Information on Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa

Bellville is part of the Cape Town metropolitan area. Originally called 12 Mile Stone, since it is located 12 miles from Cape Town city centre. It was originally founded as a railway station on the line between Cape Town to Strand and Stellenbosch. It was renamed Bellville in 1861, after the surveyor general Charles Bell.

Bellville is located in the northern suburbs. It is very centrally situated close to the airport, shopping complexes, various golf courses and wine routes.

The Karl Bremer Hospital functioned as the Academic Hospital for the University of Stellenbosch Medical School and the new Tygerberg Hospital now houses the medical school. The University of the Western Cape is also situated in Bellville.

Situated in Bellville, the Tyger Valley shopping centre is a sprawling mall with a huge variety of shops, boutiques and recreational facilities. The High Street shopping complex is situated just off Durban Road. Adjacent to Durban Road lies Edward Street, filled with popular nightclubs, bars and restaurants catering generally for nightlife entertainment.

The Mayibuye Centre, which houses a collection of material from South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, is worth a visit because most of the collection pieces were originally banned. The multi-purpose Bellville Velodrome is located in the Tyger Valley area of Bellville.