Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which she founded two decades ago to give disadvantaged young women access to a high-quality education, is set to close. The move brings to an end a project that has been closely associated with the US media mogul's philanthropic work and her long-standing connection to South Africa, marking a significant shift in her charitable focus after 20 years of operation.

The school, located near Johannesburg, has educated hundreds of girls from poor backgrounds since it opened, with Winfrey investing tens of millions of dollars of her own money into the institution over the years. Further specifics on the timing of the closure and the reasons behind the decision were not detailed in available reporting.