Bellville | |
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Bellville CBD with Kogelberg Mountains and False Bay in distance
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Bellville shown within Western Cape | |
Coordinates: 33°54′00″S 18°38′00″E / 33.90000°S 18.63333°ECoordinates: 33°54′00″S 18°38′00″E / 33.90000°S 18.63333°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Western Cape |
Municipality | City of Cape Town |
Established | 1861 |
Area | |
• Total | 52.39 km2 (20.23 sq mi) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 112,507 |
• Density | 2,100/km2 (5,600/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 15.7% |
• Coloured | 29.4% |
• Indian/Asian | 1.5% |
• White | 50.3% |
• Other | 3.1% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Afrikaans | 65.4% |
• English | 25.2% |
• Xhosa | 2.5% |
• Other | 7.0% |
Postal code (street) | 7530 |
PO box | 7535 |
Area code | 021 |
Bellville is a city in the greater Cape Town metropolitan area in South Africa. It falls within the area of the City of Cape Town municipality.
It was founded as "12 Mile Post" (Afrikaans: "12-Myl-Pos") because it is located 12 miles (20 km) from Cape Town city centre. It was founded as a railway station on the line from Cape Town to Stellenbosch and Strand. In 1861 it was renamed Bellville, after the surveyor general Charles Bell.
The Karl Bremer Hospital functioned as the Academic Hospital for the University of Stellenbosch Medical School, but now the adjacent Tygerberg Hospital houses the medical school. The Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the University of the Western Cape are also situated in Bellville. D.F. Malan High School and Bellville High School are located in the area.
The multi-purpose Bellville Velodrome is located in the Tyger Valley area of Bellville. The Bellville Velodrome has the only indoor cycling track in South Africa and is also the annual host of the MTBS athletics competition.
In May 2007, Meg Ryan and William H. Macy completed the last day of principal photography for their new movie, The Deal, at the Bellville Civic Centre.