#WomensMonth | Building people so they don't need you

Karen Franklin grew up under tougher than average circumstances. She will tell you that this is relevant context because it meant she learned to roll with the punches early on, to treat daily challenges as footholds rather than obstacles and to never use her circumstances as an excuse to hold herself back.

Issued by Provantage

17 Aug 2026

#WomensMonth | Building people so they don't need you

This orientation has served her well in a career that has placed her in one of H+A's most demanding roles. As national sales manager the pressure is real, but she is clear that she does not carry it alone – every department plays a crucial part in achieving targets.

Make the space for teams to step up, take ownership and thrive. Seeing others grow and being able to facilitate and be part of that growth gives me an immense amount of satisfaction.

A recent health emergency when gearing up for the biggest single campaign in the history of H+A , confirmed something she had always believed: build people well enough that they do not need you to succeed. The team went on to deliver despite her absence.

Her mentor, Alex Garlick, is still a vivid presence in how she leads: someone who could cut through complexity without losing sight of the human being behind the job title. Franklin has borrowed this sharpness and fairness from her. She firmly believes that everything we say or do sets something in motion. Her advice to young women considering sales in this industry is bracingly honest: you need to be a certain kind of crazy to thrive here. But if you are wired this way, you will love it.

Provantage is one of the largest and most innovative end-to-end integrated marketing solutions and media businesses in Africa, extended over multiple key consumer touchpoints and covering a range of environments and audience segments. Operating across the MEA region, Provantage offers a comprehensive range of products, services, and integrated solutions, including brand activation, in-store and trade media services, field sales and compliance auditing, transit media, mall media, billboards, street furniture, golf course media and airport advertising. The company is a Black-owned, B-BBEE level 1 contributor, and proud member of the ACI, DPAA, OAAA, WOOHO, OMC and POPAI.