Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls Closing and Here Is Why
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls Closing and Here Is Why. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls opened its doors in South Africa in 2007. After two decades running, the school will shut its doors, with the aim to expand into a nationwide scholarship programme.
A Promise Kept
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls was founded in 2002 after Oprah Winfrey made a commitment to former President Nelson Mandela to help educate South African girls. The academy officially opened in 2007. The one-of-a-kind boarding school was founded to empower young women through education at no cost to them or their families.
What the School Achieved
More than 1,000 students have graduated from the academy since it opened its doors in 2007. The vast majority have since gone on to higher education and built careers as doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, executives, and entrepreneurs.
The Way Forward
Following the completion of the 2027 academic year, the residential campus will conclude its role as the heart of the program and be returned to South Africa’s Gauteng Department of Education, as envisioned in the original partnership agreement. Current students will still complete their education with uninterrupted support (be it academic, financial, or otherwise), while the department will carry forward the school’s legacy.
