Merz presses Trump to invite South Africa to the G20 summit in Miami
Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, the chancellor said South Africa must be represented at the December summit. Germany has proposed a growth agenda to the US.
Archive image · Photo: Margo Martin / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has urged US President Donald Trump to invite South Africa to the G20 summit in Miami in December. In a speech at the Berlin Global Dialogue conference on Wednesday, Merz said Africa naturally belongs at the table. Both the African Union and South Africa are G20 members.
Trump said in November 2025 that South Africa would not be invited. He accuses the country of genocide against white farmers, a claim rejected by the South African government and by experts. Merz also thanked Trump for inviting non-members such as the Netherlands and Poland to the summit.
According to the chancellor, Germany has proposed a growth agenda for Miami to the US, focused on cutting red tape, structural reforms and better conditions for investment. He said the G20 should also discuss the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence, secure, affordable and sustainable energy, unfair trade practices and rising government debt worldwide.