Department of International Relations and Cooperation, SA (dirco) Courtesy: Department of International Relations and Cooperation, SA (DIRCO)
24 September 2026

Assessing South Africa’s G20 Presidency

BY

The U.S. will host the 2026 G20 Summit on December 14-15, but South Africa is not invited – a departure from G20 norms and a rebuff to Africa, the Global South, and the G20 itself. Its historic term as the first African presidency in 2025 ended on a mixed note: despite a successful summit, tensions with the U.S. and fears of retreat from Global South priorities left a mark.