Problems arising from a disparity in viewpoints regarding the surface form of the Tsondab Sandstone Formation, central Namib desert, Namibia, are examined through literature review and field investigation. It is shown that large distal low-angle fans, proposed in what has been termed the Low-Angle Fan Model, are absent or limited to proximal reaches of the study area. The depositional sequence identified in what has been termed the Axial Deposition Model along the Kuiseb River in the northern part of the study area is safely applicable to the rest of the study area. Further, new deposits of the Tsondab Sandstone Formation are identified. The problem of the age of the Namib desert in its fossil and active forms is discussed. The processing of satellite images is used and is shown not to be a viable technique for the identification of sedimentary bodies which are partly mantled by deposits of sediments of a similar nature. Keywords: spatial context, axial deposition model, upper kuiseb river, geomorphology, geology, climatology, history.