Oprah Winfrey will close the residential school she founded in South Africa nearly 20 years ago. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will end operations in its current form after the 2027 academic year.
Winfrey plans to replace the single-campus model with a wider scholarship programme for academically talented girls across South Africa. Her representative said the approach could roughly double the number of students receiving educational support.
Academy to Complete Final Two Classes
The tuition-free boarding school opened in 2007 in Henley-on-Klip, Gauteng. Winfrey created it with former South African president Nelson Mandela to support talented girls from disadvantaged communities.
The academy will graduate two more classes before ending residential operations. Students who remain after 2027 will transfer to other top-tier schools. Winfrey will cover their full tuition until graduation.
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Gauteng’s Department of Education will then take control of the campus and continue operating it as a public school. The handover follows the original partnership agreement behind the academy.
“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 her mission “doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education.”
Scholarships to Reach More Girls
The expanded scholarship programme will support students at leading schools throughout South Africa. Winfrey’s team expects it to reach about twice as many girls as the residential model.
The programme will begin after current academy students complete their studies. Officials have not released details about annual intake, participating schools or the selection process.
Winfrey said the change would allow her education initiative to operate beyond one location. She said the next chapter would continue a promise that began more than 20 years ago.
The academy has graduated more than 1,000 students since opening, according to the announcement. Many graduates later pursued higher education and entered professional fields. A study cited by the academy found that almost all surveyed graduates continued into higher education.
A School Built From Mandela Partnership
Winfrey developed the academy after visiting under-resourced schools in disadvantaged South African communities. She wanted financial hardship to stop limiting academic talent.
The media entrepreneur invested about $40 million in the 22-building campus. It includes classrooms, science and computer laboratories, boarding facilities, a theatre, sports spaces and student support services.
The project grew from discussions with Mandela about opportunities for South African girls. Winfrey, Mandela and then education minister Kader Asmal later broke ground for the school.
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The campus will continue serving students after the academy ends its current model. Winfrey’s education work will move toward scholarships and partnerships across the country.
The transition closes a major chapter but does not end Winfrey’s involvement. Her team said the new system would preserve the mission while giving more young women access to high-quality education.
