G-20: US drops South Africa, names replacement as tensions deepen

The United States has confirmed that it will not invite South Africa to the 2026 G20 Summit, marking a sharp diplomatic rebuke as Washington prepares to host the gathering of major economies in Miami next December.

• The United States has confirmed it will not invite South Africa to the 2026 G20 Summit.
• Washington says Pretoria’s conduct during its 2025 G20 presidency undermined consensus and damaged the forum’s credibility.
• Poland will join the 2026 gathering after rising to become one of the world’s top twenty economies.
• The decision marks a major diplomatic rift between the US and South Africa, with wider implications for global and African geopolitics.

The decision, announced ahead of the first Sherpa and Finance Track meetings in Washington later this month, follows a series of disputes between the two countries during South Africa’s G20 presidency in 2025.

The Trump administration said the summit would highlight innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological leadership as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Officials also confirmed that Poland will join the 2026 G20, replacing South Africa, after surpassing South Africa in global economic rankings. Washington cast Poland as a symbol of economic transformation, describing it as a partner whose rise reflects the benefits of alignment with the United States.

In its statement, the administration drew a pointed comparison with South Africa, arguing that the country has fallen behind due to policy missteps.

It praised the foundation laid by Nelson Mandela but said subsequent leaders had embraced “redistributionist policies that discouraged investment”. It accused the government of undermining institutions and overseeing regulatory failures that contributed to economic stagnation.

The United States delivered an unusually direct critique of South Africa’s domestic and foreign policy positions, citing concerns about corruption, racial policies, diplomatic overtures to Iran and Hamas sympathisers, and closer ties with rival global powers.

It accused South Africa of ignoring American input during G20 negotiations, blocking consensus language, and allowing what it called a divisive agenda to dominate the forum. A senior official said South Africa’s conduct “fundamentally tarnished the G20’s reputation”.

For these reasons, Washington said South Africa would not receive an invitation to the 2026 summit.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States would continue supporting South Africans but not their government, which he characterised as unwilling to take responsibility for the country’s economic and political challenges.

“There is a place for good faith disagreement, but not dishonesty or sabotage,” the statement read.

The exclusion of South Africa, one of Africa’s largest economies and a founding member of the BRICS, marks a significant shift in G20 dynamics and underscores growing geopolitical tensions between Washington and Pretoria.

The United States said it would reconsider its position only when South Africa “is ready to rejoin the family of prosperous and free nations”.