Oprah Winfrey during Oprah Winfrey Celebrates the Opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - January 2, 2007 at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Henley-on-Klip, South Africa. (Photo by Pan Media Agency/FilmMagic)
Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa will close its boarding school after the 2027 academic year as the organization shifts its focus to reaching more young women across the country, according to Oprah Daily.
While the boarding school is set to close, Oprah Daily reported that the organization plans to continue its work through a broader initiative aimed at expanding educational opportunities for young women throughout South Africa.
Dig deeper:
The tuition-free boarding school, founded by Winfrey in partnership with former South African President Nelson Mandela, opened in 2007 to provide educational opportunities for academically talented girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. More than 1,000 students have graduated from the academy, many going on to careers as doctors, lawyers, engineers, executives and entrepreneurs.
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According to Oprah Daily, the residential campus will close at the end of the 2027 school year and be returned to South Africa's Gauteng Department of Education, as outlined in the academy's original partnership agreement. Current students will be allowed to complete their education with uninterrupted academic, financial and other support before the transition is complete.
What they're saying:
"The dream continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education," Winfrey told Oprah Daily. "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 backstory:
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls was created to provide a world-class education to academically talented girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Built at a reported cost of $40 million, the 22-acre boarding school featured state-of-the-art classrooms, science and computer labs, a library and a wellness center, and has educated hundreds of students from across South Africa.
Just months after the academy opened, however, the school was rocked by allegations of abuse involving a staff member. Former school matron Tiny Virginia Makopo was accused of sexually abusing several students, including allegations that she attempted to kiss and inappropriately touch girls. She also faced accusations of assaulting one student and a fellow staff member.
Makopo was acquitted of all charges in 2010. Following the verdict, Winfrey said she was "profoundly disappointed" by the outcome of the trial.
The scandal also led to legal action involving the school's former headmistress, Nomvuyo Mzamane, who filed a defamation lawsuit against Winfrey in the United States.
The lawsuit was settled in 2010 after Mzamane alleged Winfrey had defamed her in comments made following the abuse allegations.
Mzamane maintained she had never been informed of any sexual abuse at the school, while Winfrey's legal team argued that she failed to discipline Makopo despite previous complaints involving students and staff.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes primarily from Oprah Daily, which announced that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will close its boarding school after the 2027 academic year while expanding its educational mission across South Africa. This story was reported from Los Angeles.