President Donald Trump has made the unprecedented decision to exclude South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit in Miami, Florida, citing ‘horrific human rights abuses’ and the targeting of White Afrikaners. This decision marks the first time in over two decades that a G20 member has been formally excluded from the summit, which brings together the world’s major economies and represents over 80% of global GDP. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that South Africa would not receive an invitation to the 2026 event, claiming that the country was ‘killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them.’
The move comes on the heels of the U.S. boycott of the G20 meeting in Johannesburg in November 2025, which had already strained relations with African nations. At that meeting, the Trump administration had objected to the focus on climate and development issues rather than core economic priorities. South Africa, in turn, was accused of failing to address violence and discrimination in rural farming communities, as claimed by the U.S. This tension has only intensified in recent months, with Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s relationship deteriorating. In February, Trump suspended U.S. aid to South Africa, allegedly due to reports of racial discrimination against White farmers. The situation escalated further when the State Department expelled the South African ambassador in March, labeling him ‘persona non grata.’
Clayson Monyela, head of diplomacy for South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, has dismissed the notion that the country would be excluded from the G20 summit. ‘South Africa is a founding member of the G-20. We don’t get invited to G-20 meetings and leaders summit. Those are gatherings of members. If other members allow this then the G-20 will die,’ Monyela told Fox News Digital. He warned that if other countries followed suit, the G20 would lose its credibility and relevance. ‘Other countries have already told us that they too will boycott the U.S. G20 if South Africa is excluded,’ Monyela added. The potential exclusion of South Africa could have significant financial implications for the G20 process, as the U.S. represents one of the largest economies in the group.
Trump’s administration has also announced a halt to all U.S. payments and subsidies to South Africa, effective immediately. ‘South Africa has demonstrated to the world they are not a country worthy of membership anywhere and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them,’ Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. The exact nature and impact of this financial sanction remain unclear, but it is likely to affect South Africa’s economic relations with the U.S. and could further strain the already tense bilateral relationship between the two nations. The Trump administration has also not provided immediate comment on the matter, leaving the situation in a state of uncertainty.
The G20 summit in Miami has been chosen as a political statement by Trump, who has previously criticized the organization for its focus on climate and development over economic matters. The event, set to take place during the U.S. National Day anniversary year, underscores the administration’s desire to assert its influence on the global economic stage. However, the potential exclusion of South Africa has raised concerns about the stability of the G20 process and the possibility of further fragmentation. With other G20 members now under threat of similar actions, the future of the forum remains uncertain. The situation highlights the growing influence of political tensions on international economic cooperation and could have lasting effects on global financial policies and relations.