Oprah Winfrey announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) near Johannesburg will close after the 2027 academic year, ending nearly two decades of campus‑based education. The school will be handed over to local education authorities in line with the original agreement, and students who have not yet graduated will receive full scholarships to continue their studies at other schools.
Rather than operating a single boarding school, Winfrey said her foundation will shift its focus to a nationwide scholarship programme that will help academically talented girls from disadvantaged communities attend leading schools across South Africa. “The dream was never simply to build a school,” Winfrey said. “It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women.”
The academy was inspired by Winfrey’s meeting with Nelson Mandela in 2002 and opened in 2007 after a $40 million investment. Since then, more than 1,000 girls have graduated, many of whom are pursuing careers in medicine, law, engineering and business.
The school has faced criticism over its luxurious facilities and was the subject of past controversy involving abuse allegations against a former staff member, who was later cleared. The foundation has rejected online claims that the closure is linked to mismanagement, saying the move reflects a new strategy to reach more students across the country.
By closing OWLAG, the foundation aims to broaden its impact beyond a single campus, leveraging its resources to support a larger cohort of girls nationwide. The transition will see the academy’s assets transferred to the public education system, while the scholarship programme will provide pathways for talented students who might otherwise lack access to quality education. The decision underscores a shift from a singular institutional model to a scalable, community‑wide approach that could reshape girls’ education in South Africa. The foundation will continue to monitor the transition and engage with stakeholders to ensure a smooth handover.
