A scholarship initiative spanning multiple South African institutions will replace the boarding school Oprah Winfrey built nearly 20 years ago following discussions with Nelson Mandela about empowering young women through education.
The media mogul announced Wednesday, July 29, 2026, that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) will conclude operations when the 2027 academic year ends, with its 52-acre property south of Johannesburg transferring to provincial authorities as originally planned.
Winfrey, 72, framed the transition as an evolution rather than an ending. Her goal was never simply building one campus, she explained, but rather releasing the unlimited potential of young women—an objective that transcends any physical facility and continues through every student whose trajectory is altered by educational access.
From Single School to Nationwide Reach
The new scholarship model will expand access to roughly double the current number of beneficiaries, according to a representative for Winfrey, by funding academically gifted girls at top schools nationwide. That broader reach represents the core motivation behind shifting away from operating a single institution after two decades.
All 281 students currently attending will either complete their studies before closure or transfer to other elite schools with full tuition coverage through graduation provided by Winfrey. The scholarship program launches after these remaining pupils finish their education.
“The dream that began with one academy will now reach even farther,” Winfrey said in a video, outlining how partnerships and scholarships will create opportunities for additional young women.
Roots in Conversations With Mandela
OWLAG originated from 2002 discussions between Winfrey and Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid icon and former South African president, regarding education’s transformative power for girls. Their exchanges formed the foundation for a school targeting students from under-privileged communities. The campus opened in 2007 with Mandela attending the ceremony.
Constructed for a reported $40 million in Henley-on-Klip village, the grounds encompass 21 classrooms, six science and computer labs, a 10,000-volume library, and a 600-seat theater. Gauteng’s provincial government will assume control of the facility, though immediate plans for the site remain unclear.
Provincial education minister Lebogang Maile said current enrollees will receive uninterrupted financial backing to complete their schooling. The department pledged to uphold the academy’s mission, stating its dedication to preserving and furthering the institution’s legacy while ensuring it continues benefiting Gauteng residents.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026, marked the formal disclosure in a statement from the academy, finalizing an arrangement embedded in the school’s creation: eventual transfer of the campus to provincial education authorities. Winfrey’s charitable foundation operated and funded the boarding school for grades eight through 12, but the handover was always built into the founding agreement.
Controversy and Achievement
Troubles emerged shortly after the 2007 launch when multiple students accused a dormitory matron of physical and sexual abuse. Winfrey traveled to South Africa to meet affected pupils and families, offered a public apology, and commissioned an independent investigation. The matron faced criminal charges that ended in acquittal during 2010.
Critics also questioned the campus’s opulence from the outset, with facilities reportedly including a pair of performance venues, a space for yoga practice, and a salon for hair and cosmetics. Some observers argued the funds could have served more students if distributed across the nation. Recent closure news sparked online theories about mismanagement, which a public relations consultant representing the foundation rejected as false.
Foundation figures indicate more than 1,000 girls have completed the program, with alumnae attending premier universities throughout South Africa, the United States and Europe. Graduates have entered careers as doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, executives and entrepreneurs, according to those overseeing the school.
Andronica Klaas, who graduated in 2012 and now serves as a senior engineering lead at Meta, said the institution transformed her outlook. “OWLAG convinced me that preparation, character and purpose mattered more than where I came from,” she said.
Reflecting on former students now working across virtually every professional sector, Winfrey expressed admiration. “I am dazzled and in awe of them,” she said, citing graduates who have become entrepreneurs, attorneys, parents, physicians, creatives and corporate leaders. That vision reaches far beyond any single structure, she emphasized—it continues expanding.
