After nearly two decades of transforming the lives of young South African women, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Henley-on-Klip, Gauteng, will close its doors as a residential boarding school at the end of the 2027 academic year.

The iconic institution, which has educated more than 1 000 academically gifted learners from disadvantaged communities since 2007, will transition to an expanded nationwide scholarship programme that aims to double the number of young women receiving full educational funding across South Africa.

American media mogul Oprah Winfrey announced the transformation this week, marking a significant shift in her educational investment in the country. The residential campus will be transferred to the Gauteng Department of Education in accordance with the original partnership agreement established when the school opened.

Under the new model, the academy will move away from its single-campus approach to support academically talented young women at top-tier schools throughout South Africa. All current students will be allowed to complete their education under existing arrangements, with remaining lower-grade students transitioning to leading South African schools with tuition fully covered through graduation.

A legacy of excellence

Since opening in 2007, the academy has established itself as a beacon of academic achievement. The class of 2025, known as the “Zenith” class, maintained the institution’s track record by achieving a 100% bachelor’s degree pass rate. All 44 candidates qualified for university entrance, with the cohort recording an average pass rate of 76%. Notably, 43% of exams were passed with marks above 80%, and 94% exceeded 60%.

The 2025 cohort had an unconventional journey, with learners entering the academy in stages during 2022 and 2023 rather than the traditional grade eight entry point, navigating educational disruptions in their earlier years.

The academy has focused on academic excellence, leadership, integrity, compassion and purpose throughout its operation. Beyond traditional education, the institution has pioneered a trauma-informed education model that addresses the impacts of poverty and adverse childhood experiences. This approach, which includes training in neurosequential models and regulation techniques, has been shared with government departments and other schools.

Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Lebogang Maile welcomed the announcement, expressing profound gratitude to Winfrey for her extraordinary vision and commitment to South African education.

“Through this academy, she has not merely built a school, she has nurtured leaders, expanded opportunities, restored hope and transformed lives,” Maile said in a statement. “The impact of this investment will continue to resonate across generations and across our nation.”

The Gauteng Department of Education has committed to preserving and advancing the academy’s legacy of academic excellence and ethical leadership once the campus transfer is complete. Administrative processes relating to the transition remain underway and will continue to ensure an orderly transfer of the academy’s assets and facilities.

Winfrey’s organisation will continue its active role in the community and support the graduation of the final two senior classes through late 2027.

The transformation from a single residential campus to a nationwide scholarship programme represents an evolution of Winfrey’s commitment to girls’ education in South Africa, extending the reach of her investment to more communities while preserving the enduring legacy of the academy.

The academy’s closure as a residential school follows years of managing selective admissions. Nominations for the 2027 academic year closed in March this year, before the transition announcement was made.