The US has affirmed that it will not invite South Africa to the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami, a significant diplomatic defeat after months of tension in Pretoria, host of the 2025 G20.
The US says South Africa’s presidency weakened consensus and harmed the forum’s credibility. The shift comes before the Sherpa and Finance Track meetings this month.
Poland, one of the top 20 economies in the world, will take the South African spot. US officials say Poland’s economic development shows the benefits of being associated with the US. The Trump administration blamed South Africa’s economic stagnation on policy errors. They denounced the government for corruption, poor control, and ties to Iran and Hamas.
Washington also cited that the US was accusing Pretoria of disregarding US stances in the G20 talks and advancing contentious offers that discredited the G20. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared to South Africans that the US would continue to assist the people but not the administration of the country, accusing leaders of seeming to shirk the issues affecting the nation.
The fact that South Africa was left out is unusual even in a country of that magnitude and a member of the BRICS, which indicates that the politics of the G20 have significantly changed and the relations between the two countries have become strained.
The US noted that only after South Africa is willing to become a member of the family of successful and free nations will it be reconsidered when being requested to participate in future summits.
