Media mogul and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey has announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa will close in its current form at the end of 2027, marking the beginning of a new phase focused on expanding educational opportunities for girls through scholarships.
The academy, established nearly two decades ago to provide quality education for academically gifted girls from disadvantaged communities, will transition to the management of the Gauteng Provincial Government, which will continue operating the campus as a school.
Announcing the decision, the 72-year-old philanthropist said the vision behind the academy had always been broader than constructing a single institution.
> “The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women,” Winfrey said.
She added that while the academy would cease operations in its current model, her commitment to empowering young women through education remains unchanged.
> “My mission does not end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be changed through education.”
Scholarship programme to reach more girls
According to representatives of the academy, two additional sets of students will graduate before the transition is completed.
Students who will not finish their education before the closure will be transferred to other top-performing schools, with their tuition fully funded by Winfrey until graduation.
After the final class graduates, the academy will shift to an expanded scholarship model expected to benefit twice as many girls across South Africa.
The new initiative will provide financial support for students to attend leading schools while continuing Winfrey’s long-standing mission of improving access to quality education for young women.
Two decades of impact
Since opening its doors in 2007, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has graduated more than 1,000 students, many of whom have proceeded to universities and professional careers.
Studies referenced by the academy indicate that nearly all surveyed graduates continued their education and reported that the opportunities they received significantly improved not only their own lives but also those of their families.
The academy was conceived following discussions between Oprah Winfrey and former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2000 on creating educational opportunities for disadvantaged girls.
Construction began in 2002 through a partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education, and the school officially opened in January 2007 after Winfrey invested approximately $400 million of her personal funds in the project.
South African government welcomes transition
The Gauteng Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education, Lebogang Maile, described the transition as the evolution of one of South Africa’s most successful educational partnerships.
He praised Winfrey’s long-standing commitment to girls’ education, saying the academy had produced generations of young women equipped to become leaders in their communities.
Maile noted that Winfrey’s investment had transformed lives and would continue to have a lasting impact on South Africa through the scholarship programme and the continued operation of the school under provincial management.
The transition marks the end of one chapter for the leadership academy while opening another aimed at expanding educational access and leadership opportunities for even more young women across South Africa.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.