Oprah Winfrey Expands OWLAG Scholarship Programme to Reach More SA Girls Nationwide
- The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls is moving away from its single boarding school model at the end of 2027
- The foundation plans to fund nearly twice as many girls by placing them in top schools across South Africa
- The physical campus in Henley-on-Klip will be handed over to the Gauteng Department of Education
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The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) is entering a bold new chapter. As previously reported on by Briefly News, the foundation announced it will close its residential campus in Henley-on-Klip, Gauteng, at the end of the 2027 academic year and shift to a nationwide scholarship model that could benefit far more young women across South Africa.
Rather than concentrating its resources on a single boarding school, OWLAG will fund the education of academically gifted girls at leading schools throughout the country. According to a Business Tech report, the new model is expected to reach roughly twice the number of students the campus currently serves, extending the programme's reach beyond Gauteng for the first time.
A campus with deep roots
The academy's story began with a conversation. In 2000, Oprah Winfrey and former President Nelson Mandela discussed the need to invest in the potential of South African girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school opened its doors in 2007 and has since produced over 1,000 graduates, with 99% going on to pursue higher education.
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When the campus closes at the end of 2027, the property and its assets will be transferred to the Gauteng Department of Education in line with the original founding agreement. Gauteng MEC for Education Lebogang Maile welcomed the handover, acknowledging Oprah Winfrey's nearly two decades of commitment to the country's youth. He confirmed that the department would work to preserve the site's educational legacy for future generations of learners.
No student left behind
OWLAG was clear that the transition will not disrupt the journeys of girls currently enrolled. Every student will continue to receive full academic, financial, and personal support through to their graduation, regardless of the institutional changes taking place around them.
The shift from a campus to a scholarship network marks a significant evolution in how one of South Africa's most celebrated educational institutions plans to serve the next generation of young women.
Source: Getty Images
More on scholarships and study opportunities
- Briefly News recently reported on a Botswana student sharing how to find and apply for fully funded scholarships to study in China, covering both undergraduate and postgraduate options.
- A UKZN graduate with the highest average in his class landed a place at Oxford after leaving medicine behind, inspiring South Africans online.
- A first-year Oxford PhD candidate revealed how she secured over R3 million in postgraduate funding through one of the world's most competitive scholarships.
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Source: Briefly News
