Five water-holes in the Kuiseb River Canyon, Namib Desert, were monitored over a three month period during the 1977/78 dry season. Apart from the pronounced dominance of Ca(HCO3)2 in the water taken from a gorra (water-hole excavated by animals), the chemical composition of the waters analysed was dominated by NaHCO3 An edaphic origin where the source water had lost its Ca through precipitation of CaCO3 due to a pH shift is suggested. The saline character of the water-holes is partly ascribed to the input of sea salts through mist rain. Keywords: Water chemistry, Kuiseb River Canyon, Namib Desert.