US holds first G20 Sherpa meeting without South Africa, launches working groups on economic priorities

Washington DC [US], December 18 : Ahead of hosting the G20 Summit in Miami, Florida, next year, the United States convened its first G20 Sherpa meeting as the 2026 Presidency host in Washington, notably without participation from South Africa, the outgoing 2025 chair, amid a sharp recalibration of the forum under US President Donald Trump.
According to a release on Thursday, the US Department of State said that the meeting took place from December 15 to December 16 and was attended by representatives from the African Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and the United Kingdom.
It also noted that Poland was the only full guest participant for the US host year.
The exclusion of South Africa came as no surprise, as it follows US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's earlier announcement that the Trump administration would not invite the outgoing chair due to policy differences, marking a significant departure from the G20's tradition of inclusivity.
Earlier in a blog post, Rubio, in a bold reimagining of the global economic forum, announced plans for what it calls a "New G20", welcoming Poland as a new member while explicitly excluding South Africa, which was accused of prioritising "spite, division, and radical agendas" during its current presidency.
Rubio, in his blog post titled 'America Welcomes a New G20', stated that the 'New G20' will focus on three core themes--removing regulatory burdens, unlocking affordable and secure energy supply chains, and pioneering technologies such as artificial intelligence -- through four working groups.
He lambasted South Africa for squandering its post-apartheid potential through "redistributionist policies that discouraged investment" and "racial quotas" that have crippled the economy.
He accused the African National Congress (ANC)-led government of scapegoating its citizens and the US, tolerating violence against Afrikaner farmers, and aligning with adversaries like Iran and Hamas sympathisers, claiming that South Africa's G20 Presidency was marred by ignoring US inputs, blocking negotiations, and even "doxxing" American officials, focusing instead on "climate change, diversity and inclusion, and aid dependency".
Meanwhile, at the Sherpa meeting, the United States outlined its key thematic priorities for the presidency, including unleashing economic prosperity by reducing regulatory burdens, ensuring reliable and affordable energy options, and advancing innovative technologies. To advance these goals, the US launched working groups to develop concrete deliverables under each theme.
An additional working group was established to identify consensus on trade-related issues.
According to the State Department, the four working groups will focus on key economic challenges that warrant discussion and action by world leaders during the G20 process.
Trump, earlier, said that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami, while sharply criticising the South African government over what he described as "horrific Human Rights abuses".
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa because the South African Government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific Human rights abuses endured by Afrikaners and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers."
"To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them," he added.
The US assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, coinciding with preparations for America's 250th anniversary. Trump will host the Leaders' Summit from December 14 to December 15, 2026, at Trump National Doral Miami.