The South African Academy Will Graduate Two More Classes Before Transitioning to Government Control as Winfrey Launches a Broader Scholarship Program
Nearly two decades after opening a South African boarding school she has described as her greatest legacy, Oprah Winfrey is reshaping her education mission to reach more young women beyond a single campus.
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will end operations in its current form at the close of 2027, according to PEOPLE. The campus will then be returned to the provincial government, which plans to continue operating the property as a school.
Winfrey will replace the academy’s current model with an expanded scholarship initiative intended to provide educational opportunities to more girls across South Africa.
“The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women,” Winfrey said in a statement reported by PEOPLE.
She described the decision as an evolution rather than the conclusion of her work.
Her mission, Winfrey said, “doesn’t end with one campus,” adding that the next phase will allow her organization to reach more young women throughout the country.
Oprah Winfrey Academy Will Graduate Two More Classes
The transition is expected to take place gradually, with plans in place to ensure every student can complete her education.
The academy will graduate two additional classes before closing under its current structure. Students who remain enrolled afterward will be transferred to other highly rated schools.
Winfrey will cover those students’ full tuition through graduation.
A representative for Winfrey said the scholarship program could ultimately allow twice as many girls to receive educational support, describing that expanded access as central to the decision.
Academy Has Educated More Than 1,000 Girls
Winfrey opened the academy in Henley on Klip, South Africa, in 2007 to serve academically gifted girls from disadvantaged communities.
Since then, more than 1,000 students have graduated from the institution. Winfrey has reportedly invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the campus, its academic programs and its students.
Research cited by the academy found that nearly all graduates surveyed pursued higher education. Many also reported that attending the school had transformed the lives of their families.
The new scholarship model will continue the academy’s original mission while allowing Winfrey’s educational investment to extend beyond the girls selected to attend one residential school.
“I’m excited that this next chapter will allow us to reach even more young women across South Africa,” Winfrey said.
