Washington, Dec 5: The United States, which assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, announced that it will exclude South Africa from the 2026 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Miami, citing the ANC-led government’s alleged hostility toward the US, policies undermining economic growth, and actions that “tarnished the G20’s reputation.”
In place of South Africa, Poland will be invited to join the summit, reflecting its position among the world’s 20 largest economies and recognition of its reforms and forward looking policies, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio sharply criticized South Africa, alleging that redistributionist policies, corruption, racial quotas, and alignment with adversarial nations have left the country outside the world’s largest industrialized economies. He said the government “promoted spite, division, and radical agendas” during its G20 presidency, focusing on climate change, diversity, inclusion, and aid dependency.
Under the US presidency, the 2026 G20 will prioritize economic growth, energy security, technological innovation, and regulatory reform, with the first Sherpa and Finance Track meetings scheduled in Washington on December 15–16. The year-long calendar will culminate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Miami in December 2026.
India, which presided over the 2023 G20, is expected to monitor the developments closely, given Washington’s reshaping of membership participation and the forum’s renewed focus on advanced-technology governance, economic competitiveness, and energy security.
The G20, established in 1999 and elevated to a leaders’ forum in 2008, brings together the world’s largest advanced and emerging economies to coordinate global economic policies. The US last hosted the summit in 2009 in Pittsburgh during the financial crisis.