Erica Gunning is the owner of Planit Media and a respected leader in South Africa’s media and communications industry, with more than 24 years of experience across agencies and media departments. She has built a career defined by strategic insight, innovation, and award-winning work, including serving as a judge for the Cannes Media Lions. In this Q&A, she shares her leadership journey, key lessons, and insights on what it takes to thrive in a competitive industry.
1. What have been the defining moments in your 24-year career in media and communications?
The single biggest defining moment was starting Planit Media in 2016 — the decision to own my future rather than have it decided for me. Building an independent agency gave me the freedom to do what is genuinely right for clients, without the constraints of global network agendas or holding group requirements.
It also allowed me to lead differently: to manage my team as equals, create real space for their growth, and build a business that is true to what it says it will do without compromising on values. Beyond that, being invited to judge at Cannes Lions was a milestone that reminded me that local agencies can compete unapologetically on a global scale.
2. What has been your biggest challenge as a woman in leadership, and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge has never really been about gender; it has been about staying relevant in the work itself rather than in the social and political corridor of corporate life. I have never been interested in the corridors; I am interested in the craft. The way I have navigated that is by staying true to the leader I am: focusing on delivery, maintaining full transparency, and calling out what is not real. That keeps you at the table, adding genuine value which ultimately matters far more than who you know at the golf course.
3. What made you take the leap to launch your own agency in 2016?
The need to own my own future rather than have it shaped by someone else’s agenda. I had spent years in the industry building other people’s businesses, and I reached a point where I wanted to build something that truly valued both clients and the people doing the work. Planit was built on that premise: a client-first, people-first independent agency where what we say and what we do are the same thing.
4. What advice do you have for women who want to start their own business but are afraid to begin?
Know your worth and be fearless. Fear is normal, but it cannot be the reason you don’t start. Hard work and surrounding yourself with people who share your values and vision will carry you further than any safety net. Be intentional about who you associate with, who you partner with, and who you bring close into your business. The people around you set your pace and shape how you navigate success. Choose carefully.
5. How important are data, strategy, and innovation in building a successful modern agency?
They are non-negotiable; they are the core of how you adapt and grow alongside your clients. At the end of the day, we follow audiences and build strategies around how to reach them in meaningful, engaging ways. If we do that well, our clients grow and so do we. That said, data and technology are tools, not the answer. The heart of great strategy is still human; it is in how you show up, how you think, and how you connect insight to an idea that actually moves people.
6. After judging global awards like Cannes, what sets great leaders and brands apart?
Love for what you do. You can see it immediately when someone is doing something for the right reasons; it is contagious. That energy is what builds great brands and great agencies. It makes you open to achieving things you did not think were possible. Cannes also reinforced something I had always believed: that geography is not a limitation. South African work can compete and win on a global stage when the thinking is right, and the conviction is real.
7. Can you share a setback you’ve experienced and what it taught you?
Trusting the wrong partners and building them up at my own risk. It is a lesson I have learned more than once in business. What it has taught me is this: never compromise on doing the right thing for your clients or your business. Be strong enough to walk away when a partnership is not equitable. Real partnerships are win-win, not a situation where one party carries the risk while the other takes the reward. I now hold that line firmly.
8. How has women’s leadership in business changed over your career?
Significantly. When I started, women were largely the doers, capable, hardworking, but without a consistent seat at the boardroom table. That has shifted meaningfully, with more women in senior leadership across industries. There are still environments where the boardroom is effectively the golf course, and navigating those spaces requires a particular kind of excellence and self-assurance. My approach has always been to focus on how I do things and the value I add, not to treat gender as either a hurdle or a badge. That mindset has served me well.
9. How do you manage balance and avoid burnout while leading a successful agency?
Manage expectations upfront and plan forward with enough breathing room to look up, learn, and handle the unexpected. The rule at Planit is simple: between 9 and 5, we work hard, and after that, your time is your own. Client emergencies happen, and when they do, the team rallies and we solve it together. But that is the exception, not the norm. Protecting that boundary is not a luxury; it is how we sustain the quality of thinking and energy that our clients depend on.
10. What advice would you give the next generation of women leaders and entrepreneurs?
Know your worth genuinely, deeply, without apology. Be fearless in trying new things, and do not wait for permission or perfect conditions. The industry will keep evolving, and the only way to stay relevant and lead with impact is to keep learning, keep showing up, and keep pushing the edges of what you think is possible. Build something real, surround yourself with people who challenge and support you in equal measure, and never compromise on your values. That is the foundation on which everything else is built.
To reach out to Erica, please visit www.planitmedia.co.za
