Oprah Winfrey Says She’s Ending Her South Africa Girls’ Academy to ‘Reach More Young Women’ with Scholarships
Yahoo News New Zealand • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Oprah Winfrey announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy of Girls in South Africa will close after 2027, with operations transitioning to local provincial government control.
- The academy will graduate two more classes, and remaining students will have their tuition fully paid by Winfrey to attend other top-tier schools until graduation.
- Winfrey will shift focus to an expanded scholarship program aimed at doubling the number of girls receiving educational opportunities across South Africa.
- Since its opening in 2007, the academy has graduated over 1,000 girls, primarily from disadvantaged communities, with most alumni pursuing higher education and positively impacting their families.
- Despite early controversies, the school became a significant legacy for Winfrey, who has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the project and continues to emphasize education as a transformative tool for young women.
