Ramaphosa plays down G7 snub claims as France denies US pressure

Cyril Ramaphosa, South African president  has sought to calm rising speculation over his absence from the upcoming G7 summit in France, rejecting claims that his country was deliberately sidelined under pressure from the United States.

Reports earlier this week suggested that Donald Trump had pushed for South Africa’s invitation to be withdrawn and had threatened to boycott the summit if Ramaphosa attended. But speaking on Thursday, Ramaphosa dismissed the narrative, framing non-attendance as a routine outcome for countries outside the Group of Seven.

Read also: FG pushes states to sign $500m World Bank-backed governance programme

“The invitation to the G7 does not mean that you are being snubbed if you are not invited or ignored,” he said, adding that many countries do not receive invitations each year.

France, which currently holds the G7 presidency, has also denied any external influence over its guest list. Officials in Paris said invitations this year were extended to a select group of non-member states, including India, Brazil, South Korea and Kenya, as part of efforts to address global economic imbalances and strengthen ties with key partners.

Jean-Noel Barrot, French foreign minister  said the decision reflected a more “streamlined” approach to the summit, while a US State Department official insisted Washington had not requested South Africa’s exclusion.

“We have not asked the French to exclude South Africa from the G7 Summit,” a State Department official told the AFP

Read also: Trump and Ramaphosa – between The Orange Man and Mandela’s Boy

The mixed signals have exposed underlying diplomatic tensions. A spokesperson for Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, initially said South Africa had been excluded following sustained US pressure, describing the move as a reversal of an earlier invitation personally extended by Emmanuel Macron during the G20 summit in Johannesburg last year.

Read also: Ramaphosa thanks Putin as 17 lured South Africans return from Russia-Ukraine war

Hours later, however, Ramaphosa struck a more measured tone, saying he had seen no evidence of such pressure and emphasising that South Africa’s participation in G7 meetings has always depended on invitations from the host country.

“Our bilateral relationship with France remains strong and will not be impacted by their withdrawal of the invitation to attend the G7 Summit,” he said

The episode comes at a time of strained relations between Pretoria and Washington. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly criticised South Africa’s domestic policies, including land reform, and accused its government of failing to protect the white minority. Pretoria has rejected those claims, pointing to a lack of credible evidence.

Trade tensions have also escalated, with the United States imposing steep tariffs on South African exports last year. Diplomatic friction deepened further after South Africa summoned the newly appointed US ambassador, Brent Bozell, over what it described as undiplomatic remarks on the country’s legal system and racial policies.

Despite the dispute, South African officials say efforts to stabilise ties with Washington are ongoing. They also insist that relations with France remain intact and will not be affected by the controversy surrounding the G7 invitation.