Trump blocks South Africa from 2026 G20 summit for alleged ‘horrific human rights abuses’
In a bold and controversial move, former President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that South Africa would not receive an invitation to the 2026 G-20 summit, citing what he described as “horrific human rights abuses” occurring within the nation. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed, “They are killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them,” expressing his administration’s long-standing concerns regarding violence and discrimination against white farmers in South Africa. This decision, if implemented, would break a two-decade precedent, marking the first time a member nation has been formally excluded from the G-20, a group that includes major advanced and emerging economies and represents about 80% of global GDP.
The announcement has sparked significant backlash from South African officials, with Clayson Monyela, head of diplomacy for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, asserting that South Africa’s exclusion would undermine the G-20’s very foundation. Monyela emphasized that South Africa is a founding member of the G-20 and that other nations have indicated they might boycott the summit if South Africa is excluded. This sentiment reflects the G-20’s historical commitment to inclusivity, a principle that has already faced challenges following the U.S. boycott of the 2025 summit in Johannesburg, which Trump’s administration criticized for focusing on climate and development issues over core economic discussions.
Trump’s remarks come in the context of deteriorating U.S.-South Africa relations, which have been strained by allegations of discrimination against white farmers and the expulsion of the South African ambassador from the U.S. earlier this year. The former president has also threatened to halt all U.S. payments and subsidies to South Africa, declaring that the country “is not worthy of membership anywhere.” The implications of this decision for U.S.-South Africa relations and the broader dynamics within the G-20 remain uncertain as the 2026 summit approaches, raising questions about the future of international cooperation and dialogue on global economic issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vER4xE4Tf-s
President
Donald Trump
said Wednesday that he would not invite South Africa to the 2026 G-20 summit in Florida, citing alleged “horrific human rights abuses.”
“To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them,” Trump alleged in a Truth Social post. “At my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G-20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year,” he added.
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The Embassy of South Africa did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Clayson Monyela, head of diplomacy for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, dismissed the notion that South Africa could be shut out.
“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.
“Other countries have already told us that they too will boycott the U.S. G-20 if South Africa is excluded,” Monyela added.
If carried out, the move would break with more than two decades of precedent and mark the first time a member has been formally excluded from the gathering of the world’s major economies.
The G-20, which brings together major advanced and emerging economies and accounts for roughly 80% of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population, has historically operated on the principle of inclusion.
That tradition already was strained after the
U.S. boycott of the 2025 meeting
held in Johannesburg earlier in November.
The Trump administration argued that the country’s government had failed to address violence and discrimination it claimed was occurring in rural farming communities. Additionally, the U.S. objected to the meeting’s focus on climate and development issues rather than core economic priorities.
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The boycott marked a notable break from past U.S. engagement, leaving the world’s largest economy missing from a key forum for global economic policymaking.
Trump also said in the same Truth Social post that he would halt U.S. payments to
South Africa
.
“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, effective immediately,” Trump wrote.
The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for further details.
It remains unclear how the move will affect the country’s standing within the G-20 or broader U.S.–South Africa relations ahead of the 2026 summit in Florida.
Relations between Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa have steadily deteriorated in recent months.
In February, Trump suspended U.S. aid to South Africa, alleging discrimination against White farmers. Tensions escalated again in March when the State Department expelled the South African ambassador, labeling him “persona non grata.”
In May, the two leaders clashed in the Oval Office when Trump pressed Ramaphosa over allegations that White Afrikaners were being targeted and killed in South Africa.
Ramaphosa pushed back, telling Trump he had seen no evidence to support those claims.
Paul Tilsley
contributed to this report from Johannesburg, South Africa.
