Ker & Downey® Africa France DMC

Your trusted luxury Africa travel partner

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Ker & Downey® AfricaAgent Zone > France Destination Management Company EN

About Ker & Downey® Africa France DMC

Ker & Downey® Africa France DMC services luxury agencies and boutique tour operators in France. Based in Cape Town, our French team offers the highest standard of service to our agents and their valued clients and is led by General Manger Cynthia Deneux. 

As a Super-Luxury Destination Management Company, Ker & Downey® Africa France DMC strives to introduce Africa to High Net Worth Clients. We specialise in Southern African and East Africa ground-handling services and deliver bespoke itineraries to our agents and their 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 France 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 your clients. It also ensures that our selected partners get the attention to detail they deserve. 

02. White Label Solution

Ker & Downey® Africa France 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

Everything we do is tailor-made and personalised according to your client’s profile and expectations. We have a proven formula for success which involves a very detailed conversation at the outset about your clients and what they really want to see and experience during the trip, so we can come up with a unique and life-changing itinerary that fits their profile and delivers a 10/10 experience for you and your client. We are an independent DMC, so we can combine and offer different brands on the same trip, always looking for what’s best for your clients profile.

05. World Class Training Support

We offer regular customised exclusive training for our agents and their team. We have a treasure trove of sales and marketing materials designed to help our agents guide their clients’ choices in and around Africa.

Why book with us

Competitive Rates

Having our headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa and Arusha, Tanzania gives us access to preferential local rates that will give our agents a competitive pricing edge.

Proudly Independent

Ker & Downey® Africa DMC does not own any properties of its own (we are not affiliated with Ker & Downey Botswana or Ker & Downey Houston). We are free to choose the very best options each and every time for your clients without any pressure to direct bed-nights to properties that might not be the right fit.

Existing Client Base

Ker & Downey Africa® DMC has an impressive list of existing clients. Some of the very best names in the industry trust Ker & Downey® Africa DMC with their high-end clients from Germany, Brazil (Matueté, Selections, Latitudes) and USA (The Chartered Path, Smartflyer) among others.

Professional Local French Speaking Guide

Ker & Downey Africa® France DMC has qualified local French speaking guides that will cater to your client’s ever need when they travel to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Tanzania. 

We Respect our Agent’s Client’s Data

Ker & Downey® Africa will protect your clients’ data. We will never market directly to your clients. Instead, we will introduce ourselves as part of your company in Africa, and any material delivered to the clients during their time in Africa will have your logo and not ours. We respect the value chain.

Meet Cynthia, General Manager, France

The General Manager of Ker & Downey® Africa France DMC, Cynthia Deneux has worked in the travel industry for almost a decade and brings invaluable knowledge and expertise to our French DMC. Before joining the luxury travel industry, Cynthia received a masters degree in tourism and communication in France. Cynthia’s experience in both sales and product gives her a unique insight into the needs of boutique French tour operators and the demands of their valuable clients. Her attention to detail and first-hand expertise in African destinations stand her in good stead as she starts her journey to develop and grow the French market at Ker & Downey Africa. 

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Top destinations

We specialise in ground-handling services across Southern and East Africa.

botswana okavango delta

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.

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south africa cape town

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.

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hot air balloon tanzania aerial view

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.

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rwanda infant gorilla

Rwanda

The 3 major national parks of Rwanda offer up an incredible diversity of potential wildlife encounters, from the big game on safari to the 13 species of primates in the forests.

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namibia swakopmund desert

Namibia

Namibia is the land of a thousand landscapes. From the famous dunes of Swakopmund to the the beautiful ocean views along the Skeleton coast, if you’re looking for adventure – this is the place.

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mozambique azura quilalea aerial view

Mozambique

Beckoning to the seasoned traveler, Mozambique’s remote islands, and untamed national parks offer the perfect combination for a beach and bush safari.

Welcome to pioneering luxury travel across Africa.

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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