South Africa has launched a diplomatic offensive to block U.S. President Donald Trump from excluding the country from next year’s G20 leaders’ summit in Miami, Florida.
The standoff escalated after Trump announced on Truth Social that South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 gathering, citing the Johannesburg summit boycott and a disputed ceremonial gavel handover.
Speaking at the ANC National General Council on Monday, NEC member Thandi Moraka urged the remaining 18 G20 members to defend South Africa’s permanent seat. “We are a group of 20, not a group of 19,” she said, stressing that no single member can unilaterally expel another.
South African officials have rejected Washington’s demand that President Cyril Ramaphosa personally hand the G20 presidency gavel to a U.S. embassy official during the November 2025 Johannesburg summit handover, calling it a breach of protocol.
In response to Trump’s threat, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation described the exclusion as “punitive and regrettable” and reaffirmed Pretoria’s full membership rights.
The broader rift stems from Trump’s February 2025 executive order that cut all U.S. aid to South Africa and prioritized refugee status for white Afrikaner farmers – a move rooted in debunked claims of “white genocide” and criticism of the country’s land expropriation policies.
Germany, Canada, and several other G20 members have signaled support for South Africa’s inclusion, with diplomatic sources indicating active lobbying in Washington to reverse the decision. Analysts warn that any attempt to bar a permanent member could permanently damage the G20’s credibility as the premier forum for global economic cooperation.
South African officials have indicated they will explore alternative platforms, including deeper BRICS engagement, if the U.S. proceeds with visa restrictions or formal exclusion.