Oprah Winfrey has announced the closure of her South African girls' academy by the end of 2027.. The philanthropist intends to replace the physical campus with a scholarship program to support a wider range of young women across the region.
Doubling Student Access via the 2027 Transition
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, situated south of Johannesburg, will cease operations at the end of 2027.. According to a statement provided to the Daily Mail, Oprah Winfrey plans to transfer control of the facility to the Gauteng Department of Education as she pivots her philanthropic strategy toward a scholarship-based model.
This strategic shift is designed to scale the impact of her investments. a representative for Oprah Winfrey noted that the new scholarship program will allow the philanthropist to double the number of students who can access high-quality education. While the academy will graduate two more classes, the remaining students will have their educatioon fully funded by Oprah Winfrey as they transition into other top-tier educational institutions.
The 99 Percent Higher Education Success Rate
The decision to close the campus comes despite evidence of significant academic achievement.. As the report says, an independent study commissioned in 2024 revealed that 99 percent of surveyed graduates from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls pursued higher education.
The impact of the institution extended beyond the classroom. The same 2024 study found that nearly 90 percent of graduates believed the academy provided opportunities that would have otherwise been inaccessible to them, while 94 percent of respondents reported that their education had a positive influence on their families.
A $400 Million Legacy Born from Nelson Mandela's 2000 Visit
The origins of the academy date back to a December 2000 meeting between Oprah Winfrey and former South African President Nelson Mandela. This encounter led to a ground-breaking ceremony in 2002,involving both Mandela and then-Minister of Education Kader Asmal. Initially established as a public-private partnership, the school transitioned to an independent entity in 2006.
Oprah Winfrey's personal financial commitment to the project was substantial, with her foundation contributing over $400 million in donations. Since opening its doors in 2007 and graduating its first class of 72 girls in January 2012, the institution is on track to have nearly 900 graduates by the time it closes in 2027.
The First-Year Abuse Scandal and Unanswered Closure Motives
The history of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has not been without turmoil. During its inaugural year, the school was rocked by a scandal involving a dorm matron accused of abusing multiple students, an event Oprah Winfrey described as the most devastating experience of her life.
Despite the school's documented success and the praise from Lebogang Maile, Gauteng's MEC for Education, Arts, Culture and Recreation, certain details remain vague. The statement to the Daily Mail did not explicitly clarify the specific reasons for the closure beyond the desire to reach more women. It remains unknown how the new scholarship program will be administered or what criteria will be used to select the expanded cohort of recipients.
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