South Africa has sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to bar it from the 2026 G20 summit, describing the move as punitive and based on distortions that undermine global cooperation.
The diplomatic row follows tensions between the two nations over a range of domestic and foreign policy issues, which came to a head after Washington skipped the G20 summit in Johannesburg last week.
Trump announced that South Africa would not be invited to next year’s meeting, which he plans to host at his Miami golf resort. He cited alleged “horrific Human Rights Abuses” against white farmers and Pretoria’s refusal to symbolically hand over the G20 presidency to the United States.
In response, South Africa’s presidency issued a strong statement, reaffirming its status as a sovereign, constitutional democracy and a full G20 member. “South Africa does not appreciate insults from another country regarding its membership and worth in participating in global platforms,” the statement read, adding that the country would continue to engage in all G20 meetings.
The handover of the G20 presidency this year was carried out at a low-key foreign ministry event, after South Africa refused to transfer it at the Johannesburg summit to a U.S. embassy representative, insisting Washington be represented “at the right level.”
South Africa also accused Trump of applying punitive measures based on misinformation, noting his repeated false claims of a “white genocide” in the country. Relations between the two nations have further strained over South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the imposition of 30 percent U.S. tariffs—the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
The G20, which brings together 19 countries plus the European Union and African Union, represents 85 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population.
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