Makate fights on for Billions over ‘Please Call Me’ idea

image: Daily Investor

by Kelebogile Matlou

Nkosana Makate, the man behind one of South Africa’s most impactful mobile innovations, continues his fight for justice and fair compensation. In 2001, as a Vodacom employee, he came up with the now-famous “Please Call Me” service, a tool that allowed mobile phone users without airtime to send a free
all-back message. The feature became a staple of mobile communication across Africa and was eventually imitated by telecom companies around the world.

Vodacom, which implemented the service, reportedly earned over R100 billion from it between 2001 and 2021. Globally, similar services helped generate an estimated R700 billion. Yet the compensation Vodacom offered Makate for his idea was only R47 million, a figure he has rejected as deeply unfair.
Makate believes he is entitled to between 5% and 7.5% of the total revenue the service generated. The courts have acknowledged him as the original inventor, but after years of litigation, the matter of financial compensation remains unresolved.

In a recent development, the Constitutional Court sent the settlement matter back to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein for further consideration. Despite the drawn-out process, Makate remains determined. “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate says he is still confident
that he can convince the SCA to order Vodacom to pay him billions which he feels he is entitled to for his concept.

Supporters of Makate point to the broader implications of his case. “He is not Elon Musk you will judge him, we know, but what he is fighting for is a fair share,” said supporters of Makate, highlighting the systemic challenges faced by black innovators. Critics have even questioned the impartiality of past
rulings, calling the court decisions flawed and, in some views, reflective of a biased or compromised judicial process.