South Africa will temporarily leave G20 following US pressure

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has announced that South Africa will step aside from the G20 in 2026 while the United States holds the presidency.

At a press briefing during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Thursday, 22 January, Godongwana said this is a temporary setback.

While it was announced that South Africa will host a Spring Davos in 2027, the country’s participation in this year’s G20, which has been under question recently, has been ruled out.

This follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement in November 2025 that South Africa would not receive an invitation to US-hosted events, after months of escalated tension between the two countries.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously insisted, however, that South Africa is a member within its own right and that Trump cannot block the country from participating.

“The structure of the G20 for now is that the founding member on the African continent is South Africa,” said Godongwana.

“What we do know is that South Africa is on leave for 2026.” He insists that this is not a capitulation to pressure from the US.

“This is not because the Americans can chase us out of the G20, but they hold an important instrument: the accreditation,” he said.

“If you don’t have the accreditation, you can’t get into the venue, even if you are around. So they will not accredit us.”

Godongwana is confident that the African Union, which is still invited to the G20 in 2026, will represent the voice of the continent.

“We must take this as a temporary setback for 2026. In 2027, the president, I think, is going to be the UK. I doubt that the UK will take a similar posture,” he said.

The Trump administration boycotted the 2025 G20 leaders’ summit hosted by South Africa, on the grounds that there was a “white genocide” happening in the country.

A temporary setback – Godongwana

Trump recently said in a WEF media briefing that he still insists that this alleged white genocide “is taking place” and “it’s got to be stopped.”

This is despite President Cyril Ramaphosa frequently informing Trump that this is “blatant disinformation about our country.”

South African officials have also denied the allegations, saying that violent crime levels, while unacceptably high, impact all races.

The relationship between South Africa and the United States has been rocky, with the US currently proposing three laws to impose penalties against South Africa and high-ranking officials.

Tensions can be traced back to key issues, including, but not limited to, South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024 and the deepening of BRICS partnerships, along with other US adversaries.

In the latest developments, the US issued a sharp rebuke of South Africa after it was confirmed that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) conducted naval exercises with Iran.

A statement from the US Embassy called the action “particularly unconscionable,” as Iranian authorities were “shooting, jailing and torturing” citizens engaged in peaceful protests at the time.

Furthermore, Trump has recently announced his plans to build a “board for peace,” inviting dozens of world leaders to join his council, for the price of $1 billion.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an Education Lekgotla on 21 January, Ramaphosa said that he “hasn’t even checked his emails,” knowing South Africa will be excluded from the board.