When media mogul Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance at the Premier Hotel in Ekurhuleni, South Africa last week, she took the opportunity to talk about her Christian faith and how her religious views were shaped as she was growing up.

Winfrey was the special guest of U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard during the DREAMS initiative event, according to The Christian Post. The DREAMS programme stands for Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe. It is an initiative of the U.S. government to empower young women in the 10 sub-Saharan African countries to remain free from AIDS as they pursue their dreams and career goals.

Winfrey shared her story to the young girls who were in attendance. Despite her success in her careers, Winfrey said she struggled with poverty as well as physical and emotional abuse in her early years. Through it all, she said it was God who remained her best friend, constant companion, and protector.

Without Him, Winfrey said she would be nothing. "I grew up in the church. My grandmother led me to the sense of God and made me believe there was a greater force than me," Winfrey said, according to South Africa's Channel24. "I grew up believing that God was my father and Jesus was my brother, which meant I could do anything in life."

Winfrey urged women never to give up on their dreams and values no matter what hardships and issues they may face in life, such as sexism. She added that they should always have something bigger than themselves to lean on throughout life's trials. For her, that will always be God.

"In life you cannot trust yourself only. There must be some higher force you trust in, be it God, the community or an organisation, because you cannot be successful on your own," she said. "What you do today and where you see yourself is what matters. You need to know what kind of woman you want to be and where you want to be, not just in terms of profession, but in life."