US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 Summit, accusing the government of ignoring human rights abuses. He claimed white communities in the country were being targeted under state policies.In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “At my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year.”
He also claimed the United States skipped the summit due to alleged human rights concerns, accusing the South African government of targeting white communities:“The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa, because the South African Government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific Human Right Abuses endured by Afrikaners, and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers. To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people, and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them,” his post added. Further escalating his stance, Trump warned of immediate financial repurcurssions. “South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere, and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately.”Trump went on to state that after South Africa “refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our US Embassy” at the closing ceremony, the country will not be invited to the 2026 summit in Miami, Florida. He also said that all payments and subsidies to South Africa would be stopped “effective immediately.”Reacting to Trump’s post, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the move as “regrettable,” saying it reflected punitive measures driven by misinformation rather than diplomatic engagement.
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His office clarified that the instruments of the G20 Presidency had been lawfully handed over to a US Embassy official, stressing South Africa remains a founding and committed G20 member.“President Cyril Ramaphosa has noted the regrettable statement by President Donald Trump on South Africa’s participation in the 2026 G20 meetings. It is regrettable that despite the efforts and numerous attempts by President Ramaphosa and his administration to reset the diplomatic relationship with the US President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country,” the statement read. The country reaffirmed that it will continue participating fully in the G20 and urged other member states to uphold the principle of equal footing and collective cooperation.“South Africa is a sovereign constitutional democratic country and does not appreciate insults from another country about its worth in participating in global platforms. South Africa will never insult another country or its standing in the community of nations,” the statement further read. Relations between Washington and Pretoria have faced renewed strain during Trump’s second term, particularly over land reform in South Africa, a topic he has repeatedly framed as a threat to white farmers.The spat follows rising tensions over allegations from the US that the South African government discriminates against its white minority, as reported by the Reuters. Trump has repeatedly claimed white farmers in South Africa are victims of violence and expropriation, assertions that have been widely criticised by experts and rejected by Pretoria.At the recent G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa emphasised themes of multilateral cooperation, equality among member states and economic recovery for the Global South. Pretoria has argued that such principles are essential to maintaining the credibility of the grouping, positioning itself as a voice for developing nations inside the G20.Trump’s decision to exclude South Africa from the 2026 G20 and halt financial support marks a major diplomatic blow. The actions deepen a rift between Washington and Pretoria, just days after the Johannesburg summit concluded with a declaration reaffirming multilateral cooperation on global challenges such as climate change.The 2025 G20 Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, the nation’s first time hosting the leaders’ forum. The next edition, in 2026 is scheduled to take place in Miami, Florida, under the United States’ presidency.
