The diplomatic relationship between the United States and South Africa has reached a new low following a series of explosive statements and policy moves by U.S. President Donald Trump. In the wake of the 2025 G20 summit—hosted for the first time on African soil in Johannesburg—Trump publicly accused the South African government of failing to address what he described as "horrific human rights abuses" against the country’s white Afrikaner minority and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers. These allegations, dismissed by South African officials as misinformation, have triggered a cascade of diplomatic and economic consequences, culminating in the U.S. barring South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit in Miami and halting all payments and subsidies to the nation.
Trump’s accusations, broadcasted through a lengthy social media post on November 28, 2025, marked a dramatic escalation. “To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people, and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them,” Trump wrote, as reported by multiple outlets including The New York Times and BBC. He further lambasted what he called the "Radical Left Media," singling out The New York Times for allegedly ignoring what he termed a "genocide." According to Trump, the U.S. boycott of the Johannesburg G20 summit was a direct response to South Africa’s refusal to acknowledge or address these alleged atrocities.
Despite Trump’s boycott, the U.S. did send a representative to the summit in a ceremonial capacity, as the country is set to host the next G20 meeting. However, tensions flared at the summit’s close, with Trump claiming that South Africa refused to hand off the G20 presidency to the U.S. representative. “Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year,” Trump declared. He added, “South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere, and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately.”
The South African government, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, responded swiftly and forcefully. In a statement issued around midnight South African time, the Presidency called Trump’s remarks “regrettable,” emphasizing that the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit was widely regarded as a success by attendees. The statement noted, “The summit produced a declaration that affirmed the indisputable strength and value of multilateralism in response to the most pressing challenges facing the world.” South Africa dismissed Trump’s claims of Afrikaner killings and land seizures as "misinformation and distortions about our country."
According to Reuters and Moneyweb, the South African government underscored that the handover of the G20 presidency had taken place at the Foreign Ministry building after the summit, as the U.S. was not present at the main event. “As the United States was not present at the summit, instruments of the G20 Presidency were duly handed over to a US Embassy official at the Headquarters of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation,” the Presidency noted. South Africa further asserted its status as a founding member of the G20, “in its own name and right,” and stressed the importance of mutual respect among sovereign nations.
Trump’s claims about violence against white South Africans are not new, but they have been widely discredited by South African officials and independent observers. The so-called "white genocide" conspiracy theory, which alleges systematic killings and land confiscations targeting the white minority, has been repeatedly denied by the South African government. President Ramaphosa’s office explicitly rejected these allegations, stating that Trump “continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country.” Even some Afrikaners themselves have disputed the narrative, emphasizing the diversity within the group and the lack of evidence for a targeted campaign of violence.
Trump’s rhetoric has not only inflamed diplomatic tensions but also influenced U.S. immigration policy. Earlier in 2025, the administration capped annual refugee admissions at 7,500, with priority given to white South Africans. This marked a significant shift from previous policies and was justified by the White House as a response to what Trump described as a humanitarian crisis. In May, the administration welcomed a group of 59 white South Africans as refugees, a move that drew both domestic and international scrutiny.
The controversy over the G20 summit has also exposed deeper geopolitical rifts. Trump and his administration have accused South Africa of being "anti-American" due to its diplomatic ties with China, Russia, and Iran. The U.S. was the only G20 member to boycott the Johannesburg summit, and Washington refused to sign the summit’s declaration, which focused on issues affecting developing countries and included a strong emphasis on climate change—an agenda the Trump administration has consistently opposed. According to BBC, the U.S. has now taken over the rotating presidency of the G20, but the long-term impact of the South African declaration remains uncertain.
South Africa’s exclusion from the 2026 G20 summit is unprecedented. The country, with a population of 62 million and approximately 2.7 million Afrikaners, has long been an active participant in global economic forums. The 2025 summit in Johannesburg was attended by nearly 50 world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, among others. South Africa’s government has emphasized its commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation, despite the U.S. decision to sever ties.
Reactions to Trump’s move have been mixed across the international community. Some leaders, like Canada’s Mark Carney, have suggested that the world can move on without the U.S., while others have expressed concern about the potential fragmentation of key global institutions. Within South Africa, the decision has been met with a combination of defiance and disappointment. The government reiterated its respect for the sovereignty of all nations, stating, “South Africa is a sovereign constitutional democratic country and does not appreciate insults from another country about its membership and worth in participating in global platforms.”
As the dust settles, the diplomatic standoff between Washington and Pretoria stands as a stark reminder of how misinformation, political posturing, and historical grievances can collide on the world stage—reshaping alliances and testing the resilience of international cooperation in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.
