Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy to end boarding model after 2027

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) will conclude its residential boarding model after the 2027 academic year as it transitions to an expanded scholarship programme that aims to support even more young women across South Africa.

Announcing the change, Oprah Winfrey said the academy’s next chapter will focus on providing scholarships to talented, disadvantaged girls at leading schools across the country, rather than operating from a single boarding campus.

Residential academy to close after 2027

The Henley on Klip campus will cease operating as a private residential academy in December 2027 and will be handed back to the Gauteng Department of Education, in line with the school’s original partnership agreement.

The transition marks the end of the academy’s boarding model, which has educated young women since opening its doors in 2007.

Current learners will remain fully supported

The academy stressed that every learner currently enrolled at OWLAG will continue receiving uninterrupted financial, academic and personal support until they complete their schooling.

The change will therefore not affect the education or wellbeing of existing students.

New scholarship programme to reach more girls

Rather than supporting learners at a single campus, Oprah Winfrey’s education initiative will now expand into a nationwide scholarship programme.

The new model is expected to double the number of girls receiving academic support by providing scholarships to attend leading schools across South Africa.

A legacy spanning two decades

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls was founded in 2002 after Oprah Winfrey made a commitment to former President Nelson Mandela to help educate South African girls. The academy officially opened in 2007.

Situated on a 52-acre campus in Henley on Klip, the school accommodated just over 300 learners at any one time from Grades 8 to 12 and followed the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) curriculum.

Over the past two decades, more than 1,000 young women have graduated from the academy.

According to a 2024 study, 99% of OWLAG alumnae successfully transitioned into higher education, with graduates pursuing careers as doctors, engineering leaders, corporate executives and entrepreneurs.

A new chapter

Although the residential campus will close after the 2027 academic year, the academy’s mission will continue through its expanded scholarship programme.

The new approach aims to broaden access to quality education for talented young women across South Africa while building on the legacy established by the academy over the past 20 years.

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