Mission and History

Our Mission

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - South Africa supports the development of a new generation of women leaders who, by virtue of their education and leadership, will lead the charge to positively transform themselves, their communities and the larger world around them.

To accomplish this goal, the Academy provides a rigorous and supportive educational environment for academically talented girls who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Academy strives to equip its learners with the intellectual and social skills necessary to assume positions of leadership in South African society and beyond.

Our History

During a December 2000 visit with Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey pledged to build a school for girls in South Africa. Two years later, on 6 December 2002, Mr. Mandela and then Minister of Education Professor Kader Asmal joined Ms. Winfrey to break ground on the site of the Academy, located in Henley on Klip in Gauteng province.

On 2 January 2007, the Academy officially opened with 7th and 8th grade girls. The Academy will grow by one grade each year until it reaches full capacity in 2011, with approximately 450 girls in grades 7 through 12.

Through personal donations by Ms. Winfrey, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation contributed more than US$40 million toward the Academy's creation. The Foundation will continue to operate the school and its boarding facilities. The Foundation is a Section 21A company registered in South Africa, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and a US 501(c)(3).