Oprah Winfrey will wind down her renowned girls' school in South Africa by the end of 2027, marking the end of an era for the institution she founded nearly two decades ago.
The media mogul announced on Wednesday, July 29, that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will transition away from its current model as she shifts her focus to a nationwide scholarship programme aimed at reaching more young women across South Africa.
"The dream was never simply to build a school. It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women," Winfrey, 72, said in a statement.
She explained that the academy's mission has always been about expanding educational opportunities for girls, rather than being tied to a single campus.
A representative for Winfrey confirmed that the school's facilities will remain in use after the transition, with the provincial government taking over management of the campus.
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The academy will graduate two more classes before the handover. Students still enrolled at the time will transfer to leading schools, with Winfrey covering their tuition until they complete their education.
"My mission doesn't end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education," Winfrey said.
She added that the new chapter would allow the initiative to support even more young women.
"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," she said.
According to her representative, the scholarship programme will launch after the current students graduate and is expected to benefit twice as many girls as the academy's existing model.
"That is the core of the decision to shift to this new model after seeing the success of the students the past 20 years," the representative said.
The academy, which opened in 2007, has produced more than 1,000 graduates. While it faced early controversy over abuse allegations involving a former staff member who was later acquitted, the school continued its mission of educating academically gifted girls from disadvantaged communities across South Africa.
Winfrey invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the institution, which has become one of her most significant philanthropic projects. A study cited in a news release found that nearly all surveyed graduates went on to pursue higher education and said their education had improved the lives of their families.
"This school is my greatest legacy," Winfrey told PEOPLE in 2019. "These girls are my deepest, greatest joy."