Information on Melville, Gauteng, South Africa

Melville is a suburb of Johannesburg in Gauteng. Many restaurants and bars are located here, which are mostly frequented by students from the nearby University of the Witwatersrand, located in Braamfontein and the University of Johannesburg, located in Auckland Park.

The suburb was proclaimed in 1896 and is named after the land surveyor, Edward Harker Vincent Melvill. In the public sale notice, the suburb was described as "picturesque and healthy spot in the vicinity of Johannesburg with a magnificent view of the wooded country to the north with the blue Pretoria ranges stretching like lines of steel against the horizon."

The area, along with Greenside and Parkhurst is one of the few areas of the northern suburbs to have restaurants, shops and cafes lining the streets rather than enclosed shopping centres. The majority of which are located along 7th Street, although there are a few new nightclubs and restaurants on Main Street. There are over 30 guest houses in the vicinity and is a popular stopover in Johannesburg for tourists. On 7th Street, there are several restaurants and bars and the Street is a popular hangout for the cosmopolitan crowd. Melville is also well known for the Melville Koppies, an archeological site, with rolling hills of grassland with views over the city, and is near the historic suburb of Sophiatown.