Oprah Winfrey has revealed that the girls' school she established in South Africa will be closing its doors after nearly two decades. 'The dream was never simply to build a school,' Winfrey declared. The seeds of Winfrey's plans to start a school for girls began with a December 2000 visit with former South African president Nelson Mandela, who died in 2013. 'The dream was never simply to build a school,' Winfrey declared. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education,' Winfrey continued.