Ramaphosa Rejects Trump’s G20 Exclusion Threat

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed a threat from United States (US) President Donald Trump to exclude Pretoria from the 2026 G20 summit, asserting the nation’s permanent status as a founding member.

The diplomatic friction follows Trump’s boycott of the recent G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted by South Africa.

The 79-year-old American politician justified the boycott and his exclusion threat by repeating discredited claims of “genocide against Afrikaners” and land confiscation, which Ramaphosa unequivocally denounced as “blatant misinformation”.

Speaking after the summit on Sunday, 30 November, Ramaphosa stressed that South Africa would continue to participate as a “full, active and constructive member” of the G20. He suggested the US stance was influenced by a “sustained campaign of disinformation”.

While Ramaphosa maintained a non-confrontational, diplomatic approach – a strategy supported by analysts given the US’s superpower status – he also highlighted the constructive engagement of numerous US businesses in the accompanying G20 events, signalling a desire to keep communication channels open.

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