Trump Says South Africa Won’t Be Welcome at Next G20, A Diplomatic Rift Deepens

A Late-Night Post Sparks Global Attention

South Africans woke up to a political shockwave on Thursday morning after US President Donald Trump announced that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 Summit.
The announcement came through one of his trademark late-night posts on Truth Social, instantly triggering debate, disbelief and, in true South African fashion, a flurry of memes trying to soften the blow.

According to Trump, the decision stems from what he calls South Africa’s refusal to recognise “horrific human rights abuses” against Afrikaners, a longstanding narrative among some American conservative groups but one that is heavily contested locally.

The post has already set the stage for another tense chapter in the frequently turbulent relationship between Pretoria and Washington.

Trump’s Allegations: Familiar Claims Resurface

In his message, Trump blamed his administration’s absence from the 2025 Johannesburg G20 Summit on South Africa’s supposed unwillingness to confront violence against white farmers and their descendants.

He framed the situation as a “genocide”, language that has been widely rejected by South African researchers, legal experts and even international observers. But it remains a talking point in far-right US circles, particularly among Trump’s political base.

He also aimed fire at the American media, singling out The New York Times, which he claimed would be “out of business soon,” accusing them of ignoring the alleged abuses.

A Controversial G20 Handover

One of Trump’s biggest complaints is what happened or what he believes happened at the closing ceremony of this year’s G20 Summit at Nasrec. He claims South Africa refused to hand over the G20 presidency to a senior US Embassy representative.

It’s a serious allegation, considering that the handover is a symbolic but important moment in the G20 cycle.

While South Africa has not responded to this specific accusation yet, diplomatic observers note that in previous instances when the US was absent from a summit, countries simply conducted a low-profile, technical handover at a diplomatic office a standard practice, not a snub.

But Trump’s interpretation appears to have triggered a dramatic escalation.

‘No Invite. No Funds. No Exceptions.’

In one of his strongest statements yet, Trump said he will:

• Block South Africa’s G20 invitation for 2026, and

• Cut all payments and subsidies to South Africa, effective immediately.

While the US does provide various forms of assistance, from health programmes to development funding it is unclear whether Trump intends to halt government-to-government cooperation, or whether the statement is more political theatre than operational policy.

Still, the announcement creates real uncertainty. South Africa is currently a member of the G20 in its own right, and G20 membership is not determined by the host country. But the invitation to participate in specific sessions and side events is partly controlled by the host, creating some diplomatic leverage.

Public Reaction: A Mix of Outrage, Shrugs and Dark Humour

As with any Trump-related controversy, South Africans took to social media almost instantly.

Three reactions dominated the conversation:

1. Frustration:
   Many users accused Trump of reviving old, disproven narratives about race relations in South Africa.

2. Mockery:
   Memes compared the situation to being uninvited from a party you weren’t planning to attend.

3. Concern:
   Analysts warned that the fallout could affect trade, diplomatic cooperation, and investment perceptions especially considering South Africa’s fragile economic moment.

In political WhatsApp groups and community radio call-ins, the conversation quickly shifted to what this means for South Africa’s global standing and whether other G20 members would push back against Trump’s comments.

The Bigger Picture: A Test of Global Alliances

Trump’s announcement doesn’t automatically eject South Africa from the G20, the group operates by consensus, not by presidential decree.
However, the statement reveals a deeper, more worrying trend: the growing gulf between the foreign policy visions of Pretoria and Washington.

This isn’t the first time the two nations have clashed publicly, and it won’t be the last. But Trump’s decision to mix diplomatic protocol with domestic political messaging could complicate relations for years to come.

Officials in Pretoria are expected to comment once they have assessed the statement.
Diplomats from other G20 countries will likely seek clarity behind closed doors.
And South Africa, which just wrapped up hosting the G20 in Johannesburg, may now face pressure to defend its international standing.

For now, the only certainty is this: Trump’s post has opened a new geopolitical fault line an,d South Africa has suddenly found itself in the middle of a bigger global storm than it bargained for.

{Source: SABC news}

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