The South African government has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for the country to be removed from the G20, describing his remarks as unfounded.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said South Africa remained confident of hosting a successful G20 summit in Johannesburg later this month.
“We are confident South Africa will host a very successful G20 summit,” Magwenya told the BBC.
Trump, who has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against its white minority, is not expected to attend the meeting and will be represented by Vice President JD Vance.
Speaking at a conference in Miami, Trump said, “South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore, because what’s happened there is bad. I’m not going to represent our country there. It shouldn’t be there.”
Pretoria has yet to issue an official statement but recently criticised Washington’s policy of prioritising refugee applications from white South African Afrikaners, insisting that claims of a “white genocide” are false.
Official data show that white South Africans are not disproportionately affected by violent crime compared to other groups.
The G20, established in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis, represents more than 85% of global wealth. It operates on consensus, meaning there is no formal mechanism for expelling a member.
Foreign policy experts have said Trump’s stance is unlikely to gain traction among G20 members. Dr. Andrew Gawthorpe of the UK’s Foreign Policy Centre noted that removing a country would require agreement among all members, while Chatham House researcher Chris Vandome said neither the EU nor China would back such a move.
South Africa, which holds this year’s G20 presidency under the theme “solidarity, equality, and sustainability,” says its history of overcoming racial division makes it well suited to lead global discussions on justice and shared prosperity.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said, “Drawing on our journey from division to democracy, South Africa is uniquely positioned to promote solidarity and sustainable development within the G20.”
Trump’s comments follow months of diplomatic tension with Pretoria, including his offer of refugee status to white Afrikaners after South Africa approved limited land reform measures aimed at correcting apartheid-era imbalances.
