Oprah Winfrey closes her elite school for girls
The school has had controversies, sparking rumours about the real reason for its closure.
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has announced that the school for girls she founded in South Africa almost 20 years will close at the end of the 2027 academic year.
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy is on a property near Johannesburg, and was always intended is to be handed over to local education authorities as per the original agreement.
Students enrolled at the OWLAG who will not have graduated when it closes will be offered full scholarships elsewhere.
Winfrey, 72, was inspired to build the school after meeting with former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandella. She initially invested more than $US100m to found the academy.
The leading media trade publication in Australia.
Get our top stories straight to your inbox daily by signing up to our Newsletter
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.
Oprah's school for girls controversies
OWLAG has 1000 graduates from under-privileged backgrounds, but it has seen some controversies, “sparking rumours about the reason for its closure”, the BBC reports.
A PR consultant from OWLAG has now denied online speculation it was closing because of mismanagement.
When the school opened in 2007, it was criticised for its lavish campus - it reportedly had two theatres, a yoga studio and a beauty salon.
Critics questioned whether the money spent on it could have been better used to help more students around the country.
Then months after the OWLAG opened, some students accused a former staff member of abuse. She was later cleared on all charges.
Oprah to continue scholarships for girls
Winfrey intends to fund scholarships for academically talented girls to attend leading schools.
"The dream was never simply to build a school," Winfrey said in a statement.
"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.”
More from Mediaweek
The leading media trade publication in Australia.
Get our top stories straight to your inbox daily by signing up to our Newsletter
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.
