Washington: Former President Donald Trump has confirmed that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit planned to take place near Miami. The decision follows the United States boycott of the recent G20 meeting hosted in Johannesburg.
Trump said the move was connected to what he described as the unfair treatment of a US government representative during the summit in South Africa. He also repeated earlier claims that South Africa discriminates against its white Afrikaner minority. The South African government has rejected those accusations and called them false and politically motivated.
The United States was the only nation that did not attend this year’s G20 summit. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa closed the gathering without handing over the ceremonial leadership gavel to a US diplomat, a gesture that would normally mark the transition to the next host nation. Ramaphosa said the United States had removed itself from the process by choosing not to participate.
Despite the absence of the United States, other G20 members approved a final statement focusing on climate change, development funding and global inequality issues.
Trump said the United States would also move to halt aid and subsidies to South Africa. The announcement has created uncertainty about the future of cooperation between the two nations, especially in trade and development projects.
Political analysts say the dispute marks one of the most serious breaks in relations between Washington and Pretoria in recent decades. Some governments and experts have warned that the situation could weaken cooperation between the United States and the Global South at a time when international partnerships are already under strain.
South Africa has not yet announced if it will take diplomatic or legal action. Government officials have said the decision by the United States will not prevent South Africa from playing an active role in future global discussions.
The 2026 G20 summit is scheduled to take place at the Trump National Doral resort near Miami. It remains unclear whether any compromise will be reached before invitations are formally issued.