South Africa has sharply responded after U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the country would not be invited to the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami. President Cyril Ramaphosa described the announcement as “regrettable,” stressing that South Africa had fulfilled all obligations during the recent summit held in Johannesburg.
Trump posted on social media that South Africa had refused to hand over the G20 presidency to a U.S. embassy representative, prompting his directive to block South Africa from next year’s meeting. Although G20 members do not require an invitation to participate, attendance can still be obstructed through visa restrictions.
South African presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the country has accepted that relations with the U.S. are unlikely to be reset under the current administration, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts. He added that if visas were denied, South Africa would shift its focus to cooperation with other G20 partners.
Ramaphosa emphasized that the U.S. had voluntarily chosen not to attend the Johannesburg summit, which forced South Africa to hand over the G20 instruments to a U.S. embassy official in a routine procedure. However, this low-profile handover appeared to anger Trump, who has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s government and its policies.
Trump has previously made unverified claims of widespread killings and land seizures targeting white farmers in South Africa—allegations the South African government has consistently dismissed as baseless. This week, Trump doubled down on the claims, accusing the government of “killing white people” and taking farmland, comments widely condemned as inaccurate.
Ramaphosa expressed disappointment that the U.S. president continues to rely on misinformation to shape policy decisions affecting South Africa. Trump further escalated tensions by announcing a halt to all U.S. payments and subsidies to the country.
Meanwhile, South African officials are calling for solidarity from fellow G20 members, insisting that all states must be treated fairly and that the credibility of the group must be protected.
The Johannesburg summit—Africa’s first ever G20 host event—ended with a joint declaration committing members to increased multilateral cooperation on global issues such as climate action and economic inequality, despite objections from the U.S.