Gauteng’s education leadership says it welcomes the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) as the institution transitions from operating as a single boarding school to running a nationwide scholarship programme. Gauteng MEC Lebogang Maile is cited as praising the change and linking it to the school’s wider impact on girls’ education. He says OWLAG’s legacy shows the value of investing in educating girls, and he frames the expansion as a continuation of that approach at a larger scale. According to the report, the move involves shifting the academy’s model so that opportunities are extended beyond the original boarding-school setting and reach learners across South Africa. The announcement is presented as a “bold new direction,” with Maile expressing support for the transition and its potential to broaden access to education for girls. No additional details on funding, eligibility criteria, timelines, or the number of scholarships were included in the provided source text.