An Affront to Washington — Trump Bars South Africa From 2026 G20 Summit

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

An Affront to Washington — Trump Bars South Africa From 2026 G20 Summit

Tensions between the United States and South Africa deepened on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Pretoria would not be invited to the 2026 G20 Summit scheduled to take place in Miami, Florida.

The latest diplomatic rift followed a week of disagreements sparked by the U.S. delegation’s absence at the closing session of the G20 meeting in Johannesburg.

Trump accused South African officials of deliberately preventing American representatives from receiving the ceremonial handover of the G20 Presidency.

In a post on Truth Social, he claimed Pretoria refused to present the G20 instruments to a U.S.
Embassy official who attended the event—an action he described as “an affront to Washington.”

He said the snub prompted his decision to block South Africa from next year’s summit.

Pretoria quickly rejected the accusation, calling Trump’s statement unfortunate and insisting the handover process was carried out properly at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

The dispute adds to a list of recent flashpoints between Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration.

Since returning to office, Trump has accused South Africa of racial discrimination and repeated the long-debunked claim that white farmers are being targeted—allegations global monitors continue to dismiss.

He further announced a suspension of all U.S. assistance to South Africa, citing disagreements over land reforms and Pretoria’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Ramaphosa’s office dismissed Trump’s comments as misleading and warned that the measures could jeopardize decades of cooperation between both countries.

Relations between Washington and Pretoria have faced recurring strain during Trump’s political career, particularly around issues of land reform, racial narratives, and South Africa’s stance in global disputes.

The latest G20 disagreement comes at a time when South Africa is asserting a more independent foreign policy, while Trump has pushed for confrontational tactics in international diplomacy.

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Chioma Ndukwu

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