US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that South Africa will be excluded from next year’s G20 summit hosted by the United States, escalating a bitter diplomatic feud and immediately halting all remaining payments and subsidies to the African nation.
In a characteristically blunt social media post, Trump declared: “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 went on to brand South Africa “not a country worthy of Membership anywhere” and ordered an immediate end to all US funding.
The move is unprecedented. In its more than two decades of existence, the G20 – which brings together the world’s largest economies – has never expelled or formally excluded a sitting member.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded swiftly, calling the statement “regrettable.” The presidency posted on X that South Africa is a “sovereign constitutional democratic country and does not appreciate insults from another country about its worth in participating in global platforms.” Earlier in the day, presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya had brushed off mounting rumours as “mere speculation” pending official notification.
Relations between Washington and Pretoria have deteriorated sharply since Trump returned to office. The United States largely boycotted this year’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, and no senior US official was present when South Africa formally handed over the rotating presidency earlier this month. Trump claimed on Wednesday that South African officials even refused to pass the ceremonial gavel to a US embassy representative who attended the closing ceremony.
At the heart of the breakdown are Trump’s long-standing and widely disputed allegations of discrimination and violence against white farmers in South Africa, claims he has repeatedly described as “genocide.” In February, he froze most US aid to the country. While the exact scope of remaining “payments and subsidies” now being cut is unclear, the US had been one of South Africa’s largest bilateral donors, providing hundreds of millions of dollars annually, mainly for health and development programmes.
In a symbolic counter-move, the Trump administration intends to grant Poland elevated status at the 2026 gatherings. Warsaw has been actively lobbying for full G20 membership, highlighting its rapid economic rise and its position as the world’s 20th-largest economy. Polish officials confirmed that Trump personally invited President Karol Nawrocki to next year’s summit during a visit to Washington in September.
The 2026 leaders’ meeting is scheduled for December at Trump’s golf resort in Doral, Florida – a venue the president has repeatedly praised as “beautiful” and “right next to the airport.”
South Africa’s exclusion is likely to send shockwaves across the continent, where Pretoria is seen as Africa’s primary voice in global economic forums. Analysts warn the decision risks further polarising international institutions at a time when coordinated action is needed on issues from climate finance to debt relief.
As the United States prepares to assume the G20 presidency on December 1 – coinciding with celebrations for the nation’s 250th anniversary – the stage appears set for a summit heavily coloured by “America First” priorities and personal diplomatic scores being settled in full public view.
