Trump Bars South Africa From 2026 Miami G20 Summit Following Diplomatic Standoff

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was prominent during the recent G20 summit.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced his decision to exclude South Africa from attending the upcoming G20 summit in Miami next year. He additionally declared plans to "stop all payments and subsidies" to the nation, citing issues with their treatment of a US government representative at this year's global meeting.

Trump had opted not to send an American delegation to the recent summit hosted by South Africa, claiming that white Afrikaners were experiencing violent persecution - an allegation that South Africa, which emerged from decades of racial apartheid, has firmly dismissed as unfounded.

In his social media statement, the Republican president explained that South Africa had refused to transfer its G20 hosting responsibilities to a senior representative from the US Embassy when the summit concluded over the weekend.

"Therefore, 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," Trump declared on Truth Social.

He further stated, "South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere," adding that "we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately."

The Johannesburg summit, marking the first G20 meeting held on African soil, proceeded without the United States, a founding member of the G20 and the world's largest economy. Washington did not sign the meeting's declaration, which gave greater emphasis to issues affecting developing nations. The Trump administration expressed opposition to South Africa's agenda, particularly regarding climate change initiatives.

As of Monday, the US assumed the rotating presidency of the G20, leaving the long-term significance of the South African declaration uncertain.

According to tradition, the host country presents a symbolic wooden gavel to the nation taking over the G20 presidency. However, due to the boycott, no American official was present to receive this from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The United States had proposed sending a representative from its embassy, but South Africa rejected this proposal, considering it disrespectful for President Ramaphosa to hand over the presidency to what they described as a junior official.

Trump has confirmed that the 2026 G20 summit will take place at his golf club in Doral, near Miami.