Ker & Downey® Africa > Agent Zone > North America Destination Management Company
Breaking news!
Ker & Downey® Africa North America DMC has officially joined forces with Grand Africa Safaris, coming to you, our valued agents, with a whole new range of superior services.
General Manager for Grand Africa Safaris, Zephné Weston, is taking on the role of Business Development Manager at Grand Africa Safaris, working alongside some well-known names in the industry.
This merge brings experts in both Southern and East Africa together, making Grand Africa Safaris your one-stop shop and DMC of choice for creating world-class safari expeditions to Africa.
The journey starts here!
About Ker & Downey® Africa North America DMC
Ker & Downey® Africa North America DMC services luxury travel agencies and boutique tour operators in North America. Based in Cape Town, Florida and California we specialise in Southern African, East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands ground-handling services and are a dedicated team of international travel professionals who live and breathe client service.
As a Super-Luxury Destination Management Company, Ker & Downey® Africa North America DMC strives to introduce Africa to High Net Worth clients.
We deliver the ultimate safari experience to your clients each time they travel by creating unique and life-changing LuxVenture® experiences, ensuring each trip leaves them with the desire to return to Africa.
Our story
In the late 70s, Jeffrey Squire’s passion for Africa set in motion the successful journey of Ker & Downey® Africa. While captaining the Welsh rugby team, Jeff traveled between Wales and South Africa, exposing him to the uniqueness of the country and the potential growth that the African tourism industry had.
The story of his career is iconic, having worked for Orient Express in the early 90s and building their Safari brand (nowadays known as Belmond Safaris), Jeff was headhunted and continued his career working directly with Geoffrey Kent as the head of Southern Africa Operations for Abercrombie & Kent. During this time he managed the opening of the Sanctuary Lodges in Botswana before transferring to their offices in London.
Jeff was determined to return to Africa and founded Thebe Tourism Group in 2002 who purchased the majority shareholding in the Ker & Downey Group in 2003. Having sold his interest in Thebe Tourism Group, Jeff set his focus on building Ker & Downey® Africa into the leading Luxury African DMC it is today.
Our services
01. A Truly Boutique Offering
Ker & Downey® Africa DMC is a small and boutique operation. We only choose to work with the very best and most discerning travel agencies and suppliers. This allows us to tailor our service specifically to the needs of our agent’s clients. It also ensures that our selected partners get the attention to detail they deserve. We typically build partnerships with the top and boutique agents around the globe.
02. White Labelling Service
Ker & Downey® Africa DMC offers an exclusive white labelling service to each of our agents. From printed materials and itineraries, quotes to personal airport greetings, we will make sure that your clients are in touch with your brand throughout each step of their African journey.
03. Personal Travel Butler Consultant
We are far more than a regular DMC team, we will be with our agents and agent’s clients from the very first contact until the end of their experience on the African continent. On the ground we will be in contact with your clients around the clock, almost like an African based arm of your agency, personalizing all details and showing your clients that we really know about their preferences and desires.
04. Creative Itinerary Design
Our team is used to dealing with the highest calibre of clients including prominent politicians, CEOs and the occasional celebrity. The team are constantly seeking out new properties, restaurants and experiences to ensure that they can match the itinerary with your client’s exact tastes, preferences and profile.
05. World Class Training Support
We offer regular customised exclusive training for our agent’s and their team. We have a treasure trove of sales and marketing materials designed to help our agent’s guide their client’s choices in and around Africa.
Why book with us
Meet Zephné – General Manager, Grand Africa Safaris
With an extensive 28-year background in the travel sector, I have had the privilege of growing up in Africa and gaining valuable experience working in various countries such as the UK, USA, Mexico, and Latin America.
Meet the team
Danalee May
Travel Consultant, North America
With over 22 years in the safari industry and 50 countries ticked off her list, Danalee is one of our most experienced travel consultants at Ker & Downey® Africa DMC and is based in California.
Sharleen Smith
Travel Consultant, North America
With 22 years of experience in the travel industry and counting, Sharleen is our on-the-ground travel consultant based in Florida.
Zanél Potgieter
Travel Assistant, North America
With more than 8 years of experience in the travel industry, Zanél is our trusted Travel Assistant at Ker & Downey Africa North America.
Top destinations
We specialise in ground-handling services across Southern and East Africa.
Botswana
With a combination of flood plains, semi-desert bush, saltpans and expansive savannah grasslands, you are guaranteed to encounter a wide range of wildlife in Botswana.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe offers remarkable encounters with both people and wildlife. The cities are vibrant and the parks and reserves take you off-the-beaten-track to discover rugged wilderness.
South Africa
South Africa didn’t become the tourist hotspot of Africa by accident. It literally has it all – world class wildlife encounters, pristine beaches, buzzing cities and epic thrills.
Tanzania
Tanzania is home to the great migration, Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro crater and the Serengeti – proving exactly why this destination is popular globally as a wildlife and safari must see.
Uganda
Uganda is the gorilla trekking destination for the adventurous and fit. Steep climbs and beautiful valleys reward you with incredible mountain gorilla encounters.
Thank you for your interest in our services. To help us tailor-make that exceptional itinerary your clients are dreaming of, please complete the short form below.
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