A New Chapter Begins for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy For Girls

From OWLAG

July 29, 2026

Oprah Winfrey Expands Scholarship Program To Build On The Success of The Past Two Decades, Ensuring Girls’ Education Continues For Generations To Come

Johannesburg, South Africa — Twenty years ago, inspired by conversations with President Nelson Mandela, philanthropist and global media leader Oprah Winfrey set out to prove a simple but powerful idea: that educating a girl has the power to transform families, communities and ultimately a nation. Today, after two decades of extraordinary impact, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) announced the next evolution of that vision.

OWLAG’s purpose was to prove what could be achieved when academically gifted girls were given every resource needed to succeed. After two decades and over 1000 graduates later, that vision has been realised. The Academy’s next chapter is rooted in the same belief that inspired its founding.

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

The Academy’s mission continues. Oprah Winfrey’s commitment to educating South Africa’s young women will move forward through an expanded scholarship program that will provide educational opportunities for academically talented girls from communities across 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.

Since opening its doors in 2007, the Academy has welcomed girls from disadvantaged communities across South Africa, equipping them with an education grounded not only in academic excellence, but also in leadership, confidence, compassion and purpose. The impact has been profound. An independent study commissioned in 2024 found that 99 percent of surveyed graduates went on to higher education, nearly nine in ten said OWLAG gave them opportunities they would never otherwise have had, and 94 percent reported that their education positively transformed their families. Today, OWLAG alumnae are serving as doctors, educators, engineers, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, business leaders and changemakers across South Africa and around the world.

Following the completion of the 2027 academic year, 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.

The Gauteng MEC for Education, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Lebogang Maile, expressed his sincere appreciation to Ms Oprah Winfrey for her extraordinary contribution to education in the Gauteng province, South Africa, through the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls located in the South of Johannesburg. Through the transition of the Academy’s assets to the Gauteng Department of Education, the Department will ensure that the Academy’s legacy of academic excellence, leadership development, and the creation of opportunities through education continues to benefit future generations of learners. The MEC commended Ms Winfrey for her commitment, compassion and investment in the education of young South African girls, noting that her impact extends far beyond the walls of the academy and will be remembered for years to come.

Every student currently enrolled at OWLAG will complete her educational journey with uninterrupted academic, financial and personal support. Throughout the transition, the Academy will continue its commitment to the holistic development of every student and to its growing network of alumnae through mentorship, leadership development and higher education support.

Nico Olwagen, FleishmanHillard South Africa