U.S. President, Donald Trump says South Africa will not receive an invitation to the 2026 G20 in Miami, accusing the country of failing to address what he called “horrific human rights abuses” against white South Africans.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump alleged that Afrikaners and other descendants of European settlers are being killed and displaced, accusing the South African government of allowing their farms to be taken “randomly.” He also criticized U.S. media outlets for what he described as silence on “genocide.”
Trump said South Africa “is not a country worthy of membership anywhere” and announced that the United States would halt “all payments and subsidies” to the country effective immediately.
His comments followed South Africa’s hosting of the 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg, which the United States did not attend. Trump claimed South Africa refused to hand over G20 instruments to a senior U.S. representative at the event’s conclusion.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sharply rejected Trump’s allegations, calling the remarks “regrettable” and based on misinformation. In a statement, the presidency said the 2025 summit was widely regarded as successful and reaffirmed the value of multilateral cooperation.
Ramaphosa said South Africa, a founding member of the G20, handed over presidency instruments to a U.S. Embassy official in line with protocol, noting that the U.S. had chosen not to attend the summit “out of its own volition.”
He stressed that South Africa is a “sovereign constitutional democratic country” that will not accept insults regarding its legitimacy or standing in global forums.
“It is regrettable that despite efforts to reset relations, President Trump continues to apply punitive measures based on distortions,” the statement said.
South Africa affirmed it will continue to participate fully in the G20 and called on members to uphold consensus-driven multilateralism.
