Miami G20 to Host World Leaders Minus South African Delegation

The 2026 G20 Summit in Miami will convene without South African representation following President Trump’s Friday announcement. The exclusion stems from allegations regarding violence and discrimination affecting white minority populations in the African nation.
President Trump’s social media statement provided detailed justification for the decision, describing what he views as systematic human rights violations against Afrikaners and other descendants of European settlers. His characterization included explicit claims about killings and property seizures targeting white farming communities. Trump suggested the South African government has been complicit in these alleged abuses through deliberate inaction.
Last weekend’s G20 gathering in Johannesburg proceeded with broad international engagement, attracting prominent leaders including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The United States, however, maintained a complete absence, with no official delegation present at any proceedings. This boycott represented a significant diplomatic statement about Washington’s concerns regarding South African domestic policies.
Additional tensions arose when Trump accused South African authorities of mishandling the ceremonial transfer of G20 presidency to the United States. Despite having an embassy official present at the closing ceremony, Trump claimed proper protocols were deliberately ignored. South African officials explained that they followed standard diplomatic procedures by completing the transfer at their international relations headquarters, given that no official US delegation attended the summit itself.
President Ramaphosa characterized the exclusion as regrettable while emphasizing his government’s ongoing commitment to diplomatic relations with the United States. The specific allegations Trump raised about persecution and genocide of white farmers have been subjects of extensive investigation and have been consistently discredited by the South African government, white community leaders, and independent researchers. These disputed claims nonetheless continue to influence diplomatic discourse and bilateral relations between the two nations.