Trump bars South Africa from 2026 G20; Pretoria slams 'punitive, misinformed' move

In a sharp escalation of tensions between Washington and Pretoria, US President Donald Trump has said South Africa will not be invited to G20 events hosted by the United States next year, a decision the South African government denounced as “punitive”, “regrettable” and based on misinformation. 

The remark, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform, intensifies a diplomatic rift that widened after the US boycotted the G20 summit held in Johannesburg last week. Pretoria said Trump’s stance undermines both the spirit of multilateral cooperation and the G20’s foundational principles. 

South Africa hits back 

In a strongly worded statement, South Africa’s presidency criticised Trump’s comments, asserting that the country is a full and legitimate member of the G20. 

“South Africa is a member of the G20 in its own name and right,” the statement said. “Its G20 membership is at the behest of all other members. South Africa is a sovereign constitutional democratic country and does not appreciate insults from another country about its membership and worth in participating in global platforms.” 

The presidency added that the country has made “numerous attempts” to reset relations with Washington, but said Trump “continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions.” 

Trump repeats discredited claims 

Trump also repeated long-debunked accusations that South Africa is “killing white people”. These claims — centred on the idea that the South African government encourages violence against white farmers or seeks their land — have been widely discredited by experts, independent investigations, and the South African government itself. 

He further claimed that South Africa “refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our US Embassy” at the conclusion of the Johannesburg summit. He said this alleged diplomatic slight prompted his direction that South Africa will not receive an invitation to the 2026 G20, which the US— under Trump — plans to host in Miami. 

“South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere,” Trump wrote, adding that the US would also halt “all payments and subsidies” to Pretoria, effective immediately. 

A long-running tension 

Trump’s remarks follow his earlier declaration in February that he would cut aid to South Africa, accusing Pretoria of discriminating against white Afrikaners and seizing farmland — claims South Africa says are false and rooted in a distorted reading of its domestic debates on land reform. 

South African officials say that land expropriation, while politically contentious, is allowed only under tightly controlled conditions and that the country’s high crime rates cut across all racial and economic groups. Civil society organisations, researchers and rights groups have repeatedly stressed that violent crime in South Africa affects citizens of all backgrounds, not exclusively white farmers. 

Diplomatic fracture 

South Africa completed its G20 presidency this year, highlighting infrastructure financing, global South priorities and climate resilience. Washington’s boycott of the summit and Trump’s latest statements now cast uncertainty over how the forum will function as it rotates to the US next year. 

Pretoria, however, signalled that it intends to continue participating in global governance structures regardless of Washington’s political posture. “South Africa … will never insult or demean another country,” the presidency said, emphasising that it remains committed to constructive dialogue.