He also said the United States would immediately halt all payments and subsidies to the country, citing its treatment of a U.S. government representative during this year's G20 meeting in Johannesburg.
Trump, who did not send an official American delegation to the Johannesburg summit last weekend, argued that the United States had refused to participate because white Afrikaners in South Africa were being 'violently persecuted,' a claim that the South African government has rejected as unfounded.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said South Africa had refused to hand over its G20 hosting responsibilities to a senior U.S. Embassy official at the conclusion of the summit.
'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,' he wrote. '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.'
South Africa's presidency responded sharply, calling the U.S. decision an insult and rejecting Trump's claims. The handover of the G20 presidency occurred at South Africa's Foreign Ministry after the summit, as the United States was not represented at the closing ceremony.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said Trump's statements were 'regrettable' and criticised the Republican leader for relying on 'misinformation and distortions' about the country. The statement stressed South Africa's continued commitment to the G20, highlighting the successful Johannesburg summit and the participation of U.S. businesses and civil society organisations in related events.
This year's Johannesburg summit was the first held on African soil. Washington, a founding G20 member and the world's largest economy, opposed South Africa's agenda, particularly proposals focusing on climate change, and did not sign the summit's final declaration.
Trump has frequently targeted South Africa since returning to office, accusing the country of being anti-American due to its diplomatic ties with China, Russia, and Iran. His administration has also limited the number of refugees admitted from South Africa, prioritising mostly white applicants, and has suspended parts of the refugee programme that had been in place since January.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
