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U.S. President Donald Trump announced that South Africa will not receive an invitation to participate in next year’s G20 summit in Miami, escalating diplomatic tensions following Washington’s decision to boycott the recent G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg. South Africa criticized the boycott as a “punitive” move, while the U.S. has accused Pretoria of “weaponising” its leadership of the G20 during its presidency.
Despite U.S. objections, G20 leaders adopted a declaration addressing climate change and global challenges. Trump claimed that South Africa “refused to hand off the G20 Presidency” to a senior U.S. Embassy representative at the summit’s closing ceremony, prompting his decision to bar the country from the 2026 gathering. In response, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office called Trump’s remarks “regrettable,” emphasizing that the handover took place at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation because the U.S. delegation was absent from the event.
Tensions between the two nations have intensified since Trump returned to office in January. He has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s domestic and foreign policies, including its stance on land reform and its genocide case at the International Court of Justice involving Israel. In February, Trump signed an executive order cutting U.S. financial assistance to South Africa, and this week he said his administration would halt “all payments and subsidies” to the country.
Ramaphosa’s office said efforts to rebuild relations have been undermined by Trump’s reliance on “misinformation and distortions,” noting his repeated promotion of disproven claims about attacks on white farmers and alleged persecution of the white minority. The South African government maintains that these allegations have no basis and continue to damage diplomatic engagement at a critical moment for global cooperation.
This latest dispute adds to a growing list of foreign policy clashes, raising concerns about the future of U.S.–South Africa relations ahead of the 2026 G20 summit.
