Oprah Winfrey’s South African Girls’ Academy to Transition in 2027
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Oprah Winfrey's South African Girls' Academy to Transition in 2027
- Oprah Winfrey announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa will close its residential campus after the 2027 academic year, shifting focus to an expanded nationwide scholarship program.
- The academy, which opened in 2007 following discussions with Nelson Mandela, has graduated over 1,000 students, with a high percentage pursuing higher education.
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Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) in South Africa is set to transition its operations after the 2027 academic year. The media mogul announced in July 2026 that the boarding school, located in Henley on Klip, Gauteng Province, will cease its current residential function. This decision is part of a planned shift to a broader scholarship program aimed at reaching more young women across South Africa.
Winfrey founded OWLAG in 2007, inspired by conversations with former South African President Nelson Mandela about the importance of educating girls. The tuition-free boarding school was established to provide educational and leadership opportunities for academically talented girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. Since its opening, the academy has seen more than 1,000 girls graduate, with a 2024 study indicating that 99% of surveyed alumnae pursued higher education and 94% reported a positive impact on their families. Graduates have gone on to attend leading universities in South Africa, the United States, and Europe.
Under the new plan, the physical campus will be handed over to South Africa’s Gauteng Department of Education, which will continue to operate it as a school. Current students who have not yet completed their education by the end of 2027 will have their tuition fully covered by Winfrey’s foundation at other top-tier institutions. Winfrey stated that her “mission doesn’t end with one campus” and that the expanded scholarship program will allow her organization to “double the amount of girls” accessing education. This change reflects a continuation of her commitment to education, focusing on a wider reach across the country.