Oprah Winfrey to close her school for girls in South Africa

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that Oprah Winfrey’s girls’ boarding school in South Africa will close after the 2027 academic year, nearly two decades after it opened. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, located at Henley-on-Klip south of Johannesburg, is expected to be handed back to local education authorities under the original arrangement for the campus.

According to the report, students who are still enrolled and have not completed their studies by the time of closure will be given full scholarships to attend other schools. Winfrey’s foundation says the education work will continue through a broader scholarship programme for academically strong girls from communities across South Africa, rather than through a single campus.

The academy opened in 2007 after Winfrey was inspired by a 2002 meeting with Nelson Mandela. BBC Africa says more than 1,000 girls from underprivileged backgrounds have graduated from the school, which was built at a reported cost of $40m and currently has 281 students. The campus drew early criticism for its luxury facilities, while the school also faced controversy months after opening when a former staff member was accused of abusing students; she was later cleared.

A public relations consultant for the academy foundation denied online speculation that mismanagement was behind the closure. Gauteng’s education department said it intends to preserve and advance the institution’s legacy, though BBC Africa reports that it is not yet known what the campus will be used for once returned to authorities.