Andrew Zimmern Joins Ker & Downey Africa for an Exclusive Culinary Safari Through South Africa

A 10-day culinary safari through Cape Town, Franschhoek, and the Sabi Sand with Andrew Zimmern as culinary host. May 11 to 20, 2027.

CAPE TOWN , SOUTH AFRICA, May 28, 2026 /⁨EINPresswire.com⁩/ – Ker & Downey® Africa and Heidi Ladell Collective announce a 10-day intimate journey through Cape Town, Franschhoek, and the Sabi Sand. May 11 to 20, 2027.

Acclaimed chef, writer, and cultural explorer Andrew Zimmern will join Ker & Downey® Africa as culinary host of The African Table, an exclusive luxury culinary safari through South Africa designed for travelers seeking a deeper, more immersive way to experience the continent.

Blending exceptional food and wine with privately curated safari experiences, the journey moves through Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, and the Greater Kruger, combining world-class hospitality with meaningful cultural connection throughout. Each element of the journey has been privately curated by Ker & Downey® Africa in collaboration with Zimmern and Heidi Ladell Collective.

Known globally for exploring culture through cuisine, Zimmern brings a distinctive perspective to the experience, one that aligns closely with Ker & Downey® Africa’s approach to travel: thoughtful, highly personalized, and deeply rooted in place.

“This is not simply a food-focused itinerary,” says Sarah Morris, General Manager of Private Clients. “It is a journey through South Africa told through flavor, landscape, wildlife, and the people behind it all. Food becomes the thread connecting every part of the experience.”

Heidi Ladell, Founder of Heidi Ladell Collective: “Nothing exists that goes deep into the cuisine of Africa the way it deserves. We built The African Table around that gap and around Andrew, who brings a dimension to this experience that no one else could. We have worked together enough times that I knew exactly what this could be.”

Throughout the itinerary, guests will enjoy exclusive wine tastings in the Cape Winelands, private dining experiences, chef-led culinary encounters, and immersive coastal foraging experiences, alongside meals at some of South Africa’s most celebrated restaurants. The journey also includes luxury safari experiences in the Greater Kruger, where guests can enjoy Big Five game drives, bush dinners beneath the stars, and time in some of the country’s most remarkable wilderness areas.

Designed as an intimate hosted departure, The African Table has been created for travelers who value access, discretion, and experiences that feel both refined and genuinely personal.

“Andrew has always approached food as a gateway into understanding people and place,” Morris adds. “That perspective mirrors how we believe Africa should be experienced. Not simply seen, but understood.”

Taking place from May 11 to 20, 2027 and available to only a limited number of guests, The African Table reflects a broader shift in luxury travel, where meaning, exclusivity, and cultural depth increasingly define the experience.

And in South Africa, few places tell a richer story than the table itself.

About Ker & Downey® Africa

Ker & Downey® Africa is a luxury travel design company headquartered in Cape Town, specializing in tailor-made journeys across East and Southern Africa. With deep on-the-ground expertise and long-standing relationships throughout the continent, the company curates highly personalized safaris defined by access, discretion, and thoughtful design. Each journey is shaped around the individual, with a focus on seamless logistics and experiences that go beyond the expected.

For more information, please visit https://ker-downeyafrica.com/

About Andrew Zimmern

Andrew Zimmern has built a career on curiosity and the belief that food tells the world’s most important stories. A cultural anthropologist, writer, Emmy-winning creator, executive producer, and host of several acclaimed shows including Bizarre Foods and Wild Game Kitchen, he explores how food can bridge divides and inspire change. Through decades of travel, Zimmern has become a trusted voice on global cuisines and food systems. He has won four James Beard Awards and is the leading advocate for cultural understanding through food storytelling. Zimmern is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the UN World Food Programme and serves on multiple boards.

For more information, please visit https://andrewzimmern.com/

About Heidi Ladell Collective

Heidi Ladell Collective is a culinary and travel consultancy founded by Heidi Ladell. Built on 30 years of experience at the intersection of food, culture, and high-trust relationships, HLC works with private individuals and luxury brands where culinary experience, travel, and cultural access converge. The work is immersive, deeply personal, and built around talent and destinations that most people never get close to.

For more information, please visit https://heidiladell.com/

Sarah Morris Ker & Downey Africa +27 212012484 Visit us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kerdowneyafrica/posts/?feedView=all https://www.instagram.com/kerdowneyafrica/ https://www.facebook.com/KerDowneyAfrica/