Oprah Winfrey is bringing to a close one of her most ambitious philanthropic projects, announcing that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa will shut its doors at the end of next year after nearly 20 years of educating academically gifted girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The media mogul founded the academy in 2007 after conversations with former South African President Nelson Mandela, who encouraged her to invest in educating young women as a way of transforming the country’s future. Mandela attended the school’s opening ceremony alongside other distinguished guests, describing education as one of the most powerful tools for social change.
In a statement released by the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, Winfrey said the institution had always been about much more than its buildings.
“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.”
Instead of operating a single boarding school, Winfrey’s charitable foundation said it will broaden its reach through an expanded scholarship programme that will support talented girls attending leading schools across South Africa. The foundation believes this approach will allow more young women to benefit from quality education across the country.
The academy, located near Johannesburg, was built on a sprawling 52-acre campus featuring 21 classrooms, six science and computer laboratories, a library containing more than 10,000 books, sports facilities and a 600-seat theatre. Since opening, more than 500 students have graduated, with many going on to study at prestigious universities in South Africa, the United States and Europe.
The campus will now be transferred to the Gauteng provincial government under an agreement that had been in place since the school was established. Provincial education authorities have yet to announce how the site will be used in the future.
Gauteng Education Minister Lebogang Maile said every learner currently enrolled at the academy would be able to complete her education with full financial support until graduation, ensuring there would be no disruption during the transition.
The academy has long been regarded as one of Africa’s most prestigious schools for girls, offering world-class facilities and leadership development opportunities to students selected from disadvantaged communities.
However, the school also faced one of its biggest challenges shortly after opening when several students accused a dormitory matron of physical and sexual abuse. The allegations attracted worldwide attention and prompted Winfrey to fly to South Africa, where she met students and parents, publicly apologised and ordered an independent investigation. The former matron was later acquitted of all criminal charges in 2010.
Over the years, Winfrey has repeatedly described the academy as one of the achievements she is most proud of, saying its greatest success lies not in its impressive campus but in the lives of the young women who have graduated and become leaders in their communities and professions.
The closure marks the end of a significant chapter in Winfrey’s philanthropic work in South Africa, while signalling a shift toward a broader national strategy aimed at helping more girls gain access to high-quality education through scholarships rather than a single institution.
