus-driven ethos.
South Africa's International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor rejected the persecution narrative, emphasizing the country's commitment to multilateralism. No official response from India, the 2023 G20 host, has surfaced, but Delhi's balancing act in U.S.-Africa ties could face scrutiny. The exclusion disrupts the traditional presidency rotation, raising questions about the summit's inclusivity amid U.S. unilateralism.
