Bellville Tourism Information

Quick Facts: Bellville

• The suburb of Bellville used to be a city in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
• Today, the residential suburb of Belville is part of the greater Cape Town metropolitan area
• Belville falls within the area of the City of Cape Town municipality
• Belville was originally called "12 Mile Stone" due to its distance of 12 miles from the Cape Town city centre
• It was founded as a railway station on the line from Cape Town to Stellenbosch and Strand
• In 1861, this South African town was renamed Bellville, after the surveyor general Charles Bell
• Situated in the northern suburbs of the greater Cape Town area
• Karl Bremer Hospital functioned as the Academic Hospital for the University of Stellenbosch Medical School
• Tygerberg Hospital now houses the medical school
• University of the Western Cape
• Tyger Valley shopping centre
• Willowbridge open air shopping centre
• Willowbridge Slow Market
• High Street shopping complex
• Edward Street
• The Mayibuye Centre
• Bellville Velodrome

Distance to Airport: 11 km

Distance to City: 25 km

Introducing Bellville

The suburb of Bellville used to be a city in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.  Today, the residential suburb of Belville is part of the greater Cape Town metropolitan area.  Belville falls within the area of the City of Cape Town municipality.

Originally called "12 Mile Stone" due to its distance of 12 miles from the Cape Town city centre,  Belville was originally founded as a railway station on the line from Cape Town to Stellenbosch and Strand. In 1861, this South African town was renamed Bellville, after the surveyor general Charles Bell.

The city of Belville is situated in the northern suburbs of the greater Cape Town area.  The Cape Town International Airport, various golf courses, wine routes and shopping complexes can easily been reached from Belville. 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.

Set in Bellville, the Tyger Valley shopping centre is an exciting shopping and entertainment mall with a vast variety of shops, boutiques and recreational facilities.   Opposite Tyger Valley lies the Willowbridge open air shopping centre, which features the Willowbridge Slow Market every Saturday. 

The High Street shopping complex is situated just off Durban Road.  Adjacent to Durban Road lies Edward Street, a service road 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.  Opposite the Velodrome is Africa's first toboggan track, Cool Runnings.