Oprah Winfrey has announced plans to close the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa in 2027, bringing an end to more than two decades of one of the continent’s most high-profile education initiatives.
The decision, confirmed by the academy’s leadership, will see the school’s final cohort of students graduate in 2027, after which the institution will be wound down. The move marks a significant shift for a project that has educated and empowered hundreds of young women from disadvantaged backgrounds since it opened in 2007.
In a statement, Winfrey’s foundation said the decision reflects a strategic pivot to focus on “scaling impact through broader partnerships and initiatives that can reach more girls across the continent, rather than maintaining a single, high-cost residential institution.”
The academy, located in Henley on Klip, south of Johannesburg, was launched with a vision to provide world-class education and leadership development for girls from underprivileged communities. The campus, built with multimillion-dollar investment, has been praised for its academic results and holistic approach to student development.
Since its inception, the school has seen every graduating class achieve 100% university acceptance rates, with many alumnae going on to study at top institutions in South Africa, the United States, and Europe. Graduates have entered fields ranging from medicine and engineering to law, business, and the arts.
The foundation said it will honour all existing commitments to current students, ensuring they complete their education through to graduation. It also announced plans to establish a new scholarship and mentorship programme aimed at supporting thousands of girls across Africa, building on the academy’s legacy.
Reactions from alumnae and supporters have been mixed. Many expressed gratitude for the opportunities the school provided, while others voiced concern about the loss of a flagship institution for girls’ education in Africa.
The academy’s closure comes amid a broader re-evaluation of large-scale philanthropic projects, with donors increasingly seeking to maximise reach and impact through partnerships and scalable models.
For South Africa, the end of the academy marks the close of a distinctive chapter in the country’s education landscape, and a reminder of the ongoing challenges in expanding access to quality schooling for girls from poor communities.
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