A bus crash in South Africa has resulted in at least 45 deaths and one seriously injured person.

The country's Department of Transport on Thursday said a bus crash near Mamatlakala in the northern province of Limpopo has left an eight year old child as the sole survivor.

According to a statement, the ministry alleged that the driver lost control and collided with barriers on the bridge, causing the bus to go over the bridge and hit the ground where it caught fire.

The passenger bus was transporting people from Botswana to Moria, a town in Limpopo.

Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Florence Radzilan at the scene

Rescue operations continued until the late hours of Thursday evening, as some bodies were burned beyond recognition, others trapped inside the debris and scattered on the scene.

The transport secretary confirmed the bus had a Botswana registration number, and a process to confirm the citizenship of the victims will begin after investigators from both South Africa and Botswana have verified their citizenships.