At the first sherpa meeting for the US G20 presidency in Washington, several members objected to South Africa's exclusion from 2026 events, following Pretoria's recent diplomatic push. Despite support from the EU, Germany, China and others, the US upheld its decision.
The inaugural sherpa meeting for the US-hosted G20, held in Washington this week, saw objections from multiple members to the United States' exclusion of South Africa from all 2026 proceedings, including the Miami summit in December.
This follows the US notifying South Africa on December 4 of its exclusion and South Africa's note verbale on December 10 urging G20 partners to raise the issue at the December 15 meeting. Objectors included the European Union, African Union, Germany, France, the UK, China, Canada, Brazil, and others, who emphasized the G20's strength through diversity.
Sources from delegations noted a consensus for inclusion, but the US sherpa declared the decision final. Cited reasons: President Cyril Ramaphosa's refusal to hand over the presidency at the Johannesburg summit to acting US ambassador Marc Dillard (deemed too junior), and South Africa's claim that the leaders' declaration was fully consensual despite US reservations.
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to discuss with Donald Trump; ambassador Andreas Peschke stressed South Africa's role as Africa's key G20 voice. China's foreign ministry praised South Africa's past contributions and backed its participation for multilateralism.
The US will skip the traditional troika with past (South Africa), current (US), and future (UK 2027) presidents, engaging only later hosts like the UK and South Korea (2028). Some members hope for South Africa's early 2026 inclusion.
Separately, the US Senate approved Leo Brent Bozell III as ambassador to South Africa, prioritizing Trump's agenda: Afrikaner invitations, land law reversals, halting ICJ cases against Israel, and addressing ties with Russia, China, and Iran.
