WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that South Africa would be excluded from the upcoming Group of 20 summit scheduled to take place in Miami next year. This decision stems from South Africa’s alleged mistreatment of a U.S. government official during the latest global summit.

Trump opted against sending an American delegation to the recent summit hosted by South Africa. He cited concerns over the alleged violent persecution of white Afrikaners as the reason—a claim that South Africa, with its history of racial apartheid, has dismissed as unfounded.

In a statement shared on social media, the Republican president criticized South Africa for its refusal to transfer G20 hosting responsibilities to a senior member of the U.S. Embassy at the conclusion of the summit last weekend.

“As a result, under my directive, South Africa will NOT be invited to the 2026 G20, which will be held in Miami, Florida next year,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He further declared, “South Africa has shown the world they do not deserve membership in any forum, and we will cease all payments and subsidies to them immediately.”

The summit in Johannesburg, the first held in Africa, was boycotted by the United States, a G20 founding member and the world’s biggest economy. The meeting’s declaration, giving more attention to issues that affect developing countries, went unsigned by Washington, and the Trump administration expressed its opposition to South Africa’s agenda, especially the parts that focus on climate change.

On Monday, the U.S. took over the rotating presidency of the G20, leaving the long-term impact of the South African declaration unclear.

By tradition, the host country hands over a symbolic wooden gavel to the nation taking over the G20 presidency. But there was no American official on hand to receive it from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa because of the boycott.

The U.S. wanted to send a representative from its embassy. South Africa refused, saying it was an insult for Ramaphosa to hand over to what it called a junior official.

Trump has said that the G20 summit in 2026 will be at his golf club in Doral near Miami.