Oprah Winfrey announced that she will close the school for underprivileged girls she established in South Africa two decades ago at the conclusion of next year. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, located near Johannesburg, was founded in 2007 following discussions between Winfrey and former South African President Nelson Mandela, who attended the school's opening ceremony to support the vision of transforming lives through the education of girls.
While the academy was funded and operated by Winfrey’s charitable foundation, the original agreement stipulated that the facility would eventually be transferred to the provincial education department. Winfrey stated that the objective was never just to build a campus, but to invest in the limitless potential of young women, noting that this mission will persist beyond the closure of the physical site. The academy confirmed that Winfrey’s support for South African girls will continue through an expanded national scholarship initiative designed to assist academically gifted students at various leading schools across the country.
Over 500 students have graduated from the academy since its inception, with many moving on to attend prominent universities in South Africa, the United States, and Europe. The Gauteng provincial government is set to take over the 52-acre campus, which includes 21 classrooms, a 600-seat theater, a 10,000-volume library, and six science and computer laboratories. Plans for the future use of the property have not yet been announced. Gauteng Provincial Minister for Education Lebogang Maile assured that currently enrolled students will be able to finish their education with uninterrupted financial backing.
The institution previously faced international scrutiny shortly after it opened in 2007, when several students reported physical and sexual abuse by a dormitory matron. In response, Winfrey traveled to South Africa to meet with parents and students, issued a public apology, and initiated an independent investigation. The matron involved in the allegations was eventually acquitted of all criminal charges in 2010.
This report has been corrected to show Oprah Winfrey’s statement as issued on Wednesday and not Thursday.
