Full Breakdown
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls to Close, Shifts to Nationwide Scholarship Program
7/30/2026, 9:08:11 PM
Core Event: Closure of the Boarding School and Transition Plan
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) will cease operations as a residential boarding school at the end of the 2027 academic year. The campus near Johannesburg will be handed back to the Gauteng Department of Education in accordance with the original partnership agreement. Current students will finish their studies with uninterrupted academic, financial and personal support, and those who have not yet graduated will receive full scholarships to attend other top-tier schools, funded by Oprah Winfrey.
Background & Context
OWLAG opened in 2007 after Oprah Winfrey met former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2002. Built on a 22-acre site at a reported cost of $40 million, the school was designed to provide tuition-free, world-class education to academically talented girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over two decades the academy has become a high-profile philanthropic project, celebrated for its state-of-the-art classrooms, science labs, theatre, yoga studio and wellness centre.
Data & Statistics
- More than 1,000 girls have graduated since 2007.
- An independent 2024 study found that 99 % of surveyed alumni pursued higher education, nearly 90 % said OWLAG offered opportunities unavailable elsewhere, and 94 % reported a positive impact on their families.
- As of the latest reports, 281 students remain enrolled.
Official Statements & Responses
Oprah Winfrey emphasized that the academy’s mission extends beyond a single campus. A PR consultant for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation denied online speculation that the closure stemmed from mismanagement, reiterating that the scholarship programme will continue the academy’s educational mission.
Criticism & Opposition
The academy’s lavish facilities attracted early criticism, with commentators questioning whether the $40 million investment could have served more students nationwide. Within months of opening, former staff member Tiny Virginia Makopo faced sexual-abuse allegations; she was acquitted of all charges in 2010, a verdict that left Winfrey “profoundly disappointed.” The school’s former headmistress Nomvuyo Mzamane later filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States over comments made during the scandal; the case was settled in 2010.
On-the-Ground Reports
Alumni credit the school for shaping their trajectories.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women,” — Oprah Winfrey
- “The dream continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education,” — Oprah Winfrey
- “If you change one woman’s life, she’ll go on to change her children’s lives, her community’s lives. And that will have a ripple effect.” — Kirsten
- “My mission doesn't end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education,” — Oprah Winfrey
What’s Next
The scholarship programme will launch after the final 2027 graduating class completes its studies. Representatives indicate the new model is expected to double the number of South African girls who receive high-quality educational support, extending the academy’s impact through partnerships with leading schools across the country.
The transition marks the end of OWLAG’s two-decade campus operation while preserving its core mission of empowering young women through education.
