In 2002, Oprah Winfrey promised Nelson Mandela she would build a school for girls in South Africa; it opened in 2007, has graduated 528 students and will transfer to the government in 2027

For nearly two decades, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has provided education and boarding facilities to young women from disadvantaged backgrounds in South Africa. The school began with a conversation between Winfrey and Nelson Mandela in 2002, when the American television personality spoke about her intention to establish an institution for girls in the country. Five years later, the academy opened its doors near Johannesburg. Since then, it has produced hundreds of graduates, some of whom have gone on to careers in engineering, law, medicine and business. Now, Winfrey's original plan for the campus is approaching a new phase, with the property due to be handed over to local education authorities in 2027.How Nelson Mandela helped Oprah Winfrey turn her school vision into realityThe idea for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) took shape during a meeting between Winfrey and former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2002. The two were discussing poverty and the role education could play in addressing the inequalities that continued to affect communities across the country. Winfrey, who had grown up in poverty in the American South, spoke about wanting to establish a school for girls in South Africa.Mandela encouraged her to move ahead with the proposal, helping turn what had been a personal ambition into a project that could be realised within a few years. As reported by the BBC, the academy eventually opened in 2007 in Henley-on-Klip, a village south of Johannesburg in Gauteng province. Its purpose was to give academically capable girls from underprivileged households access to education and opportunities that might otherwise have remained beyond their reach.“I wanted to create an environment that I would want to be a part of.”The academy was intended to provide more than classroom teaching, with residential facilities and support designed around the needs of its pupils.Inside Oprah Winfrey's South African academy with its theatres, yoga studio and beauty salonThe academy was developed on a 52-acre site, with construction reportedly costing around $40 million. Its facilities included 21 classrooms, six laboratories, a library holding approximately 10,000 books and modern boarding accommodation. The campus also had a 600-seat theatre, landscaped outdoor areas and spaces for activities beyond the regular school curriculum.The scale of the development attracted attention when the institution opened. Reports about its facilities, which included two theatres, a yoga studio and a beauty salon, prompted questions about the amount spent on a single school. Some commentators argued that the same resources might have supported a larger number of children through educational programmes elsewhere in South Africa.The criticism formed part of the public discussion surrounding Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG), although the academy continued operating and admitting students. Its residential model allowed girls from different parts of the country to study at the institution rather than having to travel daily to attend classes.More than 500 girls have graduated from the academyThe school's first graduating group completed its studies in 2012. Since then, the academy has built an alumni community whose members have pursued further education and careers in several fields. Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation reported, 528 girls had graduated by the time of its 2020 impact report.The institution has reported that around 90% of its students go on to college or university. Alumni have attended universities in South Africa, the United States and Europe, including Spelman College, Oxford and Stanford.The school has also developed an alumni network. Established in 2020 and run by former students, the group had approximately 300 members at the time of the foundation's report. Its activities included mentoring, online discussions with speakers and work with non-profit organisations involved in South Africa's Covid-19 response.Oprah Winfrey's South African school faced allegations within its first yearOWLAG's history has not been without difficulties. Within months of its opening in 2007, allegations of abuse were made against a former member of staff by some students. The incident added to scrutiny of an institution that had already attracted debate over its construction costs and facilities. In the years that followed, the academy continued its educational programme, with its stated focus remaining on girls from disadvantaged communities.According to the BBC, there are currently 281 students enrolled at the school, according to the July 2026 announcement. Their education will be affected by the planned transition, although Winfrey's foundation has said that those who have not completed their studies by the time the campus closes will be offered full scholarships at other institutions.The campus will be handed over after the 2027 academic yearWinfrey announced on 30 July 2026 that the academy would stop operating at the end of the 2027 academic year. Under the original arrangement, the campus is due to be transferred to local education authorities at that point. The property will therefore return to the public education system rather than remain under the foundation's management.The announcement also addressed speculation circulating online about the reasons for the decision. A public relations consultant working with the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation rejected suggestions that the closure was linked to mismanagement. The foundation has presented the change as part of a transition from operating a single residential school to supporting talented girls through a wider scholarship programme.The Gauteng provincial education department has said it intends to maintain the institution's legacy once the property is handed over. However, the authorities have not yet announced precisely how the campus will be used after the transfer.Winfrey plans to continue supporting girls through scholarshipsThe end of the academy's residential school programme does not mean that Winfrey is withdrawing from education initiatives in South Africa. Her foundation intends to fund scholarships for academically gifted girls from communities across the country, enabling them to attend leading schools.The proposed approach would move the programme beyond one campus and allow support to reach students studying at different institutions. Girls who are currently enrolled at OWLAG but have yet to graduate will receive scholarship assistance to continue their education elsewhere.In her statement announcing the decision, Winfrey explained that the original ambition had extended beyond constructing a school building. She described the scholarship programme as the next stage of the work she began more than 20 years ago, with an emphasis on reaching young women in different parts of South Africa.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.