The Cape Cobras captain made 101 (224 balls, 9 fours) to take the tourists to 455/6 declared, with the hosts then replying with 107/1 in the 45 overs they faced in reply.
Ramela’s eighth career first-class ton was all about patience as it took nearly five and a half hours to amass.
Contrastingly, there was an excellent lower-order blitz by allrounder Dwaine Pretorius, who fell 11 short of a century after smashing 89 (83 balls, 10 fours, 4 sixes).
Ramela and Pretorius put on 125 for the sixth wicket, with the latter falling to the pick of the bowlers, Shingirai Masakadza (3/83).
The two other wickets to fall in the South African innings on day two were that of test duo Stiaan van Zyl for 73 (183 balls, 5 fours) and Dane Vilas (1).
