Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa is scheduled to end its current school operations after the 2027 academic year. Its residential campus is to transfer to the Gauteng Department of Education, while Winfrey’s education initiative is expected to continue as an expanded national scholarship programme. The Gauteng government says current students will keep receiving academic, financial and personal support to complete their education.
What is changing at the academy?
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) is not simply disappearing. The announced plan is to conclude the school’s current campus-based operations after the 2027 academic year and transfer the residential campus to the Gauteng Department of Education under the original partnership agreement. The education effort is expected to continue in a different form: scholarships for academically talented girls to attend leading schools across South Africa.
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile welcomed the next chapter in a government statement dated 30 July 2026, which also said transition administration was underway. The statement promises uninterrupted academic, financial and personal support for girls already enrolled so they can finish their education.
How will the academy’s model change?
| Aspect | Current academy | Announced scholarship direction |
|---|---|---|
| Where students study | At OWLAG’s residential campus in South Africa | At leading schools across South Africa |
| Education model | A campus-based school serving girls | Scholarships supporting academically talented girls |
| Status and timing | Current school operations are scheduled to continue through the 2027 academic year | Expansion is announced, but implementation details are not yet stated in the cited announcement |
| Campus | Run and funded by Winfrey’s charitable foundation | Scheduled to transfer to the Gauteng Department of Education after the 2027 academic year |
The national scholarship programme is described in broad terms, but the government statement and Associated Press report do not specify application dates, detailed eligibility rules, award amounts or how the programme will be administered. Those terms should not be assumed until they are announced.
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Why was the school founded?
Winfrey founded the academy after conversations with Nelson Mandela about education and poverty. The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation dates their discussion to 2002; the Associated Press also describes conversations with Mandela as the inspiration. OWLAG opened in 2007, and Winfrey’s foundation ran and funded it.
The campus handover is part of the original arrangement, according to the Associated Press. The change therefore concerns the school’s operating model and the transfer of the property, not an announced end to Winfrey’s education work in South Africa.
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What do the published student figures mean?
The figures published by the government and the foundation count different things and should not be read as competing totals. Gauteng Education said in 2026 that more than 1,000 learners had been “empowered” since the school opened. The foundation’s institutional page lists 528 graduates, while its accompanying narrative says over 525; the page is undated and appears to include historical material. The Associated Press reported more than 500 graduates in 2026, citing the foundation.
- More than 1,000 learners empowered: the Gauteng government’s broad measure, reported in 2026; it is not a count of graduates.
- 528 graduates: the precise figure listed on the foundation’s undated institutional page, which may reflect older information.
- More than 500 graduates: the Associated Press’s 2026 description, attributed to the foundation.
What was the earlier abuse controversy?
Shortly after the school opened in 2007, several students accused a dormitory matron of physical and sexual abuse. The Associated Press reported that Winfrey traveled to South Africa, met with students and parents, apologized publicly and commissioned an independent investigation. The AP also reported that the matron was acquitted of criminal charges in 2010. The allegations should not be described as a criminal conviction.
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What Oprah Winfrey said about the transition
In a statement issued by the academy and reported by the Associated Press on 31 July 2026, Winfrey said: “The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women.”
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