After nearly two decades of transforming the lives of young women in South Africa, Oprah Winfrey has announced that the residential operations of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) will conclude at the end of the 2027 academic year.
The decision does not mark the end of Winfrey’s commitment to education in South Africa. Instead, it represents a shift in strategy aimed at reaching more students through an expanded scholarship program.
“The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women,” Winfrey said in a statement. “That mission doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education.”
Founded after conversations between Winfrey and Nelson Mandela in 2000, the academy opened its doors in 2007 to provide a world-class education for academically gifted girls from disadvantaged communities. Since then, the school has graduated approximately 870 students, with every graduate going on to pursue higher education.
Under the transition plan, the academy’s campus will be returned to the Gauteng Department of Education, as outlined in the original partnership agreement. Current students will continue receiving uninterrupted academic and financial support through graduation, while those still enrolled during the transition will have their education fully funded at other top-tier schools.
Winfrey said the new scholarship initiative is expected to double the number of South African girls who benefit from her educational mission, allowing support to extend beyond a single campus.
The academy has long been considered one of Winfrey’s most meaningful philanthropic endeavors. Despite facing challenges early in its history, including a widely publicized staff misconduct scandal, the school went on to become a symbol of educational opportunity and leadership development for young women across South Africa.
As the academy prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2027, Winfrey says its legacy will continue—not through one school, but through expanded access to quality education for even more young women throughout the country.
