Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls, located in South Africa, is slated to close its doors at the end of 2027 after nearly two decades of operation. The institution will transition to the control of the local Gauteng Department of Education.
Winfrey announced the decision in a statement, explaining that the school's mission to invest in young women will continue through an expanded scholarship program. "The dream was never simply to build a school," Winfrey stated. "It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women. That mission doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education."
The school's representative indicated that the scholarship program is expected to double the number of young students who will have access to education. The academy plans to graduate two more classes before its closure. Girls currently attending the school will have their education fully funded by Winfrey through their graduation, with transfers to other educational institutions arranged.
The decision to close the academy was not attributed to a specific reason in Winfrey's statement. However, her representative highlighted the school's successes, noting that a 2024 independent study found that 99 percent of surveyed graduates pursued higher education. The study also indicated that nearly nine in ten graduates felt the academy provided inaccessible opportunities, and 94 percent reported that education positively impacted their families.
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls was established following a December 2000 meeting between Winfrey and former South African president Nelson Mandela. Winfrey and Mandela, along with then-Minister of Education Professor Kader Asmal, broke ground on the site in 2002. Initially a public-private partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education, the school became independent in 2006. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation has reportedly contributed over $400 million to the school through Winfrey's personal donations. The academy opened in 2007 and graduated its first class in January 2012. By its 20th anniversary in 2027, nearly 900 girls will have graduated from the institution.
The school experienced a scandal in its inaugural year when a dorm matron was accused of student abuse in 2007. Winfrey described the incident at the time as "the most devastating experience of my life."