Oprah Winfrey To Close South African Girls' Leadership Academy After Two Decades

Oprah Winfrey will close her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa at the end of 2027, ending nearly two decades of educating disadvantaged young women. While the academy will shut down, Winfrey says her commitment to girls' education will continue through an expanded national scholarship programme, and the Gauteng provincial government will take over the campus. Since opening in 2007, the school has produced more than 500 graduates who have gone on to study at leading universities in South Africa and abroad.

Media entrepreneur and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey has announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa will close at the end of 2027, bringing to an end nearly two decades of educating academically gifted girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The academy, located near Johannesburg, was established in 2007 following discussions between Winfrey and former South African President Nelson Mandela about the life-changing impact of educating young women.
Mandela was among the distinguished guests who attended the school's official opening.

MISSION TO CONTINUE THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS

Although the academy will close its doors, Winfrey said her commitment to supporting girls' education in South Africa will continue through an expanded nationwide scholarship programme.
The initiative will provide financial support for talented girls to attend leading schools across the country.
"The dream was never simply to build a school," Winfrey said in a statement released by the academy.
"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."

HUNDREDS OF GRADUATES

Since opening, the academy has produced more than 500 graduates, many of whom have gone on to study at leading universities in South Africa, the United States and Europe.
The school became widely recognised for its high academic standards, modern facilities and focus on leadership development.
Its 52-acre campus includes classrooms, science and computer laboratories, a library containing more than 10,000 books and a 600-seat theatre.

GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OVER CAMPUS

Under the original agreement between Winfrey's charitable foundation and South African authorities, ownership of the campus was always expected to transfer to the Gauteng Provincial Government.
Education authorities have confirmed that the provincial government will assume control of the facility after the academy closes.
Officials also assured families that current students will complete their education without disruption or loss of financial support.
The government has not yet announced how the campus will be used after the transition.

SCHOOL FACED EARLY CONTROVERSY

The academy attracted international attention shortly after opening when several students accused a dormitory matron of physical and sexual abuse.
Winfrey travelled to South Africa to meet students and parents, publicly apologised for the incident and ordered an independent investigation.
The staff member later faced criminal charges but was acquitted in 2010.
Despite the early controversy, the academy rebuilt its reputation and became one of South Africa's best-known educational institutions for disadvantaged girls.

LEGACY OF EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT

The closure marks the end of one of Africa's most prominent privately funded girls' schools, but education advocates say its impact will continue through its graduates and the scholarship programme that will replace it.
Winfrey's investment in girls' education has often been cited as an example of philanthropy aimed at expanding opportunities for young women in Africa.
The transition also reflects a broader effort to integrate the academy's resources into South Africa's public education system while maintaining support for academically talented girls from disadvantaged communities.