Donald Trump, United States president says South Africa will not be invited to the G20 summit the US is set to host next year. His declaration has caused confusion and a wave of diplomatic questions. But can one country actually block another from attending the G20?
Here is what you need to know.
What triggered the dispute
Tensions surged after Trump boycotted this year’s G20 summit in Johannesburg and accused South Africa of allowing what he calls a “white genocide” against Afrikaner farmers. The South African government and Afrikaner groups have repeatedly dismissed the claim as false.
Read also:Trump blocks South Africa from next G20 as tensions hit breaking point
In several posts on Truth Social, Trump called the summit “a total disgrace”, criticised South Africa’s domestic policies and claimed President Cyril Ramaphosa refused to hand over the ceremonial G20 gavel to a senior US representative. South Africa says the handover took place quietly with an embassy official and described Trump’s remarks as “regrettable”.
Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya said Pretoria now “accepts” that relations with Washington will not reset easily. “If visas are denied, we will have to move on and look beyond the G20 in the US,” he told the BBC.
How G20 membership works
The G20 is not a formal organisation. There is no treaty, no secretariat and no rulebook that gives any country the power to suspend another. Membership is by consensus among all members, not by the decision of one state.
South Africa joined the G20 as a full member in its own right. Once you are in, no other member can unilaterally remove you.
Read also: South Africa judges G20 summit a triumph of multilateralism despite US no-show
What Trump can do
While Trump cannot formally ban South Africa, he can stop its officials from entering the United States by refusing to issue visas. Since the summit will be held on American soil, that would effectively block South Africa’s attendance even though its membership remains intact.
This is the same technical loophole the US has used in the past when sanctioning officials from other countries. It does not break G20 rules because the G20 does not have rules on this.
If Trump denies visas, Pretoria cannot physically attend the summit, even though it is still a G20 member.
Why this matters
The US is South Africa’s second largest trading partner and the diplomatic fallout is already sharp. Trump has cut aid, targeted South Africa’s land policies and repeated accusations that the government is failing to protect white farmers. Pretoria says these claims are based on “misinformation and distortions”.
Read also: Google agrees to pay $40.2m to South African news outlets following content visibility inquiry
South Africa’s presidency insists it will continue working with other G20 members on the priorities agreed in Johannesburg. But its participation in the US-hosted summit now depends entirely on whether the Trump administration allows South African officials to enter the country.
The bottom line
Trump cannot legally expel South Africa from the G20 or strip it of its membership. But by controlling who is allowed into the United States, he can prevent South African delegates from attending the summit.
In effect, he cannot ban the country from the G20, but he can lock the door.
