Oprah Winfrey to close South African girls' school, expand scholarship

Oprah Winfrey will close the prestigious girls' school she founded in South Africa after the 2027 academic year, marking the end of nearly two decades of campus-based education.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG), near Johannesburg, will be handed over to local education authorities, in line with the original agreement. Students who have not graduated by the time it closes will receive full scholarships to complete their education at other schools.

Rather than running a single boarding school, Winfrey said her foundation will shift its focus to a nationwide scholarship programme, helping 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, with many 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.