Oprah Winfrey school in South Africa goes quiet

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa has gone quiet after the announcement about changes at the school.

On 29 July 2026, Oprah Winfrey announced that, following the completion of the 2027 academic year, the school will give up its campus.

“The residential campus of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will conclude its role as the centre of the programme,” she said.

The property will be returned to the Gauteng Department of Education in accordance with the original partnership agreement.

Although this does not mean the end of the Winfrey programme, the school has gone quiet on its official channels since the announcement.

There have been no new posts on the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls’ Facebook and LinkedIn channels for the past three months.

In the three months before the announcement of the campus change, the academy made 15 posts promoting activities at the institution.

These posts included promoting Mandela Day, its choir and library, and its latest drama production, as well as supporting Child Protection Week.

The school further honoured its teachers through its Teachers’ Awards, and shared photos of its engagement with Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls’ social media pages have always been active, showcasing its activities and promoting the school.

However, after the announcement on 29 July 2026, the institution’s Facebook and LinkedIn channels went silent.

The last post on LinkedIn was on 25 June 2026, and the last post on Facebook, referencing Mandela Day, was on 18 July 2026.

There has been no explanation from the school as to why it has stopped updating its social media channels after the announcement.

Change at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls

The history of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls dates back to December 2000.

At the time, Nelson Mandela and Oprah Winfrey discussed creating an educational path for girls in South Africa.

On 6 December 2002, Winfrey, Mandela, and then Education Minister Kader Asmal broke ground on the future site of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.

Initially a public-private partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education, the Academy became an independent school on 20 August 2006.

Through Winfrey’s personal donations, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation has contributed $40 million toward the Academy’s creation.

The Academy opened its doors in January 2007. Five years later, on January 14, 2012, the Academy held its first graduating class, with 72 students.

2027 marks the Academy’s 20th anniversary, with over 870 girls having graduated from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation.

Next year will also mark the biggest change since its founding. Following the completion of the 2027 academic year, the school will close its campus.

“The residential campus of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will conclude its role as the centre of the program,” Winfrey said.

The property will be returned to the Gauteng Department of Education in accordance with the original partnership agreement.

However, this does not mean that Winfrey is done with the project. It will continue through an expanded scholarship program.

The scholarship program will support young women at leading schools throughout South Africa.

“The dream was never simply to build a school,” said Winfrey. “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.”

She added that every student currently enrolled at the Academy will complete her educational journey with uninterrupted academic and financial support.

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Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls photos

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