Oprah Winfrey to close her school for girls in South Africa

Oprah Winfrey has announced the impending closure of her South African girls' school, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG), nearly two decades after its inception. The institution is slated to cease operations at the conclusion of the 2027 academic year.

According to a statement from the US talk-show host, the extensive boarding school campus, situated near Johannesburg, will be transferred to local education authorities, aligning with the original agreement. Students currently enrolled at OWLAG who will not have completed their studies by the closure date will be granted full scholarships to continue their education elsewhere.

Since its establishment, the school has seen over 1,000 girls from underprivileged backgrounds graduate. Winfrey was inspired to create the academy after meeting anti-apartheid icon and former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2002. The first cohort of students graduated in 2012.

The elite school, constructed at a cost of $40 million (£20 million) in Henley-on-Klip, south of Johannesburg, has faced scrutiny and controversy since its 2007 opening, leading to online speculation regarding the reasons for its closure. However, a PR consultant for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, Nico Olwagen, refuted claims of mismanagement.

Olwagen stated that Winfrey, 72, intends to continue her educational philanthropy through a scholarship program. This initiative will fund academically gifted girls from various communities across South Africa to attend leading schools.

In a statement, Winfrey explained, "The dream was never simply to build a school. 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. I'm excited that this next chapter will allow us to reach even more young women across South Africa and continue the promise that began more than 20 years ago."

The future use of the OWLAG campus after its return to local authorities remains unknown. Nevertheless, the Gauteng province's education department has expressed its commitment to "preserving and advancing the academy's legacy," stating, "We will ensure that this exceptional institution continues to serve the people of Gauteng while honouring the vision upon which it was established."

When the school opened in 2007, some critics questioned its lavish facilities, which reportedly included two theatres, a yoga studio, and a beauty salon, suggesting the funds could have benefited a greater number of students nationwide. Months after its opening, a former staff member was accused of abuse by some students, though she was later acquitted of all charges.

Currently, 281 students are enrolled at OWLAG. According to Winfrey's Oprah Daily website, many graduates have pursued successful careers as doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, executives, and entrepreneurs. Andronica Klaas, a 2012 graduate and now a senior engineering lead at Meta, was quoted as saying, "Every corner of the campus was filled with so much love and care and detail. OWLAG convinced me that preparation, character and purpose mattered more than where I came from."