South Africa has been blocked from taking part in G20 meetings hosted by the United States this year, in another sign of deepening strain between Pretoria and Washington. According to a report by The Citizen, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the US had not accredited South Africa for the forum, meaning the country would be excluded for the rest of 2026.

Godongwana made the remarks while travelling to the US for the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He said neither he nor South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago would attend the G20 finance chiefs’ meeting. He added that South Africa remains a member of the G20, but said the lack of accreditation means it will not be part of the group’s work this year.

Tensions With Washington Keep Growing

The latest move follows a hardline position taken by US President Donald Trump. The Citizen reported that Trump announced in November 2025 that Pretoria would be barred from attending the next G20 summit in America. The report also said relations worsened after the US boycotted the two-day G20 leaders’ summit held at Nasrec in Johannesburg.

Trump claimed the South African government had failed to address what he described as human rights abuses against Afrikaners and descendants of European settlers. A month later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department intended to exclude South Africa from the forum and replace it with Poland as part of what he called a “new G20”, according to The Citizen.

What This Means for South Africa

The G20 usually meets alongside the twice-yearly IMF and World Bank gatherings and also stages a summit for heads of state. The Citizen reported that the US took over the rotating G20 presidency from South Africa in late 2024 and will later hand it to the United Kingdom. Godongwana said South Africa had taken the view that this year would be a “holiday from the G20” and that it would re-engage when the UK presidency begins in November.

The exclusion is a diplomatic blow. It also raises fresh questions about how far the fallout between South Africa and the US could still go.