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U.S. President Donald Trump has repeated his intention not to attend the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa and said that the host nation should not even be in the organization—an economic forum of 19 sovereign countries, as well as the European Union and, since 2023, the African Union. “Look at South Africa what’s going on,” he said at a conference in Miami on Wednesday. “We have a G20 meeting in South Africa, South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore…I’m not going, I told them I’m not going, I’m not gonna represent our country there.” “South Africa is ready to host the G20 leaders’ summit,” President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said. "South Africa shouldn't be in the G's anymore. I'm not going there." 🙏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/D2p7gQ30jH— Alice VL (@AliceVLAuthor) November 5, 2025 Why It Matters President Trump’s remarks highlight growing strains between the U.S. and South Africa which have come to a head this year. Trump has accused the South African government of discriminating against its Afrikaans white minority population and of orchestrating land grabs, which South Africa has vehemently denied multiple times. Earlier this year, America started a refugee program for white, Afrikaans South Africans, a group that is set to be prioritized in its refugee admissions, newly capped at 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year, according to a notice published Thursday in the Federal Register. What To Know Trump confirmed in September that he would not attend this year’s G20 summit and said he would send Vice President JD Vance instead. It came after suspended all U.S. aid to South Africa and launched a refugee program specifically for white Afrikaners, claiming they were victims of “race-based discrimination.” Tensions peaked during an Oval Office meeting in May when Trump confronted Ramaphosa by dimming the lights and presenting a video montage—intended to support false claims of “white genocide” in South Africa. On top of this, Trump has reimposed tariffs on South African goods. Ramaphosa has repeatedly denied Trump’s claims, arguing that Afrikaners are victims of a high crime rate in the country, along with everyone else, across all races. Despite the pushback from the South African government, Trump said on Wednesday that it should be removed from the G20. Phiri told Newsweek: “Drawing on our own journey from racial and ethnic division to democracy, South Africa is uniquely positioned to champion within the G20 a future of genuine solidarity, where shared prosperity bridges deep inequalities, and collective action for sustainability that centers the development to address the impact of colonialism of the African continent.” President Donald Trump speaks to the America Business Forum Miami on November 5, 2025. What Is the G20? The G20 is an international forum that brings together the world’s major economies to discuss global economic policy, trade and financial stability. Founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis, it represents about 85 percent of global gross domestic product and two-thirds of the world’s population. Every year, a different member state hosts the G20, setting the agenda for the summit. America is set to take over after South Africa. Andrew Gawthorpe from UK-based think-tank the Foreign Policy Centre said that even though the U.S. is hosting the G20 next year, it is unlikely that it would be able to take the decision not to invite South Africa without agreement from the other member states. “If a country was going to be kicked out, it would basically mean that it was excluded from the meetings—it wasn’t invited to the meetings by whoever was hosting the G20 that year,” he told the BBC. What Happens Next The G20 summit in Johannesburg is scheduled for November 22-23, with Vance slated to lead the U.S. delegation. South African officials continue to emphasize their commitment to promoting solidarity, equality, and sustainability within the G20 leadership framework. Trump administration policy toward South Africa, including refugee resettlement and aid reductions, is expected to remain under significant international review during and after the summit.
