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Germany steps in after South Africa snubbed from G20 ‘Africa must be at the table’
Germany pushes back as South Africa left off G20 invite list, “Let’s not invent problems”
South Africa may not be on the guest list for next year’s G20 Summit in Miami, but it appears we are not standing alone in the cold.
Germany’s ambassador to Pretoria, Andreas Peschke, has confirmed that Berlin is directly engaging Washington after reports that South Africa was not invited to the upcoming G20 Sherpas meeting, a critical pre-summit gathering scheduled for 15–16 December 2025 in Washington.
If the snub holds, next year’s summit could take place without Africa’s only permanent seat at the G20, a move that would carry significant diplomatic weight, not only for Pretoria but for the entire continent.
Berlin: “South Africa needs to be at the table”
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Peschke was measured, but firm. Germany sees South Africa as a key player and not just because we hosted a successful summit in Johannesburg this year.
He emphasised two points:
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South Africa remains an important voice in the G20,
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And Africa, with 1.5 billion people, deserves representation.
“South Africa needs to be at the table,” he said.
“We think it ran a very successful presidency this year… and this goes beyond South Africa, because it is the only African representative.”
It’s an argument rooted in global fairness, because a G20 without Africa is not a G20 that reflects the world.
Ramaphosa plays it cool: no boycotts, no panic
While the Washington invite controversy has sparked online debate – with X/Twitter users split between “good riddance” and “respect Africa” – President Cyril Ramaphosa has chosen diplomacy over outrage.
He confirmed that there is no formal written communication yet, only media reports.
“We will deal with that when it comes,” he said, adding that South Africa will not lobby others to boycott.
It’s a measured approach, perhaps informed by strained US-SA relations in recent years from Lady R sanctions drama, to trade tensions, and now G20 politics.
The ‘white genocide’ narrative resurfaces and gets shut down again
Part of the tension stems from remarks made by Donald Trump, who announced that South Africa would not be invited to the summit he plans to host at his Miami golf resort. He accused the country of human rights abuses and again claimed that white Afrikaners are being “killed, slaughtered and displaced”.
DIRCO has repeatedly pushed back, calling the claims false, misleading and unsupported by evidence.
Government representatives have stressed that:
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South Africa remains a constitutional democracy,
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all citizens’ rights are protected,
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crime affects every community, including white farmers, but not along racial lines.
It’s a narrative often amplified in US political circles, but rejected at policy level at home.
Germany adds realism: yes, SA has problems, but not those problems
Peschke acknowledged that South Africa has challenges, crime, unemployment, inequality, but drew a line at sensationalism.
He offered a grounding anecdote:
Earlier this year he attended Pretoria’s German Oktoberfest, where 15,000 people gathered without fear or repression.
“Probably that is not the problem we are talking about,” he added.
“Let’s deal with problems that exist, not those that don’t.”
In a country where social media debates often boil over into global PR battles, the message was refreshing:
Partner with South Africa on real issues, jobs, development, safety, not fictitious ones.
Why this matters for South Africa and Africa
If the exclusion stands, South Africa loses more than a seat. It loses:
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influence in global economic decisions
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defence of African development interests
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investment and trade negotiating power
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symbolic continental representation
And for Africa, the implications stretch even further.
A G20 without African presence risks becoming a club of powerful economies making decisions for the rest of us, not with us.
Where to from here?
For now, South Africa waits for formal communication. Germany is pushing diplomatically. Washington holds the pen.
But the broader question remains:
Can global forums speak for the world if Africa’s voice is missing?
Because if the G20 is truly about global cooperation, leaving out a continent is more than politics, it’s a statement.
{Source: IOL}
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