Oprah Winfrey Academy in South Africa to Close in 2027, Expand Scholarships
Oprah Winfrey announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Henley‑on‑Klip, South Africa, will end operations in its current form at the conclusion of the 2027 academic year. The Gauteng Department of Education will assume ownership of the campus after the transition.
Since its founding in 2007 after discussions between Oprah Winfrey and the late Nelson Mandela, the academy has graduated more than 1,000 academically gifted girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. Oprah has personally invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the school.
The new plan will graduate two final classes before hand‑over. Remaining students will be funded to attend other top‑tier schools with tuition fully covered through graduation, and the scholarship model is expected to roughly double the number of girls served across South Africa.
Entities: Gauteng Department of Education · Nelson Mandela · Oprah Winfrey · Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls · South Africa
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Oprah Winfrey has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the academy. (b6b3e523-b035-4de9-b840-22d827d98b17, d303cf85-a2ed-4182-bfc8-4b4fcf3ec856)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The academy was founded in 2007 after conversations between Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela. (f6ce164a-37af-40da-a12c-40748f0fa6f9)
- [● 11 SOURCES] The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will end operations in its current form at the close of 2027. (b6b3e523-b035-4de9-b840-22d827d98b17, d303cf85-a2ed-4182-bfc8-4b4fcf3ec856)
- [● 11 SOURCES] Since opening in 2007, the academy has graduated more than 1,000 students. (b6b3e523-b035-4de9-b840-22d827d98b17, d303cf85-a2ed-4182-bfc8-4b4fcf3ec856, f6ce164a-37af-40da-a12c-40748f0fa6f9)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The new scholarship model will roughly double the number of girls served. (b6b3e523-b035-4de9-b840-22d827d98b17, d303cf85-a2ed-4182-bfc8-4b4fcf3ec856)
- [● 11 SOURCES] Remaining students will be placed in other top‑tier schools with tuition fully covered through graduation. (b6b3e523-b035-4de9-b840-22d827d98b17, d303cf85-a2ed-4182-bfc8-4b4fcf3ec856)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Oprah Winfrey said the dream was never simply to build a school but to invest in the limitless potential of young women. (b6b3e523-b035-4de9-b840-22d827d98b17, d303cf85-a2ed-4182-bfc8-4b4fcf3ec856)
- [● 9 SOURCES] The Gauteng Department of Education will take over the campus after 2027. (f6ce164a-37af-40da-a12c-40748f0fa6f9)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The academy will graduate two more classes before the transition in 2027.