Bellville, Western Cape

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Bellville is a city in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Originally called "12 Mile Stone" (Afr: "12-Myl-Pos"), since it is located 20 km (12 miles) from Cape Town city centre, it was originally founded as a railway station on the line coming from Cape Town to Stellenbosch and Strand. In 1861 it was renamed Bellville, after the surveyor general Charles Bell. The city is located in the northern suburbs of the greater Cape Town area. It is very central, situated close to the airport, various golf courses, wine routes and shopping complexes. 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 situated in Bellville too.

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 just off Durban Road has its own theatre. 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.