Media entrepreneur and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey has announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) in South Africa will close at the end of the 2027 academic year, marking the conclusion of a project that has educated young women from disadvantaged communities for nearly two decades.
According to a statement from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, the school’s campus near Johannesburg will be handed over to the Gauteng provincial education authorities in line with the original agreement reached when the institution was established.
Students who are yet to complete their education by the time the school closes will receive full scholarships to continue their studies at other institutions.
The academy, which opened in 2007 following Winfrey’s meeting with former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2002, was established to provide high-quality education and leadership training for academically gifted girls from underprivileged backgrounds. Since its inception, more than 1,000 students have graduated from the institution.
Addressing speculation surrounding the closure, the foundation dismissed claims that the decision was linked to mismanagement. Instead, it explained that the initiative would transition into a broader scholarship programme aimed at supporting talented young women in schools across South Africa.
Reflecting on the decision, Winfrey said the vision had always extended beyond operating a single campus. “The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women,” she said, adding that the next phase of the programme would enable the foundation to reach even more girls through expanded educational opportunities.
The Gauteng Department of Education welcomed the transition and pledged to preserve the academy’s legacy, stating that the facility would continue serving the people of the province while remaining true to the vision on which it was founded.
Although the academy drew criticism in its early years over the cost of its world-class facilities and later faced allegations of staff misconduct that did not result in convictions, it has produced graduates who have gone on to successful careers in medicine, engineering, law, business, technology and the arts.
The school currently has 281 students enrolled and remains one of South Africa’s most prominent educational institutions dedicated to empowering young women through education.
