Ker & Downey Africa transforms international hiring with Ambitions Travel Recruitment

Luxury African safari operator Ker & Downey Africa needed to fill senior international roles across South Africa and the US, including a business-critical Sales Director hire to grow its B2B division — Ambitions Travel Recruitment has been proactively sourcing high-calibre, culturally aligned candidates since October 2024.

Ker & Downey Africa, an award-winning luxury safari operator based in Cape Town, has partnered with Ambitions Travel Recruitment since October 2024, building a strong working relationship over this time.

As Ker & Downey Africa continued to grow both its B2B and B2C divisions internationally, the business needed to secure senior talent across multiple markets, including South Africa and the United States. Finding candidates who not only had the right experience but also understood the nuances of luxury safari travel was essential to supporting this expansion.

Ambitions Travel Recruitment took the time to properly understand Ker & Downey Africa’s business before beginning the search. Rather than waiting for applications to come in, Ambitions Travel Recruitment proactively identified and approached candidates who were the right fit — drawing on a team with genuine leisure travel industry experience to recognise what “good” looks like for this kind of role. Communication remained clear and consistent throughout, ensuring Ker & Downey Africa was never left uncertain about progress.

Among the roles placed, Ambitions Travel Recruitment most recently sourced a senior candidate based in the United States, who will play a key role in growing its B2B division.

Ambitions Travel Recruitment’s placements have supported Ker & Downey Africa’s growth by securing strong talent internationally across both its B2B and B2C divisions. By sourcing candidates who align with the business’s goals, culture, and skills requirements, Ambitions Travel Recruitment has strengthened Ker & Downey Africa’s teams and positioned the business for continued expansion.

“What sets Ambitions Travel Recruitment apart is that they understand the industry from the inside. Their team has worked in leisure travel — so they know what good looks like, and they know the type of people who genuinely thrive in these roles. They took the time to understand our business properly before starting the search, and rather than waiting for applications, they proactively identified and approached candidates who were right for us. Throughout the process, communication was clear and consistent. We were never left wondering where things stood. It is always a pleasure working with them.” — Ker & Downey Africa