US media mogul and talk-show host Oprah Winfrey has announced that the prestigious Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG), which she founded in South Africa nearly 20 years ago, will close in its current form at the end of the 2027 academic year.
The expansive boarding school campus near Johannesburg will be handed over to the Gauteng Department of Education, in line with the original partnership agreement.
The academy, built at a cost of around $40 million (£20 million) and located in the village of Henley-on-Klip south of Johannesburg, opened its doors in January 2007. It was inspired by Winfrey’s 2002 meeting with anti-apartheid icon and former South African President Nelson Mandela.
The school targeted academically gifted girls from underprivileged backgrounds, providing a world-class education in a residential setting for grades 8–12.
Since its inception, OWLAG has educated and graduated more than 1,000 girls. Many alumni have gone on to higher education, with high rates of university acceptance and success. Winfrey has often described the school and its students as among her greatest joys and part of her lasting legacy.
Under the transition plan:
- The academy will graduate its final two senior classes by the end of 2027.
- All current students will be supported to complete their education without interruption. Those who will not have graduated by closure will receive full scholarships to attend other top-tier schools in South Africa, with tuition fully covered by Winfrey through graduation.
- The campus property will transfer to the Gauteng Department of Education, which has pledged to preserve the institution’s reputation for academic excellence and continue serving the community while honoring the original vision.
Winfrey, now 72, emphasized in a statement that the move is not an end but an evolution of her mission: “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.”
Her foundation will redirect resources into an expanded nationwide scholarship program for academically talented girls from communities across South Africa to attend leading schools. Representatives say this new model is expected to reach roughly double the number of girls compared to the single-campus approach.
The Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile welcomed the announcement, expressing gratitude for Winfrey’s vision, generosity, and commitment, and stating that work is underway for a smooth handover.
A PR consultant for the foundation, Nico Olwagen, denied online speculation linking the closure to mismanagement or scandals (the school has faced some controversies over the years). The decision aligns with the long-planned partnership terms and a strategic shift toward broader impact.
This development marks the end of one chapter of a high-profile philanthropic project but aims to extend educational opportunities to even more young South African women in the years ahead.
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