South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the United States’ decision to exclude South Africa from the G20 Summit 2026 in Miami as “regrettable.”

He criticised the move despite “the efforts and numerous attempts by President Ramaphosa and his administration to reset the diplomatic relationship with the US,” adding that “President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country.”

Highlighting South Africa’s role in hosting this year’s summit, Ramaphosa said, “The summit produced a declaration that affirmed the indisputable strength and value of multilateralism in response to the most pressing challenges facing the world.”

Addressing Trump’s remarks directly, he stated, “South Africa will continue to participate as a full, active and constructive member of the G20. We call on members of the G20 to reaffirm its continued operation in the spirit of multilateralism, based on consensus, with all members participating on an equal footing in all of its structures. It is regrettable that despite the efforts and numerous attempts by President Ramaphosa and his administration to reset the diplomatic relationship with the US, President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country.”

He emphasised South Africa’s sovereignty, saying, “Its G20 membership is at the behest of all other members. 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. South Africa respects the sovereignty of all countries and will never insult or demean another country or its standing and worthiness in the community of nations.”

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Ramaphosa also noted that, in the absence of the United States 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.”

He praised US participation in G20-related activities, saying, “As one of the founding members of the G20, South Africa has always valued the spirit of consensus, collaboration and partnership that defines the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. In keeping with this approach, the United States was expected to participate in all the meetings of the G20 during South Africa’s Presidency but unfortunately, it elected not to attend the G20 Leaders Summit in Johannesburg out of its own volition.”

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Ramaphosa added that US businesses and civil society organisations had engaged actively in initiatives such as the B20 and the G20 Social.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 G20 Summit, sharply criticising the country over alleged “horrific Human Rights abuses.”

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa because the South African Government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific Human rights abuses endured by Afrikaners and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers.”

He added, “To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them.”

Trump also criticised US media outlets for ignoring the issue, claiming, “Perhaps, worst of all, the soon to be out of business New York Times and the Fake News Media won’t issue a word against this genocide. That’s why all the Liars and Pretenders of the Radical Left Media are going out of business!”

He further alleged that South Africa had refused to hand over the G20 Presidency to a US Embassy representative at the summit’s closing ceremony, saying, “At the conclusion of the G20, South Africa refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our US Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony. 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.”

Announcing additional measures, Trump declared, “South Africa has demonstrated to the world that they are not a country worthy of membership anywhere, and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately.”