Media mogul and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey announced this week that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) in South Africa will close its residential campus at the end of the 2027 academic year, transitioning to an expanded national scholarship program designed to reach twice as many young women.
The tuition-free boarding school, located in Henley-on-Klip south of Johannesburg, was founded in 2007 through a partnership with former South African President Nelson Mandela to provide world-class education to academically gifted girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. Since opening its doors, the $40 million, 22-building campus has graduated more than 1,000 students who have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, and executives, including graduates now working at major technology firms.
Under the transition plan, the campus will be handed back to South Africa's Gauteng Department of Education, in accordance with the original partnership agreement, and will continue operating as a public school. The academy will graduate two more classes before the closure, with remaining students receiving fully funded tuition to complete their education at other top-tier schools.
In a statement explaining the decision, Winfrey, 72, said: "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". A representative for Winfrey confirmed that the new scholarship model is expected to roughly double the number of young women able to access educational support compared with the single-campus approach.
Why this matters
Winfrey's shift from a flagship campus to a national scholarship model reflects a broader trend in global philanthropy toward scalable solutions that maximize impact across wider geographic areas. The decision also comes as Winfrey, who built her media empire on storytelling and connection, has increasingly focused on legacy-driven initiatives in her later years. Her personal investment in the academy—hundreds of millions of dollars over two decades—has demonstrated the long-term commitment required to build institutional capacity in under-resourced educational environments.
The school has not been without controversy. Shortly after opening in 2007, several students accused a former staff member of abuse; the individual was later acquitted of all charges. Critics also questioned the lavishness of the campus, which reportedly included two theaters, a yoga studio, and a beauty salon, arguing the funds could have served more students. However, independent studies have shown that 99% of surveyed graduates pursued higher education, and 94% reported that their education positively transformed their families.
Winfrey's commitment to South African girls' education remains unwavering as she pivots to a model she believes will extend her reach even further across the country, fulfilling a promise she and Mandela shared more than two decades ago.
