Oprah’s South African school for girls to close – here’s why…
· The South African
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) in South Africa will shut its doors next year after two decades of operation. The school itself will be acquired by the Gauteng Department of Education.
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Over 800 learners have graduated from the school, which was established by the American media mogul, in collaboration with the late president Nelson Mandela, to provide quality education and leadership programmes to young, disadvantaged girls.
OPRAH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS TO CLOSE – WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls – established in 2007 – will officially close at the end of the 2027 academic year.
According to the US media mogul, the boarding school will be handed over to the Gauteng Department of Education, as originally agreed.
Students who have not yet passed Matric will have their tuition paid at other top-tier schools until they graduate
OWLAG is a modern, multimillion-rand all-girls boarding school located in Henley-on-Klip, near Meyerton in Gauteng.
Admission was based on the learner’s financially disadvantaged background as well as their ability to demonstrate qualities such as exceptional academic ability, leadership, resilience, integrity, and a commitment to serving others.
Oprah’s commitment to quality girl-child education will continue through an expanded scholarship programme that will be open to learners aross the country
A statement read: “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.”
“The dream that began with one academy will now reach even farther, opening doors for even more young women across South Africa, through scholarships and educational partnerships”.
Oprah herself said: “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.”
LIFE AFTER OWLAG
Oprah Winfrey has boasted that many of the girls who have graduated from OLWAG have become doctors, engineers, lawyers, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators and social activists.
Lindiwe Tsope became the academy’s first graduate to receive a PhD in sociology from Rhodes University. Bongeka Zuma was the dux of the inaugural class and earned a master’s degree from the University of Oxford and her Doctor of Medicine from Stanford University.