Ratlou Local Municipality lies in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District of North West province, on the Botswana border. The 2022 census counted 128,766 people across 4,883.6 km², up from 107,339 in 2011. The seat is Setlagole.
Ratlou is one of five local municipalities in Ngaka Modiri Molema District and the smallest by population, though not by area. Its villages sit inland from the tarred N18, spread across flat, thornveld farmland with few formal towns.
Towns and Villages in Ratlou
Ratlou is almost entirely rural, with no town large enough to register a separate census population figure in the settlement data. The main places are:
| Place | Note |
|---|---|
| Setlagole | Municipal seat |
| Mareetsane | Main village, western Ratlou |
| Madibogo | Main village |
| Kraaipan | Village on the N18 |
| Tshidilamolomo | Border village near Botswana |
Other named places recorded across the municipality:
- Bathobatho
- Botshabelo
- Disaneng
- Freedom
- Ga-Ralebelwane
- Heathview
- Jonkersrus
- Keeley’s Ranch
- Kgwedimopitlo
- Kwidi
- Letsapa
- Logagane
- Logaging
- Madibogo Pan
- Mahukubung
- Maipeng
- Makgakgane
- Makgobis Stadt
- Makgori
- Masamane
- Masibi
- Matloding
- Mohuti
- Mokobisi
- Morokwa
- Motlhokaditse
- Phiring
- Phitshane
- Ramabesa
- Sasane
- Shaleng
- Steilnek
- Thepe
- Thultwane
- Tlhakajeng
Geography
Ratlou sits in the far north of Ngaka Modiri Molema District, bordering Botswana across an open, unfenced stretch of savanna. It shares district boundaries with Tswaing, Mahikeng, Ditsobotla and Ramotshere Moiloa local municipalities. The terrain is flat bushveld, part of the wider Kalahari thornveld region, with a population density of about 26 people per km².
No settlement in Ratlou has been formally proclaimed a town — every place listed here is a rural village or ward, some grouped into larger census “main places” such as Barolong Boo Ratlou Ba Ga Phoi, which combines Setlagole with several surrounding villages and counted over 71,000 residents at the 2011 census. This pattern — administrative seat as a village rather than a town — is typical of the former Bophuthatswana homeland areas that make up most of Ratlou.
Demographics
The population grew from 107,339 in the 2011 census to 128,766 in the 2022 census, a gain of roughly 20%, one of the faster growth rates in the district. Tswana is the first language of about 88% of residents. The municipality remains almost entirely Black African (over 99%) and rural, with households spread across dozens of small villages rather than concentrated in a single centre.
Household services in Ratlou lag behind the more urbanised municipalities in the district — piped water, sanitation and electricity access are more limited in the smaller, more remote villages near the Botswana border than around Setlagole and Mareetsane.
Economy and Local Life
Ratlou’s economy runs on subsistence and small-scale commercial farming — maize, sorghum and cattle — supplemented by public-sector employment and small trading in the larger villages. There is no significant mining or industry within the municipality, and most working residents commute to Mahikeng or work in agriculture and municipal services locally.
Getting There
The N18 runs through Ratlou, linking Mahikeng to Vryburg via Kraaipan. Setlagole is about 60 km south of Mahikeng, the nearest city and the location of the closest airport, Mahikeng Airport. Gravel roads connect the more remote northern villages to the tarred N18 corridor.
FAQ
What is the seat of Ratlou Local Municipality?
Setlagole.
What is the population of Ratlou?
128,766 people at the 2022 census, up from 107,339 in 2011.
Which district is Ratlou in?
Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, North West province.
What language do most people speak in Ratlou?
Tswana, spoken by about 88% of residents.
How big is Ratlou Local Municipality?
4,883.6 km².
Which municipalities border Ratlou?
Tswaing, Mahikeng, Ditsobotla and Ramotshere Moiloa, all within Ngaka Modiri Molema District.
Is Ratlou urban or rural?
Almost entirely rural — no place in the municipality has been formally proclaimed a town.