Cape Town – South Africa has formally asked fellow G20 members to oppose its exclusion from the G20 during the United States’ 2026 presidency, raising the issue at the first US-hosted G20 sherpas’ meeting on 15 December.
According to Daily Maverick, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) sent a diplomatic note to G20 embassies after the US informed Pretoria that it would not be invited to any G20 meetings or the 2026 Leaders’ Summit, and that Washington would abandon the traditional troika system.
South Africa argues that the move violates G20 norms, as members can only be excluded by consensus, and warns that it sets a dangerous precedent.
“Furthermore, we are concerned by the precedent that will be set by the exclusion of South Africa from the G20 presidency of the United States of America in 2026,” the note verbale reads.
Dirco director-general and SA G20 sherpa Zane Dangor said there had been no formal responses yet, but several sherpas indicated they would raise concerns about the breach of established rules, stressing that a G20 without South Africa would not constitute a full G20 forum.
Miami 2026
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump launched the US presidency of the G20 by wiping the website of outgoing host South Africa.
The site now displays only a black-and-white picture of Trump with the words “Miami 2026” and the tagline “The Best Is Yet to Come,” a reference to the Frank Sinatra song.
Trump refused all US participation in last month’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, criticising the post-apartheid government’s treatment of the white minority.
He also confirmed that South Africa would not be welcome at next year’s summit, to be held at his Doral golf club in Florida. This marks the first time in the bloc’s two-decade history that a member has been excluded.
The Trump administration has also rejected the agenda of the South African G20 presidency, which included a focus on a “just energy transition” and debt sustainability.
The State Department stated that Trump will “return the G20 to focusing on its core mission of driving economic growth and prosperity to produce results.”
“We will prioritise three core themes: unleashing economic prosperity by limiting regulatory burdens, unlocking affordable and secure energy supply chains, and pioneering new technologies and innovations,” the statement added.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
