By Faizel Patel at The Citizen
- Oprah Winfrey will close the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls at the end of 2027, ending nearly 20 years of educating young women in South Africa.
- Current learners will complete their education with full financial and academic support, while the Gauteng Department of Education takes over the campus.
- Winfrey says her mission will continue through an expanded scholarship programme, shifting the focus from one school to supporting more young women through education.
Former talk show host Oprah Winfrey has confirmed that her South African girls’ academy will close at the end of 2027, bringing nearly two decades of operation to an end.
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, located in Henley-on-Klip, Gauteng, officially opened in January 2007 after years of planning between Winfrey and former South African president Nelson Mandela. Since then, it has educated more than 1000 learners.
Mission to uplift young women continues
Although the academy will close, Winfrey says its mission to empower young women will continue through scholarships and expanded educational support.
The Gauteng Department of Education will take over the school’s operations once it closes, while Oprah’s foundation will redirect resources to fund tuition for current learners and create more opportunities through an expanded scholarship programme.
Gauteng MEC for Education, Arts, Culture and Recreation Lebogang Maile thanked the academy for its contribution to education in the province.
“Through the transition of the Academy’s assets to the Gauteng Department of Education, the Department will ensure that the Academy’s legacy of academic excellence, leadership development and the creation of opportunities through education continues to benefit future generations of learners.”
Maile also commended Winfrey for her commitment, compassion and investment in the education of young South African girls, saying her impact extends far beyond the academy and will be remembered for years to come.
Winfrey assured families that every learner currently enrolled at the school will complete her education with uninterrupted academic, financial and personal support.
“Throughout the transition, the Academy will continue its commitment to the holistic development of every student and to its growing network of alumnae through mentorship, leadership development and higher education support.”
A dream bigger than one school
Winfrey said her vision had always extended beyond a single institution.
“The dream was never simply to build a school. 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.”
The announcement marks a shift from operating a single institution to expanding opportunities through scholarships and outreach programmes.
Winfrey reiterated that no learner would be left behind and pledged to cover tuition costs until graduation for every student affected by the closure.
Born from a conversation with Mandela
The academy was established following a conversation Winfrey had with Mandela in 2000 about the role education could play in breaking the cycle of poverty.
Inspired by her own upbringing, Winfrey invested about $40 million (more than R700 million at today’s exchange rate) to build the state-of-the-art boarding school, complete with science laboratories, libraries, sports facilities and modern residences.
Since opening its doors, the academy has become one of South Africa’s most prominent philanthropic education projects, providing world-class facilities and opportunities to girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Challenges along the way
The academy was not without controversy. Shortly after opening, it came under intense scrutiny following allegations of abuse involving a dormitory staff member.
Winfrey travelled to South Africa to meet with learners and parents, describing the incident as one of the most devastating experiences of her life.
Despite the setback, the school recovered and went on to establish a reputation for academic excellence and leadership development.
Final classes
Reflecting on the academy’s legacy, Winfrey has described it as her “greatest legacy”, saying the achievements of its graduates have exceeded anything she imagined when she first envisioned a school for South African girls.
The academy’s final two classes will complete their studies before it officially closes at the end of 2027, marking the end of one of South Africa’s most ambitious philanthropic education projects while ushering in a broader scholarship programme that Winfrey hopes will empower even more young women in the years ahead.
This article was republished from The Citizen. Read the original here.
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