South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa (C) speaks alongside Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L) and Chairperson of the African Union Joao Lourenco (R) during the G20 Leaders’ Summit plenary session at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Johannesburg on 22 November 2025. Picture: Thomas Mukoya / POOL / AFP The Presidency says South Africa will take a “commercial break” for now and wait for the United States (US) to hand over the G20 presidency to the United Kingdom in 2027 before resuming G20 activities. This after the United States went against the G20 declarations adopted in Johannesburg, for all countries to participate in all summits “on an equal footing”.
Declaration 121 reads: “We reiterate our commitment to the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation and its continued operation in the spirit of multilateralism, on the basis of consensus, with all members participating on an equal footing in all its events, including summits, in accordance with international obligations.” However, the United States says it will not allow South Africa’s participation at the next G20 summit on its soil. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to the current government’s policies, which he claims discouraged investment and drove South Africa’s “most talented” citizens abroad. “Racial quotas have crippled the private sector, while corruption bankrupts the state,” Rubio said.
“As South Africa’s economy has stagnated under its burdensome regulatory regime driven by racial grievance, it falls firmly outside the group of the 20 largest industrialised economies.” He further cited false claims of targeted violence against Afrikaners, which he claims “has become embedded as core domestic policies” “Its former Ambassador to the United States was openly hostile to America. Its relationships with Iran, its entertainment of Hamas sympathisers, and cosying up to America’s greatest adversaries move it from the family of nations we once called close,” said Rubio. Rubio further accused South Africa of blocking his country’s inputs into negotiations and “reasonable” faith efforts to negotiate.
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