Oprah Winfrey hands over her South African educational academy to the government after a $40 million investment.

Written by Amna Hassan

In a move reflecting a shift in her strategy to support education, American media personality and billionaire Oprah Winfrey announced that she will transfer ownership and management of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South AfricanTo the government, by the end of the 2027 academic year, nearly two decades after the project was launched with an investment of approximately $40 million.

Transfer of administration to the government

According to the new plan, the Gauteng Department of Education will manage the school campus, while the school will continue to operate as a government educational institution, within the framework of the partnership established since the academy’s founding between the Winfrey Foundation and the South African authorities.

The decision comes at a time when the Oprah Winfrey Foundation is moving to restructure its educational initiatives, abandoning its single-school boarding school model and focusing instead on funding scholarship programs for academically outstanding girls across South Africa.

Educational opportunities for a larger number of female students

The foundation affirms that the new model will allow for doubling the number of beneficiaries compared to the current system, as female students will be able to enroll in leading schools across the country with financial support from the foundation, instead of being limited to studying within the academy's campus.

Oprah Winfrey said in a statement: “My dream was not just to build a school, but to invest in the limitless potential of young women, and that dream will continue by supporting more girls through education.”

An educational legacy spanning over a thousand graduates

The academy was opened in January 2007 following consultations between Winfrey and the late South African President Nelson Mandela, and currently has 322 students from grades 8 to 12, in addition to 33 teachers.

Since the graduation of the first batch in 2011, the academy has graduated more than 1,000 female students, while the institution confirmed that it will cover the fees of female students who will not be able to complete their studies within the academy until they graduate from alternative educational institutions.

A shift in the strategy of charitable work

The decision represents a shift from a high-cost, single-campus educational model to a more inclusive scholarship program aimed at expanding educational opportunities and access for a greater number of talented girls.

While the handover of the academy to the government raises questions about the sustainability of its operation, the Winfrey Foundation affirms that its core mission will remain investing in education as a tool to empower future generations.