South Africa Says It Was Dropped From G7 Invite, Then Walks Back Claim of US Pressure

South Africa said on Thursday that it has been removed from the guest list for June’s G7 summit in France after initially blaming US pressure, before later softening its stance.

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya first told AFP that President Cyril Ramaphosa was no longer invited because Washington had threatened to boycott the summit if Pretoria attended. “We are told that the Americans threatened to boycott the G7 if South Africa was invited,” he said.

But only hours later, Ramaphosa publicly contradicted that account, saying that according to “his information,” no country including the United States had applied pressure.

France also rejected the suggestion. Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot said Paris had “not yielded to any pressure,” explaining instead that France opted for a “streamlined G7” and invited Kenya to help prepare for a major Africa summit in Nairobi in May.

Strained US-South Africa Relations
The confusion comes against the backdrop of deepening tensions between Washington and Pretoria. Relations have frayed over several issues, including:

South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice

President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of South Africa’s racial justice policies

Trump’s claims that white Afrikaners are being persecuted

High tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on South African exports (later overturned by the US Supreme Court)

Trump has clashed with Ramaphosa’s government repeatedly, including boycotting last year’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, after which South Africa was excluded from G20 working groups under the current US presidency.

Diplomatic Ripples
Pretoria noted that Macron personally invited Ramaphosa to the G7 during last year’s G20 making the reversal more striking. South Africa has previously attended G7 meetings as an invited partner, including in 2025 under Canada’s presidency.

Despite the setback, the presidency insisted the decision would not harm relations with France, and said South Africa remains committed to constructive engagement with the United States. “The diplomatic relationship between USA and South Africa predates the Trump administration and they will outlive the current White House term,” Magwenya said.

Ambassador Tensions
Earlier this month, Pretoria summoned the new US ambassador after he criticised South Africa’s racial policies and labelled the struggle‑era chant “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” as hate speech a position South African courts have rejected. The ambassador later walked back his remarks, saying Washington respected the independence of South Africa’s judiciary.

The US expelled South Africa’s previous ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, last year after he criticised the MAGA movement. A replacement has not yet been appointed.