France pushed back on Thursday against claims that it excluded South Africa from the upcoming G7 summit because Washington demanded it. Instead, French officials said they chose to invite Kenya — a decision tied to President Emmanuel Macron’s planned visit there later this year.
The summit will take place in Evian-les-Bains in June. Along with Kenya, France has invited the leaders of India, South Korea, and Brazil as guests.
South Africa, however, tells a different story. According to Vincent Magwenya, a spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa, the French embassy in Pretoria communicated the decision about two weeks ago. The embassy reportedly said the U.S. had threatened to boycott the summit if South Africa received an invitation.
“We’ve accepted the French decision and appreciate the pressure they’ve been subjected to,” Magwenya said.
Dueling accounts from Paris and Washington
At a briefing, a French official denied that the U.S. played any role in the decision. The official maintained that France simply chose Kenya this time around, especially given Macron’s upcoming two-day Africa-France summit in Nairobi in May.
A White House official backed that version. Without directly addressing South Africa’s exclusion, the official said the decision came after discussions among G7 members.
“The French, in their capacity as 2026 G7 host, expressed a desire in January to invite an African nation,” the White House official said. After collective talks, “it was determined that Kenya should be invited. The United States welcomes Kenya’s participation.”
Still, the move fits a broader pattern. During his second term, President Donald Trump has openly criticized South Africa’s foreign policy and domestic race laws. He boycotted last year’s G20 summit in Johannesburg. On top of that, the U.S. excluded South Africa from G20 meetings this year.
The Iran crisis could steal the spotlight
France had ambitious plans for the June summit. Macron’s team wanted to focus on preventing a “massive financial crisis” by pushing China to boost domestic demand and reduce destabilizing exports. They also planned to call on the U.S. to curb its deficits and urge Europe to produce more and save less.
Those long-term goals may now take a back seat, though. The summit will unfold against the backdrop of an energy shock caused by the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran. Transatlantic tensions and growing questions about the G7’s relevance add further complications.
“We don’t know where the Iran crisis will be by June,” one Macron adviser said. “However it evolves, we will have to address its energy and economic consequences.”
China stays away — again
China will not attend the June 15–17 summit. French officials said Beijing continues to dismiss the G7 as a “club of rich countries.” France had reportedly tried to invite China, according to diplomatic sources. Instead, Paris will “engage” Beijing through separate channels.
A French official argued that cooperation serves China’s interests too. “The risk for China is to see global markets, and European markets, closing off to it,” the official said. All the invited nations, by contrast, are democracies and market economies that follow international rules of cooperation.
Will Trump even show up?
One more question hangs over the summit: whether Trump himself will attend. His aggressive use of tariff threats has rattled allies, rivals, and global markets alike. No one in Paris seems willing to bet on his presence.
“I won’t make any predictions,” a French official said. “But if Trump doesn’t come, it also makes sense — it’s a new international reality, and we need to organize ourselves accordingly.”
