The key facts
- Merz urged Trump to invite South Africa to the G20 summit in Miami in December 2026
- Trump previously announced that South Africa would not receive an invitation, citing grievances against Pretoria
- Merz proposed a 'Miami growth agenda' and advocated a greater role for Europe in the G20
Call to invite South Africa
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday, at the Berlin Global Dialogue conference, called on US President Donald Trump to invite South Africa to the G20 summit, which will take place in Miami in December. According to him, the future of the global economy must be discussed with the participation of all major partners. 'It is obvious that Africa must be at the table,' Merz emphasized. He recalled that the African Union and South Africa are members of the G20 and called for ensuring South Africa's representation at the summit.
Context of Trump's decision
Earlier, Trump announced that South Africa would not receive an invitation to the 2026 summit. According to Anadolu, this decision followed Washington's boycott of the summit in Johannesburg and was linked to Trump's statements about the persecution of white farmers in South Africa.
Europe's role and summit priorities
Merz stated that the G20 remains a key platform for economic cooperation and global prosperity, and argued that Europe, as the world's largest single market, should have greater weight in the association. He thanked Trump for inviting Spain, the Netherlands and Poland to participate as guests alongside permanent members and promised to work to ensure that they continue to remain in the 'G20 circle'.
Growth agenda
Among the priorities of the upcoming summit, Merz named the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence, reliable and affordable energy supply, combating unfair trade practices, and the growth of government debt worldwide. He proposed focusing the discussions on economic growth, noting that economic stability and prosperity today depend on the international environment. 'To this end, we have proposed to the United States a Miami growth agenda. We want to jointly reduce bureaucracy, carry out the necessary structural reforms and make investment easier,' the chancellor said.
