Oprah Winfrey announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will close its campus at the end of next year. The school, located near Johannesburg, South Africa, opened in 2007 following discussions with Nelson Mandela about the impact of education for young women.
While the physical academy is scheduled to close, the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation plans to continue its support through an expanded scholarship program. This initiative will assist talented students at various institutions across the country. Over the last two decades, more than 500 girls have graduated from the academy, with many moving on to universities in the United States, Europe, and South Africa.
The 52-acre campus, which includes science labs, a library, and a theater, is part of a pre-existing agreement to be handed over to the provincial education department. Officials have confirmed that current students will receive uninterrupted financial support to complete their education during this transition.
Since its founding, the school has been a center for academic development, though it also navigated controversy in its early years. In 2007, allegations of abuse against a dormitory matron surfaced shortly after the school opened. Winfrey responded by visiting the site and ordering an independent investigation into the claims. The staff member was later acquitted of all charges in 2010. The shift to a scholarship-focused model marks a transition in how the foundation will support female education in the region moving forward.