Ramatlabama is a village and railway station 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Mafikeng

Mafikeng

Mahikeng – formerly legally, but still commonly known as Mafikeng – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It is best known internationally for the Siege of Mafeking, the most famous engagement of the Second Boer War.Located on South Africa's border with Botswana, it is ...

, in the North West

North West (South African province)

North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mafikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng.-History:...

 province of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. It is located on the border with Botswana

Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

, and serves as a border post for road and rail traffic. At the time of the 2001 census

South African National Census of 2001

The South African National Census of 2001 is the most recent national census of South Africa.The census was undertaken by Statistics South Africa and undertook to enumerate every person present in South Africa on the census night, 9–10 October 2001. The enumeration primarily took place from 10 to...

, Ramatlabama along with the adjoining settlement of Miga had a total population of 1,892.

Ramatlabama is the southern end of Botswana's A1 highway

A1 highway (Botswana)

The A1 highway in Botswana is a road connecting Ramokgwebana , passing through Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana, then Ramatlabama at the border with South Africa and continuing as the South African N18 to Mafikeng....

 and the northern end of South Africa's N18

N18 (South Africa)

The N18 is a South African National Route, running from Warrenton in the Northern Cape to the border with Botswana at Ramatlabama. It passes through Vryburg and Mafikeng.-External links:*...

. It is also the location where the Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

–Bulawayo

Bulawayo

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...

 railway line enters Botswana; north of Ramatlabama the railway is the main line of Botswana Railways

Botswana Railways

Botswana Railways is the national railway of Botswana.-History:BR was created in 1987 when the government of Botswana bought out the Botswana-based sections of the National Railways of Zimbabwe . NRZ had been initially operating the rail system after Botswana had gained independence.Management of...

, while to the south it is part of the network of Transnet Freight Rail.