The Gauteng Education Department has confirmed that it would take over the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG).  

This follows news that after 20 years, the school in Henley on Klip will be closed. 

The school made the announcement in a statement earlier this week, noting that it produced more than 1,000 graduates since it opened in 2007, many of whom have gone on to become doctors, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs and business leaders in South Africa and abroad. 

“The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women. That mission doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education. 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,” said Oprah in the statement.  

The school said the academy’s mission continues, with Oprah instead offering an expanded scholarship programme for young girls in the country. 

“Building on the legacy of OWLAG, the scholarship program will support young women at leading schools throughout South Africa, ensuring that Oprah Winfrey’s investment in girls’ education continues for generations to come,” read the statement.  

The campus will be returned to the Gauteng Education Department after the 2027 academic year, and the department notes that current learners will complete their school years with “uninterrupted academic, financial and personal support”.

“The residential campus of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will conclude its role as the center of the program. The property will be returned to the Gauteng Department of Education in accordance with the original partnership agreement,” said OWLAG.   

Gauteng Education MEC, Lebogang Maile, said on Thursday that the department was grateful for Oprah’s “extraordinary vision, generosity and unwavering commitment to the education of South Africa’s young women”. 

“She has nurtured leaders, expanded opportunities, restored hope and transformed lives. The impact of this investment will continue to resonate across generations and across our nation,” read the department’s statement.