For nearly two decades, Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls has stood as one of the most ambitious philanthropic investments in education by a Black woman. Now, the next chapter of that mission will look different.
The media mogul announced Wednesday that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will conclude operations in its current form at the end of the 2027 academic year, transitioning the campus back to the Gauteng provincial government while expanding her investment in girls’ education through a nationwide scholarship initiative.
“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. “That mission doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education.”
According to representatives for Winfrey, the academy will graduate its final two classes before remaining students are placed in top-tier schools across South Africa with their tuition fully covered through graduation. Afterward, Winfrey’s expanded scholarship program is expected to support roughly twice as many girls as the academy model, extending educational opportunities beyond a single residential campus.
The announcement marks the evolution of a vision that began more than 20 years ago. Inspired by conversations with the late Nelson Mandela about expanding educational opportunities in South Africa, Winfrey opened the academy in 2007 with the goal of providing world-class education, leadership development, and holistic support for academically gifted girls from underserved communities. At a time when educational philanthropy often focused on infrastructure or short-term aid, Winfrey’s investment centered Black girls themselves—their leadership potential, confidence, and ability to shape the future.
Over the years, that investment has produced more than 1,000 graduates, many of whom have gone on to universities in South Africa, the United States, and around the world. According to research cited by the academy, nearly all surveyed graduates pursued higher education and reported that their education had a transformative impact not only on their own lives but on their families as well.
The academy’s legacy, however, was not without challenges. Just months after opening, the school became the focus of international attention when a dormitory matron was accused of abusing several students. Winfrey, herself a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, called the incident one of the most devastating experiences of her life, personally apologized to families, dismissed school leadership, and implemented additional safeguards for students. The former employee was later acquitted. In 2009, the academy also suspended several students following allegations of inappropriate sexual misconduct involving classmates, prompting another review of campus policies.
Despite those early setbacks, the academy endured, becoming one of Winfrey’s most enduring philanthropic commitments and a blueprint for what intentional investment in Black girls can accomplish.
“This school is my greatest legacy,” Winfrey told People in 2019. “These girls are my deepest, greatest joy.”
Rather than signaling an end to that legacy, Winfrey says the transition mirrors a desire to expand its reach. By shifting from operating a single boarding school to funding educational opportunities across South Africa, she hopes to remove geographic barriers and support significantly more young women than the academy alone could serve.
Education has long been one of the cornerstones of Winfrey’s philanthropy. From funding schools and scholarships to supporting first-generation college students, her giving has consistently centered the belief that education can change the trajectory of a life. This announcement builds on that, moving the focus from just one institution to a larger investment in young women across South Africa.
“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,” Winfrey said.
