Why Oprah Winfrey Is Closing Her Free Girls’ School in South Africa

After nearly 20 years, Oprah Winfrey is closing the doors of her prestigious girls’ school in South Africa but she says the mission behind it is far from over.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG), which opened in 2007 in Henley-on-Klip, Gauteng, will complete its final academic year in 2027. The campus will then be handed over to the Gauteng Department of Education, as originally provided for in the partnership agreement.

According to Winfrey, the decision is not about ending her commitment to education. Instead, she wants to expand the model beyond one campus. Rather than continuing to operate a single residential school, her organisation plans to establish an expanded national scholarship programmesupporting academically gifted young women at leading schools across South Africa. The new model is expected to give twice as many girls access to educational opportunities.

OWLAG was born from conversations between Oprah and former South African President Nelson Mandela about the transformative power of educating girls. Since opening, the school has produced graduates who have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, entrepreneurs and executives, with many pursuing higher education in South Africa and abroad. 

Those enrolled will be able to complete their education with continued financial and academic assistance. Students who cannot finish at OWLAG before the transition will receive support to attend other leading schools, with Winfrey committing to cover their tuition through graduation. After 2027, the Gauteng government will take control of the campus and says it intends to preserve the institution’s legacy of academic excellence.

For almost two decades, OWLAG represented Oprah’s personal investment in transforming the lives of disadvantaged South African girls. Now, she is betting that the same investment can have an even greater impact if it is distributed nationally. The school may be closing, but Oprah’s investment in girls’ education is not ending.

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