HENLEY-ON-KLIP, South Africa: After nearly 20 years of nurturing young women from underprivileged backgrounds, US talk-show host Oprah Winfrey has announced that her renowned Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa will close its doors at the end of the 2027 academic year.
Oprah Winfrey Says She’s Ending Her South Africa Girls’ Academy to ‘Reach More Young Women’ with Scholarships https://t.co/RvsiWzEI9B
— People (@people) July 29, 2026
The $40 million boarding school near Johannesburg, inspired by the American media titan’s 2002 meeting with anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, will be handed over to local education authorities as part of the original agreement, marking the end of an era in philanthropic education.
In a heartfelt statement, the 72-year-old media mogul explained that the decision was always part of the long-term vision for the institution. “The dream was never simply to build a school,” Winfrey said. “It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women. That mission doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education.”
Winfrey added: “I’m excited that this next chapter will allow us to reach even more young women across South Africa and continue the promise that began more than 20 years ago.”
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Transition to scholarship model
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation has confirmed that the school’s closure is not a withdrawal from South African education but rather an evolution of its commitment. Students currently enrolled who will not have graduated by the time the campus closes will be offered full scholarships to continue their education elsewhere.
Moving forward, the foundation intends to fund a scholarship programme for academically talented girls from communities across South Africa, enabling them to attend leading schools nationwide.
This new approach, Winfrey’s team says, will allow the initiative to reach even more young women than the residential campus could accommodate.
OPRAH WINFREY TO CLOSE SOUTH AFRICAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AFTER TWO DECADES
Oprah Winfrey has announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Gauteng will conclude its current operations at the end of 2027, bringing to a close a project that has educated young… pic.twitter.com/uECMT4JS4X
— Tigere24 (@Tigere_24) July 30, 2026
More than 1,000 girls have graduated from the academy since it opened its doors in 2007, many of whom have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, executives, and entrepreneurs.
Among them is Andronica Klaas, a 2012 graduate now serving as a senior engineering lead at tech giant Meta, who recalled: “Every corner of the campus was filled with so much love and care and detail. OWLAG convinced me that preparation, character and purpose mattered more than where I came from.”
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Legacy despite controversy
The school’s journey has not been without challenges. When OWLAG first opened, critics questioned the lavishness of the campus, which reportedly included two theatres, a yoga studio, and a beauty salon, asking whether the $40 million investment could have been better spent supporting more students across the country.
Months after opening, the school faced allegations when some students accused a former staff member of abuse. The individual was later cleared of all charges. Despite these early setbacks, the institution has remained a beacon of hope for young women from disadvantaged backgrounds, offering world-class education and opportunities that would otherwise have been out of reach.
Oprah Winfrey will close her South African girls’ academy in 2027 and replace it with a nationwide scholarship programme. pic.twitter.com/K51iGTUVk6
— Naija (@Naija_PR) July 30, 2026
What happens next?
The campus, located in the village of Henley-on-Klip south of Johannesburg, will be returned to local education authorities as per the original agreement. While it remains unclear what the facility will be used for, Gauteng province’s education department has expressed its commitment to preserving the academy’s legacy.
“We are committed to preserving and advancing the academy’s legacy,” the department said in a statement. “We will ensure that this exceptional institution continues to serve the people of Gauteng while honouring the vision upon which it was established.”
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A PR consultant working for the foundation has firmly denied online speculation that the closure is due to mismanagement, confirming that the decision was always part of the long-term plan.
Oprah is closing her South African girls school…
She opened it in 2007.. Within months the dorm matron, Tiny Virginia Makopo, was arrested over serious abuse allegations involving young girls.. She was later acquitted…
A few years later a newborn was found in a plastic bag at… pic.twitter.com/0jqnnUwxZb
— Isaac’s Army (@ReturnOfKappy) July 30, 2026
With 281 students currently enrolled, the remaining academic year will serve as a celebration of the school’s remarkable impact. For Winfrey, the closing of the physical campus does not signal an ending but rather a transformation, one that she hopes will extend the dream Mandela inspired more than two decades ago.
