The geology and morphology of the continental shelf between Luderitz and Cape Town are described. The shelf is shown to be a thick sediment wedge constructed mainly during Cretaceous times, with a thin capping of Lower Tertiary, Upper Tertiary and Holocene sediments. Shallow-water sediments dominate the Upper Tertiary succession, and four main facies are identified which are controlled to a great extent by the Lower Tertiary ridge; a topographical high possibly representing secondary features related to basement structures at depth. ?Coniacian, ?Eocene, ?Miocene and ?Pliocene transgressions are recognized.